Bulgaria Lacrosse: Playing from the Heart
11/30/2024 01:08 AM
Bulgaria Lacrosse: Playing from the Heart
The first question that may come to mind for many when reading this headline could be "Where is Bulgaria?"
Bulgaria is a gorgeous country located in the Balkans region nestled next to Serbia, Romania, and Greece among many other European Countries. It is a country full of rich culture, incredible history, and gorgeous scenery that seems to have stepped right out of an Indiana Jones film. From the Black Sea Coast Line to the Rila Monastery in the hills, this country is sure to impress. With a population of just over six million and a sports culture dominated by soccer, you might be pleasantly surprised to hear of the lacrosse growth occurring in the country.
Lacrosse has been played in Bulgaria for over 10 years, led by the founder of Bulgaria Lacrosse, Nikolay Cholakov. Nik and his core group have dedicated endless hours to growing the game all over the country in order to foster a competitive atmosphere of lacrosse that could one day produce a Bulgarian National team to compete on the global stage.
This is where my journey with Bulgaria Lacrosse began. My name is Tucker La Belle, I'm a 25 year old College Lacrosse Coach, content creator, and lover of international lacrosse. When the opportunity to lead The Bulgarian National team came up, I jumped at the opportunity head first with no hesitation. After my first call with Nikolay I could see that something incredible was forming for lacrosse in Bulgaria faster than many other European Countries. The people of Bulgaria have latched onto lacrosse rapidly in a gorgeous way through media, pop culture, and following the sport played here in the United States and Canada. Fun fact, Bulgaria Lacrosse was even featured years ago in a popular music artists' commercial reaching huge numbers of viewers exposing them to the game of lacrosse.
After some extensive research into the culture of Bulgaria, zoom calls with the team, and endless hours of YouTube videos about Bulgaria, My Fiance and I began our journey from Iowa to Bulgaria. My heart was full of a hunger for adventure and a desire for the moment I would finally get to meet my new team. After some long flights and several layovers across Europe we finally landed in the capital city of Sofia, Bulgaria. Walking out of the Airport we were warmly greeted by Nikolay who was full of enthusiasm and a desire to introduce us to his incredible culture. Our first stop was a small neighborhood restaurant where we would quickly learn to love the Bulgarian Cuisine. Nikolay claimed this was one of the best spots in town, as he claimed about every spot we visited. He wasn't wrong. The food at each small restaurant seemed to
get better and better. The Shopska salads and constant barbeque became a staple of our time there. After our quick stop for lunch, the tour of the city began before we would later attend the first day of the national team training camp. We jumped back into Nik's car and sped around the city as Nik called out each historic landmark, each more interesting than the last. While Nik is a lover of lacrosse, we also learned he was truly a historian and a prideful lover of Bulgarian Culture. The parks were beautiful, the people were full of personality, and the city contained endless scenes that felt like they belonged in a movie. It didn't take much to fall in love with the city of Sofia.
After our first tour of the city and a brief break at our hotel in the city center, Nikolay once again arrived to pick us up for practice. The moment was finally here. With american pop music blasting and Nikolay's car loaded up with a mix of lacrosse gear and sponsored protein products we embarked for the field. Rolling up to the field the first thing to notice was the view. Surrounding the field was the most gorgeous mountain range I had ever seen with several soviet era apartment buildings adding context to where we were and the history of the area. The field was scattered with players of all ages, skill levels, and lacrosse experience all eager to meet us for the first time. Each player promptly greeted us with excitement and a desire to learn more about the game. This was the moment it all sank in. I was blessed with the opportunity to help these players and this country reach the global lacrosse stage for the first time in history. What a powerful moment.
After the introductions, practice began and the journey truly got its start. I was amazed by the skill of many of the players. When I asked how long or where these players had gotten their experience the answers ranged from local pickup lacrosse to long weekends traveling europe just to have the opportunity to play a few games. The dedication was remarkable. We take for granted the access to lacrosse here in the United States, that became very clear. These players were willing to pour their funds into any opportunity or chance to play this game which fueled their international and Olympic aspirations.
After our first night we truly settled into the country and culture and got to work through the following days. From film breakdowns in the Bulgaria Lacrosse office to a walking tour of popular wall ball spots it was all so incredible. Outside of lacrosse we saw so many stunning historic landmarks like the Rila Monastery which was founded in the 10th century, The St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, and the National Palace of Culture among many other breathtaking landmarks. To see these locations was to truly gain an education and understanding of the country I was helping represent on the global lacrosse stage. When the time comes it will be a privilege and honor to dawn the Bulgarian Flag as a coach of this fine team during competition.
Following a full week of National team camp, sightseeing and a diplomatic trip to the Embassy we engaged in a wonderful team dinner and celebration. There couldn't have been a more perfect night to cap the remarkable first ever Bulgarian National Lacrosse Camp. A feeling of success, happiness, and optimism for the future of Bulgarian lacrosse fueled the night’s conversations. While the trip may have been coming to an end it was just the start of my journey with Bulgarian Lacrosse. Now focus has shifted to remote coaching, practice planning, logistical planning, and recruiting my staff for the upcoming European Championships to take place in Hungary next summer. There is a long road ahead but I now know that there is nothing that Bulgaria Lacrosse cannot accomplish.
If you would like to support Bulgaria Lacrosse and our journey to the European Championships we have set up a GoFundMe link. Funds will go towards uniforms, player travel, accommodations, and the overall operation of the team’s trip to Hungary.
We are also actively seeking several North American based Bulgarian Passport holding players to join our journey next summer. If you have a parent or grandparent who was born in Bulgaria we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to bulgariaheritagelax@gmail.com
Go Bulgaria!
