I had the opportunity to go one on one with Jenifer Marrosu. The women’s senior head coach for the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association.
The Interview
KMN- From New Jersey to Hong Kong, how did that present itself?
JLM – Jane Karger who was at Drew Univ. was involved with Hong Kong during the 2017 World Championships. After the WC the opportunity presented itself and she put me in touch with them. It was a great opportunity, so I moved out here and have been here for going on 3 years. It is cool because I remember watching them during the WC, not knowing that I would be involved with them a little over a year later.
KMN- 12 years coaching… What keeps you going?
JLM – The players keep you going and the love of the game. Every year presents new challenges and excitement.. It is such a rewarding job because you watch players grow up, become leaders, push themselves, and overall succeed at lacrosse and in other areas. It is nice to be a part of that. And while my players here are grown it is great to see them achieve something that you know they have spent a lot of time working on and I look forward to achieving more with them as we journey to the 2022 WC together.
T3 Lacrosse
KMN- T3 lacrosse. Talk about that, what was your function and what do they do?
JLM – Triple Threat Elite (formerly T3 Lacrosse) is a club lacrosse program for women in the tri-state area. I was lucky enough to meet Lori Brown throughout my coaching career and when she and I connected I loved how she worked and what she was doing to help grow lacrosse in New Jersey. I quickly started full-time there. We were a small operation to start so I wore a lot of hats at T3 but coaching was always my passion there and we always made sure my schedule had time for coaching in it. They strive to give opportunities for players to better their lacrosse skills and also help to guide them in the college recruiting process. KMN- Immaculata High School, you turned the program around in three seasons. What was the key to achieving that?
JLM – Dedication played a big part in that. Our coaches were dedicated so the players were dedicated. Despite our losing records to start the girls wanted to win and were hungry for it. They just needed someone who was as committed as they were to help tap into their potential. It was my first head coaching experience so there was a lot of learning on the fly but I surrounded myself with some good mentors and it was a great experience.
Hong Kong
KMN- Hong Kong. How long have they had a program?
JLM – HKLA was founded in 1993 and women competed in their first World Championship in 2013. Since then lacrosse has obviously grown all over the world but especially here in HK. We have many women playing now and we are getting more of the youth involved.
KMN- Do you have a big staff of Coaches and personnel?
JLM – On the women’s side it is me and two other women’s coaches, Gemini Fan and Hui Ka Hei. They have both been involved with HKLA way before me and they were players on the 2017 World Championship team. They were instrumental in getting HK where we are today. While Ka Hei still plays on our women’s team Gemini has exchanged her cleats for a whistle full time.
We also have a big supporting staff here with an S&C department and our back-office staff who are vital in keeping us running from helping with logistics, getting us fields, and making sure we are supported in all of our needs.
Goals
KMN- Short-term goal for the squad? Long-term goals?
JLM – Our short-term goal is to place higher at the 2022 World Championship. We have been training incredibly hard and with everything going on these past two years I think all the international teams are excited and looking forward to this. Long term is to keep growing the game and while lacrosse is pushing to be in the 2028 Olympics Hong Kong will be pushing to be there when it does happen.
Kevin has followed and promoted the game of lacrosse since May 19, 1974.
The same day the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup, the Philadelphia Wings were introduced to Neibauer and Philadelphia.
Kevin has covered many sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and.. lacrosse. A former licensed football referee and baseball umpire, Kevin brings a unique insight to his game coverage.
A published writer in JustHockey Magazine, Kevin covered the American Hockey League as well as a monthly story on a pugilist where Kevin used the pen name, The Rink Rat. Neibauer turned his attentions to lacrosse for a few years and does his part, whether podcasting or writing to grow the game. Kevin branched out to his roots and currently provides insight for all Philadelphia teams for Edge of Philly as well as his full-time duties with LaxPhilly.
