LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Last weekend, professional lacrosse players came to Louisville to play in an all-star game. Excitement was palpable, and it could lead to a professional team planting roots in Kentucky.
Louisville native Reid Wesley is not a stranger to the lacrosse field. The Bellarmine University alum played for the Knights and is the founder and head coach of L4 Lacrosse, a high school lacrosse team in Louisville.
But soon, the players at King Louie’s Sports Complex may have the top players in the world playing close to their home turf.
“I think it would expose a lot of youth players to the game. I know there is a lot of interest out there and it would be cool for them to have role models as well,” Wesley said. “Someone for them to look up to, having a role model, will lead the kids to work a lot harder.”
The Premiere Lacrosse League had its inaugural season in 2019 and includes eight teams.
Beginning next year, each team will be assigned a home city. Fans can vote on their preferred city here.
The Louisville Sports Commission says that the support shown at Saturday’s all-star game could lead to professional lacrosse becoming a mainstay in the river city.
“The fact that our folks showed up, turned out, had a great environment, allows us to show them that they can bring their events to Louisville with confidence,” said Greg Fante, LSC president and CEO.
Wesley hopes that if Louisville is selected as a home city, it will be successful for the lacrosse community.
“The product they produce is great. Whether it’s live or on ESPN, watching it is exciting and I think it would attract a lot more players to the sport which is great,” Wesley said.
If Louisville is selected, the Louisville Sports Commission says the goal is for the teams to play at Lynn Family Stadium.