What Brings Them Back: Chasing the Dream at National Combine

SPARKS, Md. — It’s been a busy summer at USA Lacrosse’s Tierney Field with five weeks of National Combine events that serve as pipeline for the National Team Development Program. The summer’s final combine was this week, featuring nearly 150 boys U17 and U19 players.

Here are a few stories that caught our attention from this group.

Back Again

Mac Brooker has been through the combine grind before. Last summer, he endured three days of intense competition in the heat and humidity against extremely talented players. He was pushed to the limit both mentally and physically. He couldn’t resist a repeat visit.

“Having been here before, I knew what to expect,” said Brooker, a Texas native and one of seven U17 goalies in attendance. “Last year, I was kind of the young guy in the group and this year, I’m playing with guys that are my own age, which is kind of nice. It helps a lot.”

Brooker says he is motivated to learn as much as he can during the combine experience, taking away bits and pieces from the coaches as well as the other combine attendees. For him, making the final roster of 24 that will compete in international games this fall would simply be icing on the cake.

“I feel like its an honor to represent your country and once I got the opportunity, there’s no reason to pass it up,” Brooker said. “I love being out here. I’m having a blast.”

Midfielder Sanchez Rucker sang a similar tune. A rising junior at Culver Academy in Indiana, he was committed to returning to the National Combine for the second straight year.

“Last year was a new experience and managing the schedule can be hard,” he said. “Managing your rest while you are here is a big thing. You have to be mentally tough but also be able to balance the physical demands.”

Rucker, a two-way midfielder, said that the combine provides a great opportunity to expand on his game IQ. He wants to be an impact player at both ends of the field.

“I love being creative on the field and having fun,” he said. “I really enjoy being around these players and the coaches. Being able to learn from them is the biggest reason I am here.”

Catching a Bad Break

Injuries are an unavoidable part of competitive sports, whether it’s a mild muscle strain or a more severe issue. The worst-case scenario for most athletes is an injury that causes them to miss playing time.

Unfortunately, that’s the experience this week for U17 close defenseman Ethan Denys, who broke his right thumb on the first day of the combine and spent the rest of the week as an observer only.

“This is the first time I’ve missed a game or an event,” said Denys, one of two combine attendees from Washington state. “Unfortunately, I just got hit wrong.”

Despite not being able to suit up, Denys was determined to focus on the positive. He spent most of each session standing as close to the coaches as possible, intent on growing his game knowledge.

“It’s good to be around the coaches here and to learn about the game,” Denys said. “I wanted to be here because there’s great coaching and high-level competition. Lacrosse in Washington is growing, but it’s a different game than the East Coast. You see a lot more hero ball back home with a little less team play. It’s developing its own style.”

Staying Committed While Being Committed

At the U19 level, nearly two-thirds of the combine attendees are rising high school seniors who have already announced their college commitments. As such, they have limited motivation in using the combine as an opportunity to impress college coaches. But they still have their "why," a concept being stressed this week by the U19 coaches.

For defenseman Leif Anderson, a five-star recruit from Connecticut who is headed to Notre Dame, the why is pretty easy.

“It’s a great experience to represent your country and not everyone can say that they did, so I’m really chasing that,” he said. “I would love to play for that team. It’s a dream I’ve had for a while. That’s definitely the end goal.”

Twenty-four players from each age group will be selected for U.S. Youth National Teams and play against international competition at the Rivalry Challenge in Canada and the Brogden Cup at USA Lacrosse.

Anderson noted that being surrounded by elite players helps him to elevate his own play.

“I enjoy this competition. Everyone here is a really good lacrosse player,” he said. “Plus, we have great drills and great coaches. And, as a side note, the food is really good, which is always a plus.”

After one year in boarding school at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, Anderson is transferring back to Brunswick School in Connecticut for his senior year. He wants to finish high school in the same place where he started.

“I wanted to finish out with my guys at Brunswick,” Anderson said. “I’m real excited to come home for my senior year.”