GB Lacrosse Player Appeals For Financial Help To Raise Funds For American Trip

A talented lacrosse player from Haughton Green is appealing to the local community to help him raise the funds for a trip of a lifetime.

Michael Pomfret, 22, competes for Stockport Lacrosse Club and also represents the GB Lacrosse Team. His success with the latter has been rewarded with a trip to Birmingham Alabama, USA, to compete in the World Championships of July this year.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of funding that lacrosse receives, Michael, who will be the youngest member travelling with the squad, is having to raise the funds himself and is therefore pleading with generous benefactors to make the dream come true. 

With a target of £2,500 to raise, Michael, who is part of the England Training Squad for the worlds in 2023, is planning to raise funds by hosting football cards, car boot sales, music nights, and even running a 10k.

Michael, who is studying Sport Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, previously played football as a youngster but got hooked on lacrosse after first being introduced to the sport at four-and-a-half years old. 

After learning of the opportunities to travel abroad whilst playing lacrosse, Michael made it his mission to become the best he can be and has since competed at the European Club Championships in Belgium, where he returned with a gold medal at the age of 16.

He has toured the East Coast of America with Stockport Metros, played for England U23 in Japan, & of late played the new format of sixes for British Lacrosse in Portugal as part of the winning team. In addition to this, he came away as the highest scorer.

Now, with the trip to Alabama just under three months away, Michael is preparing himself for the competition and will be hoping to make his mark on American soil.

There's also the added incentive of putting lacrosse on the map in a bid for the sport to become registered for the Olympic Games.

His mother, Anne Marie Pomfret, will be helping Michael with his fundraising efforts and hopes that, despite the difficult times we live in financially, people can get on board and make the trip a reality. Speaking to Reporter Sport, she said: “There will be someone out there, and it’s just the luck of the draw if you find them. Unfortunately, it’s not easy now to get someone to give you cash, because people don’t tend to carry that around with them. They have an Apple Phone, an Apple Watch, or just a normal bank card. 

“He got hooked on the sport from a young age and has loved playing ever since. Because he’s relatively young, I don’t think he’s quite peaked yet and he has a lot of potential, so he’s hoping that he will potentially compete at the Olympics in LA in 2028. The sport itself isn’t yet registered as an Olympic sport, however it’s in the pipeline and it’s hoped that it will be rubber-stamped. 

“It’s a 12 day tournament in Alabama, however they have to get there a week before to acclimatise to the conditions as it’s so hot. Lacrosse will take place over four days, but the tournament itself consists of sports that aspire to be in the Olympics in 2028. If the sport does get olympic status, then the lads who are representing Gb can be pathfinders for generations to come, touch wood."

If you'd like to donate to the cause or know someone that would, you can do so via the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-michael-get-to-the-world-games-in-alabama?member=18620025&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer