JARED ALLEN ADDS U15 ONTARIO FIELD LACROSSE TEAM TO BUSY SUMMER TRAVEL SCHEDULE
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — It may be Summer in the pool, but it’s lacrosse all summer for Jared Allen.
All-year — actually.
And it’s getting busier for the Grade 8 GPS graduate, who’s no X-Box, couch potato-playing layabout.
The fine, fit young 14-year-old recently made Team Ontario’s U15 field lacrosse team in May.
That’s on top of playing for the Huntsville Hawks and Brampton Hardcor field and box lacrosse teams.
As well as the Buffalo Jr. Bandits box lacrosse team.
“I know, it gets confusing,” says his dad and travel agent Chris Allen who when not chauffeurs his son at night after work.
We caught up to them as they were on the road again heading up to Huntsville for a box lacrosse practice. The Hawks’ field team season is done for the year.
Jared is preparing for the Ontario box lacrosse championships in Whitby next month at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival.
He and his dad and brother, Tyson, 20, have been travelling to Brampton the last couple years so Jared can play both field and box lacrosse with the Hardcor.
“I prefer box lacrosse because I get to do more than just sit on the field,” said Jared.
By that he means more two-way physical play, pushing, shoving and the allowable cross-checking on both forward and defence.
At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds he’s a force of nature and adept with either the six-foot “pole” or the three-and-a-half foot stick, when attacking either the indoor 4×4-foot or out door 6×6-foot nets.
In box play he’s a “runner” and on the field a “mid-fielder/long pole defence” player.
Jared didn’t make the Team Ontario box lacrosse team this year, but he did make the Buffalo Bandit’s U15 Jr. box team. But he’s busy enough and says the Bandits program better fits his schedule. It’s a program run by the professional Major Lacrosse League team.
Meanwhile, after provincials next week with the Hawks, he goes right in to a Bandits box tournament.
That follows a Team Ontario Summers 6 tournament, which included the top 15 players each in both box and field lacrosse. They were split up into teams and played a round robin.
Team Ontario resumes play with games this fall.
“Between development, practices and games we’re travelling almost every night,” says dad Chris who shares driving duties with son Tyson.
Mom Lindsay is Team Allen’s other driver and dietician who packs them healthy meals for the road.
Chris says they have no problem crossing the American border. It’s almost the opposite coming back.
It’s not much of a summer holiday for a teen. But Jared “loves it.”
And when he’s not in the gym, travelling, practising or playing he’s in the gym, cycling or swimming with friends as he gets ready for Grade 9 at Gravenhurst High School next to his home where he has a lacrosse net and basketball net in his yard where he is often seen perfecting his shots or shooting hoops with his brother.
He hopes to eventually earn a scholarship and study business commerce.
Not a bad way to spend a summer. Even if it’s not a Summer in the pool.
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