Testimonials

I love lacrosse and I love Centaurs. I joined Centaurs after the birth of my 2nd child in 2010 after being a member of Berkshire Wanderers (now Newbury) since leaving school. I chose Centaurs mainly because of the people. Not only are we a very organised, competitive and successful club but we are a friendly club and I’ve made some great friends. We are a team. Centaurs is welcoming and great for talented juniors looking to develop their skills, those at university and adult players who want to continue playing at the highest level. I hear the training is great too (I don’t make it as juggling my 2 children, dog, house, job and husband it’s just too much!). My personal highlight of playing for Centaurs is the total enjoyment that comes with playing high level lacrosse each week with some great people. Okay, the winning is also fun and we’ve been winning lots, including an unbeaten season in the league last year!

I joined Centaurs as a 14-year-old school girl looking for some extra practice and competition that could push me beyond school level lacrosse. Ten years later and I still enjoy every minute on the pitch with this club! When I joined as a young player, having the opportunity to play with and learn from the older club members was invaluable. My understanding of the game and tactical awareness improved quickly, and I learnt to hold my own with the more physical style of club lacrosse which was very helpful before progressing to the senior age group and then university. While at university I played as many Centaurs games as I could around term time and loved being able to come back and play more regularly once I finished university.

As well as matches, the weekly Centaurs training sessions are always good fun, and great for improving stick skills and fitness. Playing for Centaurs was hugely responsible for my growth as a player and undoubtedly helped me achieve international representation. It has always been where I play my best and most enjoyable lacrosse – we have a lot of fun on the pitch and I know I have teammates and friends for life. My personal highlight was winning the 2018 National Club Championships Final – we were all playing for each other and the end result was awesome!

I’ve been playing for Centaurs for nearly 20 years, since I was a 17 year old at school and encouraged by my coach to go along. Back then, as now, Centaurs was friendly, welcoming and helped me develop my lacrosse and get me to 4 world cups playing for Wales. I still  love playing in Sunday matches and the tournaments. “Super-training” on Wednesdays helped to sharpen stick work as well as improve decision making and fitness. I love the opportunity that Centaurs offers me to continue playing with old friends but also meet new ones. We are always welcoming new talent and that helps to keep Centaurs almost unbeaten. It’s the only club team I ever want to play for!

When I left university four years ago I was worried that I wouldn’t find the same level of competitive training and high level lacrosse. My friend encouraged me to try the Centaurs ‘Super Training’ on a Wednesday and within the first half hour, and approximately 100 court sprints later, I realised that not only was I getting in strong skill development practice, but a hidden fitness session in one! I loved how friendly everybody was from the get go and whilst training and matches are always competitive, there’s also always room to have a laugh. So, even though there are other teams closer to me, Centaurs has become my lacrosse home in London.

I have been a member of Centaurs Lacrosse Club since my last year of school – so that is a long time (29 years!). I have seen the club go through changes; home ground, members, kit, rules, leagues (the list goes on!). But one thing that has always been consistent is the fun and camaraderie that we have all enjoyed along the way (oh and the consistent winning has also been quite handy!). I have so many fond memories of team mates and so many hilarious stories (mainly from the socials). I don’t get to play too much these days – and feel sad that I haven’t made one game this season! But I am determined to be back soon and enjoy getting to meet lots of the new, younger players and hope that they don’t think of me as ‘the old lady’ (Haha! – don’t worry I will still boss everyone around – but more of a ‘do as I say, not as I do’!)

We are also very lucky to have the huge support of non-players such as Tim and Ros.

Centaurs is a truly amazing club and I feel extremely proud and privileged to still be a part of the team – thank you!

I have been a committed member Centaurs lacrosse club member for 5 years now. I chose to play at Centaurs from a very young age because I wanted the opportunity to play with players with a lot more experience than myself, make new friends and just play more lacrosse! Joining was definitely a great decision and I have had some fantastic experiences with the club. A highlight for me must undoubtedly be the 2017 European Championships in Ghent – a silver medal which we hope to turn to gold this year! I am now at university but still play whenever I am around and love having another team to come back to where I always feel welcome.

I have always loved the open and friendly atmosphere of the club and the way in which players of all ages and experience are encouraged to play and improve together. By encouraging up-and-coming players to train alongside members with years of international experience, we have created a club with amazing depth and this is something which I am sure will continue for many years to come.

