A step has been taken toward connecting the Victoria Shamrocks throughout the ranks.
Rod Wood, vice-president and governor of the junior Shamrocks, announced Sunday that his team and the intermediate Shamrocks – having merged in 2011 – are officially partnering with the senior A lacrosse team.
“We’re still two separate entities, legally, but we’re going to be working together every way we possibly can,” Wood said. “You’re going to see it in things like similar coaching techniques, player development, branding, uniforms, merchandise, public events like this, purchasing equipment and ticket sales.”
He noted that 15 players from last year’s senior Shamrocks came up through the Shamrocks ’ intermediate and junior programs.
Senior Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch noted that the move will streamline the integration of players.
“It never really made a lot of sense to me that when we call a guy up from junior that he has to learn our system,” he said. “I think on the floor, having a common style of play will really introduce a higher level of competition for all of us.”
Welch admitted that the clubs and their organizations were quite far apart five or six years ago, but noted that has been changing in recent years as they’ve started to work more closely together.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve seen the tent get bigger,” he said, pointing to the work of the Shamrocks’ alumni association, which awards lacrosse scholarships to youth players in financial need and spearheads other events in the community designed to grow the sport.
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