HAVERFORD, Pa. – No matter the sport, international contests always provide the highest level of competition that an athlete can face. One current Haverford College student-athlete got to experience that competition level this summer as Ben Kang was selected to play for the Republic of Korea in the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championships.
Kang, who is entering his sophomore season with the Fords, is very active in the Korea Lacrosse Association as he played in both the summer and winter leagues in high school. After his senior year of high school, Kang elected to try out for the national team roster. It took three hours under the sun against the best players in his country. But the experience, "Definitely worth it," stated Kang.
"Lacrosse is an American sport; yet, there are tens of thousands of great players all over the world and itching to play against each other. Meeting players in the Centennial Conference and other Division I and III schools at WCL 2014 was very exciting," he continued. "It means that there are so many players who want to be in touch with their family history and where they came from via lacrosse. In the end, lacrosse is a very fast growing sport and it brought so many friends and family together both on the individual level and on the team level."
Exposure to lacrosse at the international level is certainly nothing new for the Haverford men's lacrosse program. "At Haverford, our men's lacrosse program is committed to the education and international spread of the game of lacrosse. Since 2006 we have traveled to Australia twice ('06, '10) and Portugal once ('14) with the interest in allowing our program to experience international lacrosse being given the chance to compete against foreign national teams and teach lacrosse to local youth, high school, and adult players," commented head coach Colin Bathory.
Bathory continued by stating, "The Lacrosse World Games are the most significant international event our game has, and we are very proud of Ben and his experiences with the Korean National Lacrosse Team this summer. He earned the opportunity to become a part of the most historic international lacrosse event we have seen throughout the history of our game. In doing so he represented his country and Haverford College. We could not have asked for a better person to be our first to play in the world games."
Kang appeared in all seven games that the Republic of Korea played in. He started five of those contests for his country, playing as the long stick middie. Over the course of seven games, Kang picked up eight ground balls and also caused two turnovers. He made his first start against Sweden in a game that was broadcast live to the world on ESPN 3, providing one of his most memorable moments of the tournament.
"There are so many memorable moments from the World Lacrosse Championship. If I had to pick one, it has to be our second game against Sweden. The game was broadcasted on ESPN 3 live. It was a big deal for both teams," recalled Kang. "I'm running from one end of the field to another the entire game. By the fourth quarter, I was extremely exhausted, but I had a unique heavy pressure that I am ultimately representing my country and showing my friends what I got and what I am made of in this game. Though Team Korea lost, I remember this as one of my most passionate moments in my entire athletic career."
Although the Republic of Korea suffered defeats in in each of its first four games, the team rebounded to win two of its last three contests. The only two games that the Republic of Korea lost in its final four were just one-goal differences. The team ultimately closed the world championships with a 10-7 win against Argentina, placing 35th in the world at tournament's end. These lessons learned will now have the chance to be applied when the Haverford College men's lacrosse team begins play this season.
"Throughout the tournament, I played against very experienced Division I and Major League Lacrosse players. I never felt so helpless and unskilled on the field; however, as the tournament went on, I adjusted to their playing style and was able to compete among them," said Kang. "Just the fact that I competed against such remarkable players gives me confidence and the motivation to push myself to compete with all my heart while playing for Haverford."
Kang continued, "I never played against so many international players with diverse lacrosse experiences. So many of these international teams do not actually have all the resources that Haverford Lacrosse can provide to the players - the coach staff, the facilities, great competition, and phenomenal teammates. I learned that every Black Squirrel should cherish his\her college athletic experience while playing Haverford, because this extraordinary college experience is definitely finite and for countless athletes in the world, such opportunities are not even provided."
The Fords' sophomore currently has three more seasons left of Haverford lacrosse. However, he hopes to continue to be able to represent his country in the future. Next summer, the Asian Pacific Tournament (ASPAC) will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. The next World Lacrosse Championship will be held in 2018 in Manchester, England.