Ryan Sarazin remembers his first coastal trip to play with the Burnaby Mountain Selects, thinking it would be a decent way to improve his field lacrosse skills.
Beyond that, he didn’t really hold much expectation.
A year-and-a-half later, and the 17-year-old Fulton Secondary student has become the first Vernon-area player to receive an NCAA Division 1 field scholarship. Sarazin signed with the University of Marquette Golden Eagles for next fall.
“I didn’t really expect to get to hear that when I started playing,” said Sarazin, who plays Junior B box lacrosse with the Vernon Tigers.
“I thought it would be a way to get my skills up and become a better player. We started getting e-mails from schools and that’s when we really started considering going to school down there.”
Sarazin has played with the Selects in several elite tournaments across North America, but he really caught the eye of Marquette’s coaching staff when he competed with the Team B.C. Under 16 squad at the Adrenaline All Canada Games this summer in Oshawa.
Battling in front of more than 50 NCAA coaches and scouts, Sarazin auditioned well at midfield, collecting six goals and three assists in the tournament, earning a selection to the all-star team. He also won 80 per cent of his faceoffs and showed his versatility, bridging a solid two-way game with some savvy transition skills.
Marquette sent him an e-mail with an offer before he had boarded the plane for home.
“They said my athleticism was greater than a lot of kids in the States,” said Sarazin.
“They can teach kids in the States to use both hands and shoot, but you can’t teach them the athletic part.”
Marquette competes in the Big East Conference with the likes of Georgetown, Notre Dame, Syracuse, North Carolina and Duke. Sarazin went on a fly-down to visit the Milwaukee campus and liked what he saw.
“All their guys were great. They had a really good program for physical therapy, which is what I want to do,” he said.
The last 18 months have been a grind for Sarazin, who spent his weekends driving to and from Burnaby to practice with the Selects. The North Okanagan has plenty of lacrosse talent, but it isn’t exactly a recruiting hotbed.
“It’s not easy to get noticed by coaches when you live in a small area like here,” said Sarazin.
“In a way, there’s tons of kids that could get the opportunity I have, it’s just you have to want it and put yourself out there. There’s a big risk in it.”
Sarazin’s advice to the next wave of local lacrosse talent – start earlier.
“If this is what you want, you have to put yourself out a lot earlier than you’d choose,” he said. “Most people really only start getting looks at junior and senior, but if this is what you want to do you’ve got to put yourself out sooner.”
Sarazin also credits the Selects program for boosting his skill level. One of the first things he noticed playing in the U.S. tourneys was that most Americans can shoot with either hand. He adds it is pretty much an essential skill at the college level.
“That program brought me to an entirely new level,” said Sarazin. “I’ve always been skilled, but I went from fitting in with everyone to going to that program and it was a complete different change.”
Added Selects’ coach Brent Hoskins: “Ryan’s greatest asset has always been his exceptional athleticism, but he also possesses the drive and determination that will make him a successful student-athlete.
“Ryan’s versatility in the midfield should allow him the opportunity to make an immediate impact with the Golden Eagles.”
