FOUR years ago the England Women’s Under-19 lacrosse squad and management returned from the United States somewhat disillusioned with another so-near-yet-so-far performance at the World Championships. The fourth place achieved by the squad was a creditable one, but England had not secured a medal at this age level since 1995 and it was long overdue. In 1999 we had narrowly lost to Canada in the bronze medal play-off and, although we have always known that England has the ability to compete for medals, we have not consistently realized our potential.

After much reflection and research the Centex programme was created in 2003 to address this issue. The intention behind the programme was to provide greater opportunities for aspiring and potential U19 England players, in terms of developing their technical and tactical game and match play and of improving their physical and mental preparation. Most importantly, players would be monitored over a longer period of time and in a variety of situations.

In the past four years Centex players have participated in many training days. There have also been fixtures against overseas teams, including the University of Notre Dame, and Centex squads have competed in the Senior and Reserve Territorial Tournaments. A Centex team also competed in the 2006 Prague Cup, emerging as winners of the senior section. Finally, many of the players have benefited from training with and playing as part of the Senior National Squad. This link between U19s and seniors has been of paramount importance in the development of the individual player and of our two national representative sides.

Selection

Despite an ongoing selection process taking place, the year leading up to the World Championship saw the inevitable final cut. The selected 25 (18 players and seven reserves) were named and all these players trained and competed together up until the squad’s departure; this helped to ensure that should a change need to be made, it would have the least amount of disruption to the group. Selection is never an easy task and this occasion was no exception due to the exceptionally high standards the players and coaches had set. Players began to push forward, however, particularly those showing signs of an inner strength and passion to achieve on the bigger stage. Squad training occurred every fortnight for the selected 25, as did individual training. Fixtures and other commitments, such as fundraising, also demanded time – and these alongside the usual responsibilities of school life, college and work. A social life? What’s that?

It is for these reasons that those who played at the World Championships thoroughly deserved their place and the bronze medal position. The mood entering the tournament was one of both excitement and expectancy. No England Women’s U19 team had ever prepared as well for a World Championships.

Preparation does not guarantee success, however, and a long road lay ahead.

The seeding and groupings for the Championships were based upon the finishing positions from the 2003 competition. New entries included New Zealand and the Haudenosaunee. England therefore found themselves in the top group alongside the United States, Australia, and Canada, the host nation. This was a tough ask as we would have no easy games early on in the proceedings.

We had prepared as best we could for the timings and type of games we were about to face. The players had been provided with a rigid personal training schedule to follow during their time away from squads, and their progress had been thoroughly monitored through a system of fitness testing. The training consisted of three phases, starting with endurance work and tapering to quality sprints as we approached the championships. The players trained with bin bags under their clothes to simulate, as best as possible, the intense heat and playing conditions to which they would be exposed in Canada. The heat and humidity would not be in the same league as in the United States four years earlier, where England encountered huge problems – including the hospitalization of a player due to severe dehydration – but would be much worse than the conditions in which we generally play at home. The preparation was vital.

Game time

The inevitable injuries and illness hit the squad, as they do most squads, during theweek of competition. Forced changes unfortunately led to an inconsistency in the team’s performances and a mixed set of results. The first match against the United States was a rude awakening, as we were matched against a well drilled, cohesive and physically strong squad. The result, 4–18, was disappointing, but did not reflect the percentage of play we possessed or the effort put in by the England side, particularly in the second half, which ended a respectable 3–6.

The large amount of time spent together by the squad had created a strong bond between them and developed strength of character. We moved swiftly on to the next match, the group still feeling positive. In the second match against Australia the squad showed enormous spirit and composure and produced an outstanding performance. A late equalizer by the Australians denied us victory, but the performance was hugely encouraging. We played our third match, against Canada, on the fourth day of the tournament. With some players ill for this game we were neither surprised nor too disappointed at the 5–9 loss.

The result placed us fourth in the group and meant that we would play Japan, who had topped the second group, to establish the tournament semi-finalists. Again, the players showed their strength and resolve and turned in a good performance, this time topped with a winning 17–8 score line. For this game the result had been far more important than the score, and we had adopted a style and line up to reflect this fact.

On securing a semi-final place we were faced with the Americans once more. An unlikely victory would put us in the Championship final; defeat would relegate us to the bronze medal play-off.

The closest any team had got to the Americans was a 10-goal margin. With this in mind we entered the match with a distinct game plan. Regardless of the result here, we would be facing a major game – gold medal or bronze medal – the following day. So when the game began to unfold in the Americans’ favour, we moved to Plan B. The bronze medal game would be our personal Championship final, and it was vital that we conserve energy for that game. Another solid performance and deserved victory, 3–18, saw the United States proceed to the gold medal match. Our opponents in the bronze game would be the hosts, Canada.

On Finals Day the squad awoke with nerves and an excitement that was to be expected from a group of players who had dedicated as much as four years of their life to this event. The Canadians, the home side and disappointed not to be playing in the final, had huge expectations for this game and we knew that we had to be at our best. But it was England who started the better, and we quickly went two goals up. Confidence and determination were running through the group. The Canadians hit back, however, and by half time we were 3–6 down. We had been in this position before, and used the break to reinforce our game plan.

The squad took to the field in the second half with renewed focus and determination, and the gap was closed quite quickly. The rest of the half was evenly fought and with less than one minute to go the score was 8–8. It was crucial not to concede at this point and yet we had to make every effort to secure a victory.

From a turnover in our defence, the ball was carried at speed down the right wing. As the player approached the final quarter of the pitch she fed the ball in to the 11m, and due to the mass of players in front of goal it was only the movement of the back of the net that confirmed that we had scored – with less than 30 seconds left on the clock!

With so little time left it was vital that we secure our game defensively, and this was superbly achieved by the players. The rest is history, as they say!

Words cannot express the emotions that followed. The pictures might help. But when all is said and done, those who have been involved with the England campaign in Canada know that third spot was the very least that this squad deserved.

Measuring progress

This was our first U19 medal for 12 years. But what does the future hold for the U19 team? On the evidence of the performances at the Centex centres in August this year, there is much to look forward to – the standard of play was higher than that at the inaugural Centex programme way back in 2003. This reflects well on the work taking place within the regional programmes, in the initial stages of preparation for representative play. However, the potential of our young players will only be realized if the programme continues to develop and be fully supported, and if the players and officials maintain their enthusiasm and commitment to the cause.

The Centex programme has already made great strides. Since its inauguration in 2003 we have seen the establishment of three regional centres to accompany the national programme, and from this year Centex representative sides will participate in the Junior Territorial Tournament, Territorial Reserves and Territorial Championships. There are plans also to send teams to compete once again in the Prague Cup, and we will continue to host strong oversees touring groups. Other positives from the programme include the development of young and talented coaches. At the regional and national levels the coaching is provided by experienced and knowledgeable individuals as well as current national players; their expertise is passed on through team coaching and thus the continuity of top-class coaching continues.

Last word

In all my years of involvement with England lacrosse I have not met a group of players who are better endowed with commitment, talent, mutual respect, and that old favourite, humour. Add to that the experience gained in Canada and I am sure these players will continue to impress and inspire others in a variety of roles and levels within the sport.

England Women’s lacrosse is in a stronger position than it has been for many years. The monitoring and development of players and the opportunities available to them is exceptional. If we wish to make an even greater mark on international lacrosse everything is now in place to do so.