Jake
Hymowitz saw his junior season with the men’s lacrosse team come to an early
end last spring as he suffered a knee injury prior to the 2016 campaign. But
before returning to the team for his senior year, Hymowitz spent his summer
spreading the game of lacrosse internationally.
Andrew
Landsman, a goalie for the Israel National team who helped it to the 2016
European Lacrosse Federation Gold-Medal Match, reached out to Hymowitz via
Facebook Messenger about an opportunity to play in Israel. Landsman represented
Israel Lacrosse, the organization that runs the Israel Premier Lacrosse League
(IPLL). Israel Lacrosse’s goal is to spread the game and spark interest in the
sport throughout the country.
“I was
excited to spend the summer playing lacrosse in Israel,” said Hymowitz.
Along with
many other Jewish-American college players, Hymowitz participated through a
birthright trip offered by Israel Lacrosse. The trip is free of charge for the
athletes.
Upon
arrival, the birthright players had the opportunity to scrimmage the Israel
National Lacrosse team and won, 17-2.
Israel’s National team is comprised mainly of
Jewish-American players. Israel Lacrosse hopes the IPLL spreads the game to the
citizens of the country so more Israeli-born players fill the roster.
Hymowitz
played defense for a lacrosse club located in the city of Be’er Sheva. It was
the club’s debut season and it hired Jordan Hirsch as head coach. Hirsch played
at Nazareth College in New York and was a member of the 2004 team that reached the
Division III National Championship game. He briefly served as an assistant
coach at Guilford’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rivals
Hampden-Sydney College (2008) and Lynchburg College (2008-2010).
Hymowitz
and the team had their first match with Haifa LC, a 5-4 Be’er Sheva victory.
The city of Haifa did not have an official lacrosse team, so Haifa LC was
composed of the Israel National team, which used the league play as preparation
for the European Championships. Hirsch’s
team overcame the lack of preparation and Hirsch’s absence.
“We played our first game without a coach, and having met
each other the day before,” said Hymowitz. “We were like a family by the end
[of the season]. This game started our bond.”
In the city, most of
the community had not previously heard of lacrosse. This summer marked the
first year lacrosse was introduced to the youth of Be’er Sheva.
“Most
people were more confused than excited at first, because they had no idea what
lacrosse was,” said Hymowitz. “People looked at us like we were crazy. We
carried six-foot poles and equipment while sporting the same logo as their
soccer team (Be’er Sheva FC).”
Be’er Sheva
LC’s success promoted the sport throughout the city. Hymowitz and his teammates
worked with Sticks for Kids, a program that connected players with local youth
through lacrosse.
“Every time
we showed up to a school to teach a clinic, the kids were beyond excited,
especially as we started to win games and get more recognition,” said Hymowitz.
“Some kids even asked for autographs, which was a crazy experience.”
Hymowitz
and his teammates also worked with the Be’er Sheva youth lacrosse team that
formed in conjunction with the official club team.
“These U15
kids who started practicing and playing when we did had never played lacrosse
before,” said Hymowitz. “They were always excited to come out. To see how they
progressed and got better over time was great.”
Be’er Sheva
won the nationally televised IPLL championship game at the end of the season
and finished with a 7-1 record. It defeated Haifa LC once again, in the title
round, 11-10, in overtime of the championship game held at Wolfson Fields in
Tel Aviv.
After
graduating, Hymowitz wants to play for the Israel National team. However, he
noted the importance of giving the game of lacrosse to the community.
“The
playing aspect was fun for me, but that’s not why we were there,” said
Hymowitz. “We were there for the kids. We were there for the kids and the
game.”
