China's lacrosse team seeks funds

When it comes to the topic of sports in China, few begin the conversation with lacrosse. But Chinese interest in the game is growing, thanks to the work of some dedicated players and a growing international presence.

Lacrosse has been in China for several decades, according to the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL), but the sport has yet to find a resonance with young Chinese athletes.

"Lacrosse is pretty much unknown in China, so one of the things we've tried to do is organize a league in Shanghai to get the local kids to understand the sport," said Charles Tsiang, budget manager for the China Lacrosse Association (CLA). "One of the key things is to have a group of nationals that love the game, and in China we don't have that group of people."

CLA, the governing body of lacrosse in the world's second largest economy, is a nonprofit group that provides opportunities to discover and participate in the sport through clinics and coaching workshops.

The organization is also responsible for fielding the Chinese national team, which will be represented at the 2014 FIL World Championship in Denver, Colorado.

To help support the team's travel costs, CLA has started a fund raising campaign via international crowdfunding site Indiegogo. The team's goal is to raise $30,000 through the sale of gear and apparel online, which will help cover travel and other expenses - a total that nears $80,000.

The roster for this year's Chinese national team is composed of 35 players, representing more than 15 provinces in China and a number of top-tier collegiate athletic programs. The group will be pared down to 23 in June.

Tsiang's son Michael - a member of China's national lacrosse team and a rising senior and lacrosse player at Villanova University in Pennsylvania - said the problem with lacrosse in China is it's viewed as "almost more of a hobby than a sport".

"The kids are passionate about lacrosse in both the US and China, but it's just not quite at the same level yet," Michael Tsiang said. "It's becoming a growing passion, but it doesn't have quite the same incentive that people in the US have."

The 2014 FIL World Championship, an event hosted by the FIL and US Lacrosse, will take place from July 10-19 in Denver, with 38 countries participating in the event. China is set to take part in the tournament as one of nine new participants.

US Lacrosse, founded in 1998, is the national governing body of lacrosse in the United States. With more than 400,000 members and close to 70 chapters nationwide, the organization is dedicated to providing programs and services that promote the game of lacrosse.

The FIL is the international governing body for the sport, established in 2008 through a merger of the male and female international lacrosse associations.

China joined the FIL in 2012 as the seventh Asian country to link up with the sport's governing body. Despite the late entrance, China's potential as a market for lacrosse "is limitless", according to Brian Logue, director of communications for US Lacrosse.

For some, the opportunity to promote the sport is the main reason to be playing in the first place.

Dylan Bassham, a sophomore lacrosse player at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, said the time he spent in China allowed him to take a step back from the game.

jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com