Max Adler's Journey with Israel Lacrosse
Published on September 18, 2020 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release
5,482 miles from Annapolis, Maryland, the site of the 2020 MLL Season, Ashkelon, Israel sits. Ashkelon is home to roughly 144,000 people, as well as an ancient seaport that dates back to the stone age. It is on the southern edge of Israel, resting against the Mediterranean Sea and serves as an important geological site for scientific and geological digs. It also serves as the epicenter of a burgeoning international lacrosse hotspot.
The headquarters of Israel Lacrosse calls Ashkelon home, and uses the ancient seaport as backdrop as they work to expand the sport of lacrosse in Israel. Israel Lacrosse has a number of teams that compete on the international level, including their #7 ranked Men's National Team. In the 2018 World Lacrosse Championships, the Israeli men's teams made a run that saw them playing in the championship bracket. Taking faceoffs for the team was none other than MLL Superstar, Max Adler.
Like so many other stops in Adler's lacrosse journey, serving as the faceoff specialist for the Nation of Israel was not something Adler had envisioned. Adler, who is Jewish himself, began a relationship with Israel lacrosse when they reached out to him about serving as a chaperone for their Winter Service Trip.
Israel Lacrosse's Winter Service Trip is an annual event that allows Jewish high school lacrosse players to travel to Israel and tour the country, while also teaching lacrosse to students in schools, and representing Israel Lacrosse against international competition. It was during this trip that Adler was first approached about a potential opportunity on the National Team.
"They already had tryouts, which I missed but they said 'you being a faceoff specialist, we need a faceoff specialist. There would be a potential opportunity if you would be willing to move out here for the next two months and train and do the coaching, and then you would go back for your MLL season and then return here for the World Championships," Adler said "I was like 'yeah, that's perfect,"
For Adler, the decision was an easy one. "It was kind of a no-brainer to go out there for two months," Adler said. "At the time I was living in Boston and it was February and when they asked me I looked at my phone and it was 10 degrees in Boston and I'm on the beach in Haifa and it's 80 degrees."
Warm temperatures and golden beaches were just one small reason Adler was so willing to go and live in Israel. Adler recalls that his favorite part of the experience with Israel lacrosse was coaching for his own town team.
"I really loved coaching the kids, we actually got to coach our own town teams, start a team in that town and compete against different towns within Israel. I really enjoyed coaching and introducing the kids to the sport of lacrosse," Adler said, "Being immersed in the culture and connecting with the kids on a personal level and seeing how much they enjoy playing lacrosse and learning the sport, I can really relate to them. It was not too long ago I was in their shoes," said Adler. "That was definitely my favorite part."
Lacrosse is still a fairly new sport in Israel. But while it may be new, Adler says the sport is quickly gaining popularity. "The kids really gravitate towards it, because there's no real football there, basketball is big and baseball is decently big, but besides that there's not really a whole lot else," said Adler about the popularity of lacrosse in Israel. "It's a very fast paced, physical game which the kids like. There's also a whole lot of scoring so it really appealed to a lot of kids. Once they tried it, they were hooked and would consistently practice on their own," Adler said. "It's still very, very new there, but that being said I think the kids are really passionate about it and willing to put in the work."
Adler's hope is that by representing the Nation of Israel on the international stage, and playing lacrosse professionally, he is setting an example for the children he coaches that with hard work, they can represent their country on the international level. Adler says he hopes that one day soon, the Israel National team will be composed entirely of players born in Israel, and currently call it their home. Adler draws hope for his vision from one of his teammates in the World Games, Ori Bar David.
Bar David, who is from Netanya, Israel is a product of the Israel Lacrosse development system. Bar David called it a "dream come true" when he scored his first goal at the Men's International level in 2018 during an Israel win over Russia. Adler hopes Bar David serves as an example of what all the athletes in Israel Lacrosse programs can achieve with hard work and dedication.
"He was a really good athlete but put in a ton of work and was able to work his way onto the team. Having someone like that who picked up the sport a couple years ago, to already be competing on the world stage like that, hopefully the Israeli kids look to him and say 'he went to an Israeli school like we did and was really able to put in the work and work his way onto a national team." said Adler about his teammate.
"The goal is to have a fully Israeli team. Guys living there and kids that came up through the program and are now playing on the national team," Adler said.
According to Adler, what comes next for lacrosse in Israel is partially dictated by the sport's status as an Olympic sport.
"A lot is dependent on lacrosse getting into the Olympics. Once it gets into the Olympics the Israeli government would fund it and really back it, and then it's known as an Olympic sport and you get all the benefits that come with that. The key is for lacrosse to get into the Olympics. I think that can really drive the popularity and fund the youth programs and the development of the national team," Adler said.
As Adler spent more time in Israel with Israel Lacrosse, he began to learn that lacrosse wasn't just a fun and competitive sport for the children of Israel, but also served as an escape from some of the harsh realities of life in Israel.
"Kids will be playing outside, and they'll hear the sirens and have to run inside and have a constant fear of rockets being shot over them," Adler said about one of the locations they visited in Israel. "It was pretty crazy; it really opened my eyes. It was never something that I would even think about, and for these kids it's a very real danger," Adler added. "These kids are waking up at night having rockets shot over them."
"Lacrosse is an escape for the kids. While I think it's a great sport for them to just stay active, it also is great escape to take their minds off of the things that are going on around them," Adler said.
Adler's personal growth and education did not stop there. Through tours provided by Israel Lacrosse during his time there, Adler learned about the history and culture of Israel. "One of the things we did on our service trip was go Poland and see the concentration camps, and really understand why it's so important that Israel exists. To make sure that something like the Holocaust doesn't happen again, and that there is a safe place for the Jewish people," said Adler.
While Adler's experience with Israel Lacrosse was highlighted by his time spent growing the game of lacrosse as an ambassador for the sport from the United States, connecting with people across the globe, and learning about Israel, he still served as the faceoff specialist for Israel Lacrosse in what served as the arrival of Israel Lacrosse as player on the international stage.
For Adler, representing Israel on the world stage was a special experience. "It was cool to represent Israel. Especially with Israel hosting the games. That part of it was really cool. And then to see the kids that you coach come to your games to watch you play was also pretty special for us and I know it was really special for them," Adler said.
Adler's experience in Israel sets the stage for what could be a transformative decade for the sport of lacrosse in Israel. With lacrosse potentially gaining Olympic status soon, Israel could quickly become one of the sports international hotbeds. The team made waves in 2018 and now is set to compete as one of eight teams (Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Iroquois, Israel, Japan and USA) in the international World Games in 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. With the youth development programs that team Israel has in place, and with coaches and ambassadors like Max Adler, the future of lacrosse in Israel is bright.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from September 18, 2020
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
