COQUITLAM - Following a complete restructuring of their national team and with increased support from their national governing body, Germany has committed to play in the 2016 FIL Men’s Under-19 World Lacrosse Championship in Coquitlam in just under a year.
Team officials says the German side is preparing to attend the 2016 world juniors with the strongest German U-19 team to date. The all-German team staff will be led by 2012 assistant coach Pete DeSantis who now takes on the head coaching reigns.
"It’s a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to return to the U-19 world championships as a representative of the German Lacrosse Association. I’m fortunate to have as assistants two of Germany’s most dedicated and hard-working young coaches, who have represented Germany as members of the men’s national team,” DeSantis said of Kilian Bombosch, offensive coordinator, and Maximilian Bieber, defensive coordinator. “The young men who represent Team Germany in Coquitlam will be the strongest, smartest and toughest U-19 players Germany has produced. That is a tremendous credit to their home clubs, teammates and coaches. It’s an honor to coach them."
Germany joins Canada, the U.S., Australia, England and Ireland in the field of teams committed to date. More team commitments will be announced in the coming weeks.
With the tournament just under a year away - running July 7-16 in Coquitlam - the first phase of team tryouts concluded in April, with 45 out of 85 invited players remaining on the roster. There will be three or four more camps this year with another five or six camps to be held next year - one of them will be attendance at the 2016 Berlin Open just prior to the world U-19 tournament.
Team staff said the next camps will provide an opportunity to put an emphasis on lacrosse IQ and skills, athletic ability and team building to form the final roster.
"We are looking for the smartest, toughest and fittest team-player who is willing to go that extra mile, throw that extra wall-ball or lift that extra set,” said general manager and athletic supervisor Jan van Eijkelenburg, who adds the team has been using Sportlyzer to assist in coaching players between camps with workout logs with embedded videos “and a great feedback tool."
Team Germany will arrive in Vancouver as early as June 30, 2016, playing locals for friendly games and scrimmages. If any other national team is looking for a scrimmage, please get in touch with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Van Eikjkelenburg says the team would like to thank ZimaGear for providing them "yet again with fantastic custom team apparel."
"Having strong partners and affiliates is making our endevour towards becoming Europe’s strongest lacrosse team so much easier and more fun,” he added.
If you are interested in becoming a part of the German Lacrosse Family, you can connect with the German U-19 national team via social networking pages. Follow them on their road to Coquitlam:
