What’s this about?Ĭolin Achenbach: The shopping cart challenge is something that fits one of our core values of Community. The Meltdown also provides an opportunity to get a large group of teams and friends together, to kick off the season in a fun manner.ĭuring the tournament, you have something called the Meltdown Shopping Cart Challenge. I always remembered playing in those games before the official games started as a great bench marker for the season, and also one last time to fine tune everything before getting into the real action. Can you tell us a little about the idea behind this tourney?Ĭolin Achenbach: The tournament was an idea steaming from the preseason college scrimmages I played in every year. The Minnesota Meltdown Jamboree is an event you run each year that brings 22 local high school programs together over 2 weekends. The talent is here and now we’re working to expose the players to a college that fits their needs, both on and off the field. This year alone, there are already more than 10 players committed to playing collegiate lacrosse across the country. That hard work is very apparent in the talent pool at the state’s high school level.
More players are putting in extra time going to camps, and playing on traveling teams.
The skill level from year to year is extremely impressive. What about the high school level? How does the talent pool compare?Ĭolin Achenbach: High School lacrosse in Minnesota is coming along. With an increased level of coaching and players giving back to the game by helping coach youth programs, the skill level is going to continue to increase. The talent is also increasing and isn’t that far off from the “hotbed” areas of the sport. More kids are playing at earlier ages and are starting to make lacrosse their first priority. Here in Minnesota, in the last three years there has been a huge spark in interest of the sport. The sport is expanding all over the country and more and more kids are getting exposed to the sport. How would you describe the youth lacrosse scene in Minnesota compared to the Northeast and West Coast regions of the US?Ĭolin Achenbach: The Lacrosse scene in Minnesota is without a doubt, growing at an extremely rapid rate.
MINNESOTA MELTDOWN TOURNAMENT FREE
In addition to the games, Homegrown Lacrosse hosts a free clinic for all youth players, there is a fastest shot contest, dunk tank, and other games to engage the attendees. during the event, the keynote games include the High School All Star games, High School Summer League Championship games, Men’s All Star game, and Men’s Championship game, as well as our Women’s League Championship. The event also ties players, parents, and coaches together by showcasing games from every level at the same location on one night. The Champions of Summer is Homegrown Lacrosse’s way of bringing together the expanding Minnesota lacrosse community for one final time each summer to celebrate a sport that engages and transforms the life of those it touches. With the help of the Minnesota Swarm, MBLSA, MLA, and the Minneapolis Public School system, we have been able to put a lacrosse stick in the hands of over 12,000 Minnesota students in the last three years. The In-School P.E Program has been one of our largest programs to date. Since founding Homegrown in 2003, what have been the organization’s biggest moments? What events or initiatives have had the greatest effect on the sport’s growth in Minnesota?Ĭolin Achenbach: There have been so many great moments since starting Homegrown but a couple that stick out in my mind are the In School P.E Program, and the Champions of Summer event. We wanted to help grow the sport from its earliest stages and bring back the knowledge and skill sets we learned while away at college. Myself and Aron Lipkin started Homegrown Lacrosse in 2003 as a way to give back to the Minnesota Lacrosse community that gave both of us so much when we started playing.
We have a wide-variety of service and fee-based programming options that are designed to develop character, build self confidence and instill a sense of community. What exactly is Homegrown Lacrosse, and what inspired you to start it?Ĭolin Achenbach: Homegrown Lacrosse is a community based nonprofit, dedicated to encouraging positive change in the lives of lacrosse players and supports the growth of the sport in Minnesota. Editor’s note: Jeff Brunelle sits down with Homegrown Lacrosse Co-Founder & Program Director, Colin Achenbach, to discuss lacrosse in Minnesota! Growing The Game, one state at a time! These guys are doing WORK up in the Land of TEN Thousand Lakes, so check ’em out!
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