The town of East Aurora, a suburb of Buffalo, has a motto saying, ‘Where good neighbors gather.’
And from October through March, one of the town’s key gathering places is the Classic Rink, where ice hockey activity is nearly non-stop for local players of all ages. Scott More oversees the venue and the Aurora Ice Association.
A few years ago, More, a former collegiate lacrosse player, realized that adding a second sport during the spring and summer would allow his facility to continue being an active gathering place during the months when ice hockey was idle.
So More installed some turf, recruited coaches, and launched BEAST Lacrosse, which has quickly become one of the largest box lacrosse leagues in New York. A USA Lacrosse equipment grant in 2018 helped More to get the venture rolling.
“The grant we received helped to catapult us to becoming one of the leaders in this area for box lacrosse,” More said. “We started with 30 kids and now we have over 500 boys that we service. The original kids all brought more friends the following year. We just kept growing.”
The BEAST program features four age divisions, with nearly 30 teams participating in a house league, and a travel program that facilitates competition against other townships. More also offers clinics for girls, with hopes of adding a full girls’ division in the near future.
“Box is so huge for skill development,” More said. “Initially, we started with a lot of hockey players who wanted an offseason activity, but now we have a lot of field lacrosse players who understand the value of box lacrosse. Everyone wants to play.”
With professional athletes like Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne serving on the coaching staff, More’s program continues to grow and attract more kids each year. But that also brings some challenges.
“We’re really struggling to find goalie gear these days,” said More, who tries to offset equipment costs for participants in order keep fees affordable for families. “Goalie equipment is almost impossible to get. And we’re always in need of more rib guards and helmets.”
Despite these challenges, the future looks bright, and More is optimistic that the growth in Aurora will continue. His advice for others is pretty straightforward.
“The key is to have a plan,” he said. “The initial equipment from USA Lacrosse helped with word of mouth and getting the message out that we were starting something here. And now, we just want to keep growing this dream.”
It Starts With a Stick
With a gift of just $28, you are not only putting a stick in the hands of a new player but investing in the sport’s exciting future. Support USA Lacrosse through the ‘It Starts With a Stick’ campaign. Learn more about the USA Lacrosse grants program by clicking here.
