It’s been a few days since the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship, hosted by Rady Children’s Hospital, wrapped up at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA and we are still reeling over it all. Many of us may have watched these games from home, but our very own Erik Mineo, Executive Director, was lucky enough to be directly in the action as Military Advisor to World Lacrosse.
SFS partnered with World Lacrosse to host the “Stars vs. Stripes” arena, a military-themed Fan Zone box arena. The Fan Zone was enjoyed by both families and fans alike, but it also saw Team Israel Juniors crush a game of box lacrosse in the Stars vs. Stripes arena!
While we are super excited to have been able to host the military-themed Fan Zone, we are equally as excited about not only the games themselves, but all events and displays including some behind the scenes action that Mineo was able to experience that made this all even more special.
To kick things off, Mineo met up with All Veteran Group at the VIP World Lacrosse welcome party where opening remarks were delivered by San Diego Mayor, Todd Gloria. The very next day during the Opening Ceremony, All Veteran Group dropped into Snapdragon Stadium carrying the official game ball from Wolf Athletics! The jump was led by All Veteran Group member Jenny, a retired medic from the 82nd Airborne. In addition to the official game ball being delivered by All Veteran Group, the Marines, Navy and Navy SEALs were welcomed to Snapdragon Stadium during opening ceremonies and the Marines’ proceeded to steal the show with their Battle Dome VR gaming station.
But the fun and action didn’t stop there. During the halftime show, Steve Aoki absolutely smashed a 13 minute set. Just before getting on stage, however, Aoki stopped by to say hi Mineo and the Marines. Sadly, no one got “caked” but it was great to see Aoki take the time to say hello to the military community!
It’s hard to believe that these events during Opening Day were just the tip of the iceberg. All this and more action and fun took place during all 11 days of the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship, but we were just lucky enough to have some boots on the ground to give us an inside look into how truly awesome 11 days of lacrosse and camaraderie can be. In Mineo’s own words, “It was a whirlwind of great people, good vibes, excited fans, and the best international lacrosse in the world!”
While we’ve had some time to reflect on all of the games and events that took place over the entire championship, we want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to every single team. The World Lacrosse Men’s Championship is truly unmatched in skill, energy, and camaraderie and we are thrilled we got to be part of the excitement this year as it was hosted for the first time ever in California. We also want to extend a massive congratulations to Team USA for defending their title and taking home the gold!
To see more behind the scenes shots, check out the gallery below.
