Born and bred in the Wirral, Jocelyn Robinson is an intgeral member of the Masterclass team, but more interestingly she is also a starting midfielder for the Welsh national lacrosse team.

Having fled the North-East and gained a 2:1 degree in Politics and American Studies from Swansea University, Jocelyn has represented the Wales International Lacrosse Team since she was 16; competing in one U19 World Cup, numerous Home Internationals, arguably her finest moment to date came when she gained a silver medal at the Senior European Championships 2015. Jocelyn is currently training hard for the World Cup 2017, alongside her role at Masterclass, having recently been included in the training squad, from which the final team will be selected to represent Wales when the tournament kicks-off at Surrey Sports Park in July.

That said, we decided to delve a little deeper into how this love affair started with one of the most energitic sports around...

How did you first get into playing lacrosse and what has your journey been so far?

I started my playing career aged 13 at the nearby Oxton Club in the Wirral, having followed in the footsteps of my sister and friends who were already playing lacrosse - I'm not one to miss out when sport's concerned!

Sport has always played an enormous role in my life, and I was already playing county and above in netball, hockey and badminton, when I was picked for a Metros team made-up of the best female players from across the North West, to tour the USA. This was when I decided that lacrosse was the one for me. Soon after I was selected for my county, meaning I was youngest player to ever play for Cheshire U18s, aged just 14, and I continued playing for my county until I was 18. At 15 I was selected to played for the North of England and captained them in my final year, after spending 3 years with the team. I then progressed into the England set-up, before choosing to represent Wales at 16, where I was picked for the 2011 Junior World Cup in Germany. During my time at university I captained Swansea Uni and was selected for the Europeans Womens Squad in 2015 where we won silver medal.

Why would you recommend lacrosse as a sport for girls to play?

Lacrosse is a fantastic sport for girls to play because it’s a team sport which creates life long friendships and bonds. Its extremely tactical so it encourages discipline, but there is a great balance between the physical and startegic elements of the game . It's officially the fastest sport on grass and it toughens you up!

You studied for a year at the Colorado State University, can you tell us a bit about your experience playing Sport in the US collegiate system?

Playing sport for a university in the US is the most intense, exciting and memorable experience of my life. They put you through the paces but it taught me to win. They are unbelievably determined and expect you to give your best. But in return they nurture you, fly you around the country and give you the best athlete treatment I’ve ever received, not forgetting the World class facilities which are the best I've seen.

How do you see lacrosse progressing in the UK over the next 5 years?

With the World Cup being hosted in England this year (and being the biggest female competition to be held in the country with 28 nations competing) I think it will be huge for the sport. The international set ups are running in a much more professional manner, even though still amateur, which is making the sport much more desirable for young girls to aim and compete for. The sport is already being spread into many parts of the country that it hasn’t reached before, and is becoming much less regarded as a sport only played by private schools.

 

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