When Brett Handsor signed up to play lacrosse as a four-year old, little did he or his parents know what impact that would have down the road, and what opportunities it would open.
Today it has meant a quality high school education at Culver Military Academy in Culver Indiana, and he has committed to going to John Hopkins college in Baltimore Maryland when he completes his high school. He enters grade 10 there next year.
In addition, Handsor has just been named to the Ontario Midget lacrosse team, joining Kaiya and Alexis Roberson who are also on Provincial teams. Kaiya Roberson made the Bantam team while Alexis was named to the Midget squad for the second year.
Tyler Conn, another star player with the Huntsville Hawks this year, has also been able to use lacrosse to further his education in Norfolk Virginia at Virginia Wesleyan College, a division three school.
To enroll in Virginia Wesleyan College costs just under $35,000 a year. Culver Academies is $31,000 for a day student and $41,000 for boarding students.
If it wasn’t for lacrosse. I wouldn’t be going to post secondary education. I wasn’t bright enough to get into university in Canada and I wasn’t interested in trades, so it has really influenced me and made it positive for my future.Tyler Conn
Tyler Conn outwits the defense to get a shot away.
“It’s a second plus to playing lacrosse to be able to do things like that,” said Handsor. “You don’t have to go into the military but they use it to teach you structure so you will be organized when you go on to university. I did a year of high school in Huntsville and then I redid grade nine at Culver.”
Our school is in the top five in the nation in hockey and lacrosse. It’s really cool to go to a school that is really behind you and gives you opportunities to go play in huge tournaments and leave school for a couple of days. They back you up with teachers who work with you because you miss class for lacrosse. I used to play because I just loved it, but now I realize that it can take me places.Brett Handsor
Handsor has been offered a scholarship to John Hopkins University which will enable him, he hopes, to get a business degree. It is also the main sport played at the school.
Both Handsor and Conn prefer to play the box lacrosse game at home but have little trouble adapting to the field game in the United States. Handsor says he plays a more defensive role on his team and has had to adapt to the more open space on the field. Conn says he likes the field game but finds it a lot more tiring.
“U.S. schools really like the Canadian players as they can play tight in close situations learned from the box game,” explained Dr. Jocelyn Knox, Huntsville & District Minor Lacrosse Executive Member and President of the Huntsville Jr. C Hawks.
Other Huntsville players have also used lacrosse for educational benefits. They include Luke Allen currently at U. of Indianapolis, and Jason Knox and Caleb Creasor who attend St. Andrews college in Aurora.
Knox says the life skills that the Huntsville Lacrosse program offers young people gives them a solid foundation on which to build their lives.
“We don’t have to be perfect but we do improve,” she said. “We focus on what we can control and learn to let go of mistakes. We learn that being positive will move us further and mostly we learn to be a team player and to win and lose with dignity. The educational opportunities are icing on the cake.”
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Tracy, thank you for the correction – we have updated the post to correct the error.
Correction: Luke Allen is attending the University of Indianapolis – not the University of Indiana – on a field lacrosse scholarship, studying business.