Indianapolis, IN — On Tuesday night, The SportZone, located in the surrounding Indianapolis area, became the stage for a milestone in Indiana lacrosse — the inaugural tryouts for the Indianapolis Checkers, the first-ever NLL UnBOXed™ community team operated by McFly Lacrosse. Players, coaches, and families gathered to launch an effort aimed at introducing and growing box lacrosse in the Circle City.
For the athletes on the floor, it was a battle for roster spots. For the NLL, it marked the start of a new chapter in growing the sport in Indianapolis. And for McFly Lacrosse, it was the realization of a long-term goal — bringing youth box lacrosse to an organization traditionally defined by its field game.
“McFly is honored to help bring an NLL UnBOXed™ team to life in Indianapolis,” said Matt McIntyre, McFly Lacrosse’s co-founder and managing partner. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission of fostering a community in Indy around local lacrosse. We’re now able to provide more access to the game while introducing box lacrosse to new players.”
The Checkers are part of the National Lacrosse League’s NLL UnBOXed™ initiative, a grassroots program that puts sticks in kids’ hands, brings lacrosse into school gyms, and plants the seeds for the indoor game in new markets.
“NLL UnBOXed™ was created to introduce lacrosse in an accessible, inclusive way — sparking passion to play the game starting within schools, and reaching players of all backgrounds,” said Dennis Bruzzi, Manager of Grassroots Operations at the NLL. “Our long-term vision is to build lasting participation, open doors for new players and communities, and showcase some of the best talent from across North America on community-driven teams.”
The timing is intentional. The sixes discipline — fast-paced, high-scoring, and skill-heavy like box — will return to the Olympic stage at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. With the sport gaining global momentum, the League sees NLL UnBOXed™ as both a development pathway and a way to connect new audiences to lacrosse.
McFly’s roots are in building the sport from the ground up — youth and high school leagues, clinics, and school programs designed to connect kids to the game and each other. For years, box was something that existed elsewhere: in Canadian hotbeds, in a few established U.S. markets, in tournaments that required extensive travel. McIntyre had always wanted to change that. The moment he saw his first professional box game live — the Colorado Mammoth in 2023 — he knew it was the right fit for Indianapolis.
“I always wanted to start a box program,” McIntyre said. “After seeing that game, I knew box lacrosse was perfect for the Indianapolis-area athlete and fan. High scoring, gritty, skillful, and team-first attitudes directly align with our local sports interests.”
The launch of the Checkers was made possible by what McIntyre calls “a perfect storm” — a combination of dedicated coaches, eager players, equipment suppliers, and strong family support.
“Most of our local lacrosse players start with field and never get introduced to box,” he explained. “That’s why we’re starting with younger teams, to help players rapidly develop their stick skills and LAXIQ much sooner.”
That development focus is at the heart of the program. Box lacrosse forces players to operate in tight spaces, make quick reads, and handle the ball under constant pressure.
“Learn to cradle in a phone booth,” McIntyre likes to say.
The Checkers’ first test will come at the 2025 USBOXLA Championships in Columbus, Ohio, over Labor Day weekend. The team will feature both an active roster, traveling to compete, and a practice roster, training alongside the squad and stepping in when opportunities open. This dual approach ensures every player gets the benefit of box training, even if they’re not in the lineup on game day.
“The smiles,” McIntyre said afterward. “They were ear to ear, and I’m pretty sure they all would’ve kept playing for hours.”
While the tryouts marked an important milestone, McFly Lacrosse and the NLL view them as just one piece of a much larger vision in Indy. Through NLL UnBOXed™, they aim to expand school-based introduction programs — putting sticks in more students’ hands, building awareness in classrooms and gymnasiums, and ultimately driving new participants to a year-round box lacrosse ecosystem in Indianapolis.
With the LA28 Olympics on the horizon, McFly believes the impact could stretch far beyond the local level.
“We want some of the kids who are stepping into box lacrosse for the first time this year to be the same ones representing their country in a few years,” McIntyre said. “And when they do, they’ll carry the confidence, culture, and connection they found here in Indianapolis.”
In just one night, the Checkers moved from concept to reality — a team created not only to compete, but to help redefine lacrosse’s place in Indianapolis. For McFly, it’s the first step toward a future where the sound of box lacrosse is no longer rare in the Circle City, but part of its sports identity.
A lifelong hockey player, Cam started playing lacrosse in his junior year of high school and discovered box lacrosse at age 18 in a local house league. He went on to help start Indianapolis’ semi-pro team, the Copperheads, which competed in the Continental Indoor Lacrosse League (CILL). Known as a “mercenary” in the American senior box circuit, Cam has played for teams in Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Minnesota, Maryland, and Brooklyn across the IBLA, NABLL, and various tournament-only teams.
Jake’s introduction to lacrosse came in 8th-grade gym class, when his school’s lacrosse coach brought sticks and taught the basics of passing and catching. With a football and wrestling background, defense was a natural fit. He went on to play close defense at Grand Valley State University (MCLA D2), later transitioning to a face-off specialist and defensive middie. He earned All-American honors and won a national championship before graduating in 2014. After college, Jake became the varsity head coach at Forest Hills Central in Grand Rapids, MI, leading the team to a state championship and earning Coach of the Year honors in 2016. His passion for box lacrosse began after his sophomore year of college, playing with the Grand Rapids Dragonfish and Grizzlies before moving to Indianapolis, where he has suited up for both the Copperheads and Checkers.
Originally from Long Island, Matt began playing lacrosse in middle school and earned a Division I scholarship to Butler University. After his college career, he remained in Indianapolis, competing in adult lacrosse leagues for over 20 years — often against players half his age. Matt started playing box lacrosse about 12 years ago and has competed in semi-pro leagues including the CILL, IBLA, and NABLL, as well as LASNAI and other regional adult tournaments in the Midwest. “It’s great to see the excitement these young men have for box after only one practice,” he said. “They’re eager to learn the nuances of the game, and it’s going to be fun helping grow it here in Indiana with this age group.”
Jere has been playing lacrosse since 1999, inspired in part by a grade school gym teacher who played women’s lacrosse at Ball State. Around that time, he also began watching NLL games on ESPN2. He played varsity lacrosse at Bishop Chatard High School before continuing his career at Mercyhurst University. A longtime fan and player of box lacrosse, Jere brings decades of experience to the Checkers’ staff.
Growing up in Indiana, Matt was a multi-sport athlete, but hockey quickly became his passion. In his junior year at Pike High School, he learned that nearby Zionsville was starting a lacrosse program. He and his hockey friends decided to try it. Coaches initially handed the hockey players long poles, assuming they “knew how to hit,” but Matt requested a short stick and became a face-off middie. He learned the sport by watching VHS game tapes at home and quickly fell in love, calling it “hockey on grass and in the air.” Matt went on to play club hockey at Butler University, but his connection to lacrosse reignited when his twin boys picked up the sport. Today, as Managing Partner of McFly Lacrosse, he is dedicated to growing the game and building opportunities for players across Indiana.
Learn more about McFly Lacrosse at mcflylacrosse.com.
