Minnesota Swarm's Youth Box League to Host First Ever Clinic for High School Players

Published on September 14, 2012 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Minnesota Swarm News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm will be hosting its first ever Youth Box League (YBL) High School Division clinics this weekend at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights.

The clinics will be led by Swarm assistant coach Aime Caines and forwards Callum Crawford and Corbyn Tao. The two-day event is designed to give high school players the opportunity to receive hands-on training from box lacrosse professionals.

The YBL, a youth box lacrosse program that the Swarm operates, launched its high school division this fall which currently features 14 teams with over 240 participants from around the metro area. Teams play their regular season games at the Hastings Civic Arena and Veterans Memorial Community Center and will finish the inaugural season with a playoff round from Oct. 12-14 at the Ralia Sports Center in Maple Grove.

The YBL High School Division is currently the only league of its kind in Minnesota that provides competitive league play and clinics for high school box players.

"The YBL has been around the past four years at the youth level, and this high school league now gives all of those players somewhere to play after (eighth grade)," said Caines, who also serves as the Director of the YBL. "Box lacrosse is growing in the United States and it's great to see this league starting off strong."

After a successful start to the league last weekend, participants will be given the opportunity to learn from some of the game's best this Saturday and Sunday during the clinics hosted by the Swarm. The trio of Caines, Crawford and Tao will be teaching attendees basic box lacrosse fundamentals in an effort to help grow and cultivate the sport.

"We're excited to have Callum and Corbyn in town for these clinics," Caines said. "I've coached with both of them on the youth level in the Twin Cities and they have great knowledge when it comes to teaching box lacrosse."

Crawford (Ottawa, Ontario) and Tao (Coquitlam, British Columbia) are both flying in from out of town this weekend, and will be making their first trip back to Minnesota since the conclusion of the 2012 season.

The Swarm's Youth Box League entered its fifth season of operation with the recent launch of the high school division this fall. Over 900 kids and 50 teams participated in the YBL last spring in the 3rd -8th grade division. The YBL is co-sponsored by Summit Orthopedics and United Hospital.

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