Team USA shows potential at 2019 World Junior Lacrosse Championship

The US after winning a bronze medal. (Dave Fryer/WJLC)

When it comes to rising up the ranks in any international sport, making it to the top can be a long process.

The assistant coach of the U-20 U.S. Indoor Lacrosse team, Oliver Marti, knows this well. Coming on the heels of his team's bronze medal showing last week in the world championships, Marti came up with an analogy from another sport that fits quite well on where the sport lies in this country.

"From box lacrosse standards, we're in the third inning of really having the same kind of skill-set as the Canadians, or even the Iroquois," said Marti. The Canadians took home the gold with a 13-10 win over Iroquois, while the U.S. earned bronze with a 13-12 win over Israel. "I'm Canadian, and I started playing (box) when I was 4, 5 years old. Kids in the U.S., they really don't play box. There are a number of programs that are out there, like Superstar Lacrosse, that I help with that has had kids from ages 8 all the way to high school, but it takes time to develop.