As a 16 year old to be able to play matches with and against some of the UK’s leading international players is an unbelievable experience – my first game being against England U23’s before they went on tour to Japan!

You get a lot of game time, are included immediately as one of the team (irrespective of age and experience), and the learning curve is massive. A brilliant way to spend Wednesday evenings (training) and Sunday mornings (matches).

I first started playing on the recommendation of my school coach (Vic Alexander) when I was 14 to fill in for a match, and then for the rest of that season I was eager to volunteer for any other games where the team was a goalie short. Playing at a new level with and against experienced and skilled players (some international), which I would not have otherwise done. I learnt so much every game from the advice of my teammates, helping me to become a better and stronger player each week.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play with such a diverse group of players. I have gained so much experience and knowledge from the game, helping me to improve and allowing me to pass on to others.

It’s an amazing opportunity to play at another level which you may not have the exposure to in your school. You can play with incredibly skilled players, from who you can learn so much and improve your play.

I have played for Centaurs for the past three seasons, including the last National Club Championships, and will play in the upcoming Ghent tournament in September.

I joined Centaurs aged 14 because my school coach recommended it, and it was an easy decision as the training is at my school, LEH. I soon found that the club was an excellent way to improve my stick skills, compete in match play at a higher level and most importantly, increase my confidence as a young player. With the support and competitiveness of the extremely talented and friendly Centaurs members, I have improved significantly since my first ‘super training’ session, whilst having a great deal of fun and laughs throughout. My most memorable experiences as a Centaur to date have been competing with the team at the European Club Championships in Belgium and winning the 2017 National Club Championships.

I joined Centaurs when I was 14 when being asked to fill in for a match. Playing such a high level of lacrosse has helped to not only improve my stick skills, but also my confidence. With players from England, Wales and New Zealand, my knowledge of the game has improved, helping me at school level as well as club. The highlight of my time at Centaurs so far was travelling to Ghent and competing in the European championships, as well as the weekly Sunday matches.

I played my first ever match for Centaurs in the summer when I was 14 after I was first introduced to the club by a school coach. Since then, I have been amazed by how welcoming and kind the team is and I love playing for them whenever I am able to. The club offers great practice and training, which I find hugely beneficial especially when getting back into lacrosse during the summer, before the school season resumes. In addition, it offers the chance to play at a higher level than normal with players of different standards. Not only this, but I have made some great friends who make the experience of playing for Centaurs even more enjoyable and I am so grateful to be able to play with such an incredible group of people.

I joined Centaurs for extra practice and a high standard of training, and it definitely lives up to that! I have been lucky enough to train consistently with the academy squad and occasionally with the seniors, which has given me a lot of amazing experience, an increased confidence in my skills and a greater awareness of the game as a whole. The training is fun and high energy, but there is always a focus so we are constantly improving something. I have also been lucky enough to play in some matches for the seniors, which has completely changed my game and made me a more competitive player.

I’ve really enjoyed playing for Centaurs this year and I feel like I have really improved. I have especially liked playing with the seniors when our sessions sometimes overlapped and that was really challenging for me. The coaching has been really great and has helped me with my school lacrosse as well.

I’ve enjoyed Centaurs this year and I thought the sessions were challenging and fun. I thought each week was different and they covered a lot of different techniques and plays. Thanks for a great year. 

If your daughter is considering joining as a Junior Member, don’t expect her to be played as she is played at school. In Centaurs, she will be an apprentice. She will sub on and off, she will be played in many different positions and sometimes she may not even get on at all. She might not like this, and neither might you. So where’s the benefit?

It is simply this…. in Centaurs, young players do their ‘lacrosse trade apprenticeship’ in a team fielding some of best players in the UK in a club currently National Champions. To be part of Centaurs is to be inside a masterclass.

The experienced players at Centaurs are enormously kind, supportive and generous with their time to help raise the junior girls’ confidence and skills to a new level through training and match play.

My daughter trialled for the club on the recommendation of her school lacrosse coaches. She was lucky enough to be accepted into their Junior Academy and has loved every minute of her Centaurs experience ever since. The club is very well-organised; communication is clear and efficient; new members are made to feel welcome and valued from the outset; opportunities to ‘play up’ with the senior team are made available where young players have shown themselves to be committed to training. The intensity of the training sessions is something on which my daughter thrives and the excellent coaching – both formal and informal – from the incredibly talented senior players has been given so warmly and generously.