USA Lacrosse will welcome the men’s and women’s national teams from Colombia, Great Britain and Puerto Rico to Indianapolis to compete against the U.S. teams during the international portion of the inaugural USA Lacrosse Experience from October 11–13.
The international competition will utilize the new sixes discipline that will be used in the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. Sixes is a fast-paced version of the sport played on a smaller field with fewer players in a condensed game length and a 30-second shot clock. All games will be played at Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium.
“We’re really excited about the competition for this year’s USA Lacrosse Experience,” said Jason Vescovi, vice president of high performance for USA Lacrosse. “Every opportunity to further explore the sixes discipline is key as we head towards the inaugural World Lacrosse Sixes Championship and the 2028 Olympics. In Indianapolis, we’ll have the chance to compete and train with a longtime rival in Great Britain and two rising nations from our own continental federation (the Pan American Lacrosse Association) in Colombia and Puerto Rico.”
The U.S. men and women both won silver medals in the first major international competition utilizing the sixes discipline, finishing as the runner-up to Canada at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.
In addition to international competition, the USA Lacrosse Experience will feature a festival-type atmosphere with King & Queen of the Park events for players of all ages, along with educational and training opportunities for players and officials within walking distance in the downtown area. National team athletes will interact with the youth players competing in the King & Queen of the Park, including offering individual skill sessions.
Great Britain’s squad is comprised of players from the England, Scotland and Wales national teams for international competition in the sixes discipline. Great Britain finished fourth place in both the men’s and women’s sixes competitions at The World Games 2022.
Puerto Rico Lacrosse was founded in 2016 and its men’s team won the Pan-American Lacrosse Association Sixes Cup in Jamaica in 2023 while its women’s team finished as the runner-up. Colombia Lacrosse was founded in 2013 and both the men’s and women’s programs have competed in two world championships.