MONROE, CT — Masuk High School’s lacrosse teams’ rosters include star players and solid teammates playing key roles to their success. Most fell in love with the game and honed their skills and at an early age, while playing for Monroe Lacrosse Association teams.
Founded in 2008, the Monroe Lacrosse Association also provides a training ground for lacrosse coaches.
Panthers Girls Lacrosse Head Coach Rob Troesser developed his coaching chops with the association before being hired as Masuk’s coach in 2013. After leading the Panthers to their first state title in the program’s history last season, Troesser was named the CIAC Class L Coach of the Year.
Troessor said the association has become a feeder program for Masuk lacrosse, estimating 80 to 90 percent of Masuk’s players moved up through the youth program. He said only five girls on his team didn’t play youth lacrosse.
“Unless they moved to town after eighth grade, a vast majority of Masuk High School players came through our program,” said Will Heher, who is in charge of fundraising and social media for the Monroe Lacrosse Association.
Masuk’s athletes help the younger players and bond with them on Youth Nights. Heher said high school athletes help to run practices, serve as referees and run clinics for the association.
“The kids are engaged and have fun,” he said of the interactions with the older athletes.
Troessor said, “lacrosse, being such a difficult sport to pick up later in life, the youth programs offer the construction of our teams and ensures that the players carry that interest in lacrosse all the way through eighth grade.”
Troessor, who still coaches the Fiddlesticks group, consisting of the youngest children, has coached at all levels for the Monroe Lacrosse Association since 2008.
The Monroe Lacrosse Association currently has about 247 children in its youth programs, from age three to eighth grade. There are boys and girls teams by grade level.
Led by its president, Phil Sepelak, Monroe competes with teams in the Connecticut New York Lacrosse Association. Heher said most of the coaches are volunteers until sixth, seventh and eighth grade.
“We do a lot of fundraising, mostly to keep registration costs low at different fields and for hiring coaches for our teams every season,” he said.
The Monroe Lacrosse Association is currently running its biggest fundraiser, featuring a drawing for a brand new Peloton. The Peloton bike, as well as a $205 Peloton gift card for purchase of an accessory package, will be delivered to the winner’s home on Sunday, May 18, or at the winner’s earliest convenience.
To enter the drawing and support the association, click here. For information, email Will Heher at wheher@trumbullps.net.
The association recently donated two new goals to the Masuk lacrosse program.
“They’re top of the line,” Heher said, of the Gilman Gear equipment.
The nets were bought with money the association raised through donations.
“We’re trying to give more back every year,” Heher said. “We recently donated a shed to the town of Monroe, which is housed at Great Hollow Lake. It keeps our equipment off the field, helping with maintenance.”
The Monroe Lacrosse Association offers fall clinics for new players. For information and to learn about the next registration period, visit the website by clicking here.
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