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Laxachusetts has long been a force to be reckoned with on the East Coast, but this past August, the program reached new heights with a milestone that few can rival.
Class of 2025 defenseman Jadon Silva committed to SUNY Maritime, becoming the program’s 1,000th player to secure a college spot. The significance of being the program’s 1,000th commit is not lost on Silva, who has been part of the Laxachusetts family since the fourth grade.
“It’s a huge honor,” Silva said. “Laxachusetts has been like a second family to me all these years. To be part of something this big is really special.”
Silva’s story embodies the essence of what Laxachusetts represents—developing players not just for the field, but for life. Sean Morris, one of the the program’s three directors along with Dan Chouinard and Dave Evans, and one of the founding members of the National Lacrosse Federation, emphasized that the 1,000th commitment is a reflection of the hard work that’s gone into the program over the years.
“Reaching 1,000 commitments is a testament to the players, families, and coaches who have been part of this journey,” Morris said. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in, but we also understand it’s about the process. There are no shortcuts here. It’s the little things—footwork, work ethic, and a relentless commitment to improvement—that lead to big achievements.”
Elevating Massachusetts Lacrosse
That process Morris refers to has been key to Laxachusetts’ meteoric rise in a region that wasn’t always considered a lacrosse hotbed. A decade ago, Massachusetts barely produced a handful of Division I commits each year. Now, thanks to programs like Laxachusetts, the state is regularly putting out 40, 50, or even 60 Division I players per class.
Morris is quick to point out that the program’s success stems from its all-in focus on development. The Laxachusetts system includes 16 weeks of training each year, with players traveling across the state for intense practice sessions, clinics, and skill development. It’s a far cry from simply showing up to play games.
“We don’t just roll the balls out and let them play,” Morris said. “We build skills and push players to be their best. There’s always another level they can reach, and our job is to help them get there.”
That emphasis on development is something Silva took to heart during his time with the program. Playing defense, he credits Laxachusetts’ coaching staff for refining his game, particularly when it came to understanding defensive schemes and positioning.
“They taught us how to play on-ball, off-ball, and where to be on the field in every situation,” said Silva, whose younger brother Emmett is also rising in the ranks at Laxachusetts. “But it was also about attitude. They drilled into us that you’ve got to be aggressive, you can’t let your guard down.”
Development On and Off the Field
Patrick Crogan, a midfielder from Lexington (Mass.) who will be a four-year starter at Georgetown, echoed Silva’s sentiments. For Crogan, the path to Georgetown was paved with lessons learned through Laxachusetts’ highly-competitive training environment.
“When I first joined, I started on the bottom team,” Crogan recalled. “It took me three years to work my way up to the Black team, which is the top team. That journey taught me a lot about hard work and perseverance.”
Crogan’s style of play—fast and relentless—was honed during those years of intense competition within the Laxachusetts program.
“I’m not the biggest guy on the field, so I rely on my speed to get by defenders,” he said. “Being at Laxachusetts forced me to develop that, especially going up against some of the best talent in the state every day.”
Crogan said that the coaching at Laxachusetts goes beyond just X’s and O’s. They create a culture of accountability and pushing athletes to develop both as players and as people.
“The coaches there really care about your development on and off the field,” Crogan said. “You learn how to compete, but you also learn how to carry yourself the right way.”
Boston to the Pros
Will Bowen, a 2018 Laxachusetts alum and defensive standout who went on to play at North Carolina and Georgetown before turning pro in the PLL, looks back on his time with Laxachusetts as foundational to his career.
“Laxachusetts was where I really started to understand the craft of being a defender,” Bowen said. “Before that, I was just relying on athleticism. But at Laxachusetts, I learned the technical aspects—footwork, stick skills, positioning. It was the first time I really had to think about defense in a detailed way.”
Bowen’s rise from a raw athlete to a polished defender mirrors the rise of Massachusetts lacrosse as a whole. While Long Island and Baltimore were traditionally seen as the sport’s epicenters, programs like Laxachusetts have helped put New England on the map.
“When I started, lacrosse wasn’t as big in Massachusetts,” Bowen said. “But over the years, you’ve seen the growth, and now you’ve got players from all over the country heading to major programs. It’s pretty cool to be part of that.”
Sights Set on the Top
That growth is exactly what Morris envisioned when he helped start Laxachusetts. The goal was never just to win games or produce college commits—it was to build a culture that fostered the development of young men through the sport of lacrosse. And with 1,000 commitments in the books, Laxachusetts is doing just that.
“Our goal is to be the top club in the country,” he said. “That’s where we’re headed, but it always comes back to development. We’re building young men through lacrosse, and if they go on to get a great education and succeed in life, then we’ve done our job.”
“I am just so happy and proud to be part of this amazing lacrosse family we have here in Boston. It’s the best coaches, players and families in the sport, and I’m so thankful for it,” Chouinard said.
“Laxachusetts has set up a platform to help the kids get better at the fundamentals of the sport,” Evans added. “But like any team, there has to be buy-in from the players. As a staff, we could not be prouder of our players and how they represent the program and their families with pride and dedication.”
Onto the next thousand.
