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Massachusetts: Kids Can Attend A PLL Lacrosse Clinic With Pro Players At Gillette Stadium

Author Jeff Gorra

The Premier Lacrosse League playoffs are coming to Boston this weekend. In addition to the excitement of those games, your kids can attend a lacrosse clinic run by professional players from the league at Gillette Stadium. It’s all part of the weekend festivities that will take over Foxboro.

Here is what you need to know. First of all, the Labor Day weather in Massachusetts looks perfect. Conditions to pick up a stick will be ideal. Conditions to watch the best in the game compete will also be great.

Playoffs Games

The quarterfinals will be held on Monday, September 4. Of the eight pro teams in the PLL, seven make the playoffs. The Chrome this year were the odd man out, having the worst regular season record. The Archers had the best record and therefore, received the first round bye.

The first game on Monday is (4) Redwoods vs. (5) Chaos at 11:45 a.m. The defending champion (3) Waterdogs will then play (6) Whipsnakes at 2:20 p.m. Finally, the (2) Cannons square off against the (7) Atlas at 5 pm. You may remember the Cannons as the “Boston Cannon” from Major League Lacrosse. In fact, their home field was Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy before joining the PLL in 2020. The Cannons have kept their original uniforms.

But What About The Kids?

Prior to the playoff games starting, kids are invited to train with the players at the PLL Academy Pro Day. ” PLL Academy Pro Days bring hands-on lacrosse instruction from the pros to a fun, easy-paced environment,” they state. Players participate as coaches and then they allow 30 minutes for photos and autographs after the session. This also takes place on the Gillette Stadium grounds.

Here are the additional details:

  • When: Monday, September 4th from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
  • Where: S.M. Lorusso & Sons Athletic Field Complex – 2400 Main St, Walpole, MA 02081
  • Who: This is a co-ed event for players ages 4 through 14. Players will be grouped by skill-level so that participants receive the appropriate instruction.
  • Pricing: $79 (Includes training session AND STX beginner stick); $59 (Only includes training session, no stick)

Joe Nardella from the Whipsnakes and Mickie Schlosser from the Waterdogs are among the professional players who will partake in the youth lacrosse training at Gillette this holiday weekend.

What Else?

The first three groups to buy a suite at the Gillette Stadium playoffs will receive a meet-and-greet with PLL Co-Founder (and arguably the most notable Lacrosse player in America), Paul Rabil. This also includes a photography and signing opportunity.

Who Are The 4 NFL Quarterbacks Kids Like Best?

This past weekend, I spent many hours with youth football players that range from age 10 – 12 years old. My son is a youth player, and  I noticed at least six different NFL jerseys being worn by him and his teammates. This led me to wonder, who are kids’ favorite NFL quarterbacks today?

I was reminiscing about which athletes kids looked up to when I was 10 years-old. It was simple. Your favorite player was typically one of the stars on your favorite (usually hometown) team. Occasionally, a universal big name like Joe Montana would jump into the mix. However, many of the big Montana fans I knew growing up in New Jersey were then San Francisco 49ers fans. This was usually due to their admiration of Montana. I don’t see that to frequently be the case today.

It is not uncommon for kids to gravitate more towards specific players now as opposed to an overall team. There are two main reasons why I find this to be the modern way of fandom for youth today.

First is fantasy football. In fantasy football, you cheer for individual players. The team winning or losing doesn’t matter, the player on your team putting up big numbers does. It’s great for the NFL to have kids intently invested with so many games per week.

Second, players are digitally accessible. Meaning, you can engage differently with a player much more in our social media universe. Players share a glimpse into their lives and who they are off the field. The NFL as a league leaned into this a partnered with TikTok back in 2019 to give fans even more content.

Why Do Kids Select A Favorite Player?

It’s a question with many answers. 30 years ago I would have said, “I love Phil Simms because he is the New York Giants’ fearless leader.” I asked 30 local youth athletes this as a follow-up question upon them naming their favorite NFL quarterback. Often the answer was related to the Quarterback’s persona. Their style of play, their personality, and even their jersey number was mentioned.

So tallying up the 30 youth football players I asked, here are the kids’ favorite NFL quarterbacks that are active today.

  • #4 Jalen Hurts

    Hurts received 10% of the votes. A year ago, I don’t believe his name would have been mentioned. However, Hurts skyrocketed last year and brought the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. He showcased a fast style of play where he could run just as well as he throws. Kids love someone who takes the media world by storm. Furthermore, Hurts wears #1, and this has become an increasingly popular jersey number.

     

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    A post shared by Jalen Hurts (@jalenhurts)

  • #3 Josh Allen

    Being on the cover of Madden certainly helps. Allen’s quaterback style is similar to Hurts’ in that he too can use his legs. Seven kids named Allen (who is not a huge force on social media) their favorite because of his character. He plays ever game like it’s his last. My neighbor said, “It feels like every game the is the Super Bowl when Allen is leading the Bills offense on a drive down the field.” It’s a fair point. Allen dives and scraps for every single yard, and the kids are seeing it and reacting to that.

  • #2 Joe Burrow

    “Joe Cool” is not his nickname, but it should be. Here’s a great example of TikTok and shorts influencing youth player today. My son still watches the clip of Burrow throwing a spinning 50-yard, no-look pass perfectly down the sideline, from warmup last season. Burrow has an edge. He has confidence. Furthermore, he’s as good as they come. Burrow is the modern quarterback who has the skill set of a historical, prototypical QB. His black, orange, and white jersey is also pretty Joe “cool.” He received eight votes.

  • #1 Patrick Mahomes

    #15 got the most votes with 12, and is the clear #1 among the group of kids that I spoke to. Mahomes is a brand unto himself. He has his own style of play. He is innovative and his coach Andy Reid allows him to implement plays that people have never seen run before. “Mahomes is just in another league,” my son said. “And he wins.” His two Super Bowl rings also sit beside his two MVP awards. “We see that what Mahomes does, actually works,” another youth player said. He has a valid point.

Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
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