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Team Illinois Lacrosse is proud to announce our intention to enter West Michigan with a new lacrosse club built on the same culture, ethics, and passion for excellence that define Team Illinois — built from scratch for West Michigan’s best players and backed by the event operations and college-showcase network of one of the largest lacrosse operators in the country. And with Grand Rapids only about three hours from Chicago (or 1.5 hours to meet in the middle!), the relatively close proximity of the two metro areas creates an incredible opportunity for combined local AAA training and competition — regular high-level sessions and head-to-head matchups between West Michigan’s and Chicagoland’s best, without the cost of national travel.
Who We Are
Team Illinois Lacrosse
Team Illinois is one of the largest lacrosse operators in the country, dedicated to growing the game through select national travel teams, a statewide member-club network, a growing network of dedicated and branded indoor training facilities and competition spaces for its largest clubs, and a full calendar of invitationals, showcases, and box lacrosse events across the Midwest — drawing top competition and college coaches from coast to coast. Over 4,500 boys and girls currently compete for Team Illinois programs.
Joe Opron
A Michigan native, Joe played hockey and lacrosse (2x all-state) at Troy Athens High School. He accepted a scholarship to Wheeling Jesuit University (D2) and finished his college career at Oakland University, where he led the country in scoring. After college, Joe earned law degrees from Illinois Tech, where he was later an Adjunct Law Professor, and Georgetown. He spent 14 years as a financial markets attorney before deciding two years ago to focus on Team Illinois full-time. Joe has been coaching for 21 years, 11 with Team Illinois/East Ave.
The Season
Eight teams, one per grad year from 2029 through 2036, rostered through open tryouts across West Michigan.
Tournament Slate
Lax in the Zoo
Fresh Coast Lacrosse • Kingdom Indoor Center, Kalamazoo, MI — a Michigan box lacrosse classic within driving distance. A great development opportunity in your backyard.
Youth South Central Box Championship
Monarchs Lacrosse • Buckner Sports Complex, Buckner, KY — a premier youth box championship featuring programs from across the country.
First Class Lacrosse Private Clinic + Box Scrimmage vs. Team Illinois
Naperville Lacrosse Arena, Naperville, IL — a private First Class Lacrosse clinic, included with the program, combined with a box lacrosse scrimmage against Team Illinois.
Michigan Box Invitational
Team Illinois Events • Toca Sports Complex, Novi, MI — AA/A winter box competition against the Midwest’s best.
West Michigan AAA Round Robin
Location TBD — a AAA round robin against top Midwest clubs for the 2031–2036 teams.
Future Champions
Philadelphia, PA — the NCAA’s youth tournament, played alongside the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships at Lincoln Financial Field (May 29–31). Exact youth dates TBA.
Midwest Lacrosse Showcase
Grand Park, Westfield, IN — a premier Midwest recruiting tournament featuring instruction from NCAA coaches and PLL professionals.
Crab Feast
Maryland — one of the nation’s most prestigious and competitive recruiting events, with 125+ Division I coaches attending in 2026. Team Illinois’ 2030 team won the 2026 AA championship.
Team Illinois Summer Invitational & Showcase
Mercyhealth Sportscore, Rockford, IL — 80+ college coaches on site, with professional film included in high school divisions.
NLF National Championships
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY — the National Lacrosse Federation’s national championship, featuring top club teams from across the country. Youth (2031–2035) play July 9–10; high school (2028–2030) play July 11–12.
Alliance Lacrosse League Summer Championships
Maryland Soccerplex, Troy Park & Delaware Turf — the summer championships of The League, a partnership of five of the country’s premier clubs. 2030–2036 play July 9–11; 2028–2029 play July 12–13.
Want More National Events? Team America
Michigan’s Finest players looking to add more national events to their winter or summer schedule can also compete with Team America Lacrosse — an elite national club program whose invitation-only teams play exclusively at top-level national events. A founding member of the American Lacrosse Collective, Team America’s staff brings decades of playing and coaching experience from across the country.
Visit Team AmericaSpecial Events
Just like Team Illinois, Michigan’s Finest will have a slew of special events — all only a short drive away — to supplement a national travel schedule.
Charter Bus Trips
Guest Pro Clinics
AAA-Level Playdays
Clear Communication
Families always know what’s next. Every team receives regular, team-specific email updates — here’s a real one, sent to our Team Illinois 2028 families on September 25, 2026.
WelcomeCollege commitments & a note from the staff
RemindersAction items with clear deadlines
Upcoming EventsThe next two weeks at a glance
Tournaments & EventsEvery event, with hotel & schedule linksTap any screenshot to see it full size.
We use Team Snap, Veo, IMLCA Recruits, Five Star Media, Field Vision Media, and Lax.com to create a first-class experience for our families.
Join the Interest List
Tryout dates, rosters, and registration details are coming soon. Tell us about your player and we’ll reach out as soon as registration opens for their grad year.
Thank you — you’re on the list!
We’ll be in touch as soon as tryout and registration details are set for your player’s grad year.