The Florida Select 2020/21 (high school graduation date) girls lacrosse team ventured into very unfamiliar territory as it recently concluded its fall campaign with an unblemished 22-0 record.
No Florida travel lacrosse squad has ever enjoyed that kind of success, so for this year’s players to achieve perfection over that stretch of matches is an historical accomplishment.
The Delray Beach-based team has in the process proven itself to be one of the top travel teams in the country. During their undefeated run, the Florida Select girls knocked off some of the top teams in the country such as SkyWalkers Blue, Liberty Lax Black, CT Grizzlies Navy and Long Island Yellow Jackets Blue.
There has never been a travel team from Florida that has ever beaten these top northern teams — until now.
“We play in one local tournament down here before each travel season and then we head up north to play the top teams,” said coach John McClain, who is also the head coach of the girls high school varsity team at American Heritage-Delray. “The best players have a true passion for this game … this team is a bunch of lax rats who want to practice as much as they can to get better.”
Florida Select started off the fall season back in October by competing in the Florida Draw Tournament, where the squad finished 5-0 and took the title in the High School A Division with a 14-0 victory over The Stickbenders team out of Vero Beach.
“Our kids are ninth- and 10th-graders playing against usually 11th- and 12th-graders in this division,” McClain said. “In regular pool play, (our girls) beat a talented local Lady Swashbucklers Team, 13-5. It is an incredible achievement as they continue to get better and better each time they step on the field.”
McClain has been training this Florida Select team for the better part of four years and said he continues to see improvement with the group.
That improvement reached a whole new level at the recent Chesapeake Invitational in Maryland, where hundreds of college coaches were in attendance to scout the action.
“It is mind-boggling,” McClain said. “The Florida Select 20/21 team went 3-0 and beat the Long Island Yellow Jackets Blue team, 8-2. The Yellow Jackets program is arguably the largest and most successful program in the nation.”
McClain pointed out that the Yellow Jackets pull their talent from all over Long Island, whereas the Florida Select pretty much pulls all of its talent from a 12-mile radius around the Delray Beach area in South Florida. He said his players work hard at practice to become better.
“Every single kid on this (Florida Select) team continues to have their stick in their hands each week to get better,” he continued. “The practices are intense, fast-paced, and full of instruction at the right instances. It is pretty awesome to watch. Maybe that is why this team was 22-0.”
The Florida Select program has had success getting players to play college lacrosse. The Florida Select 2018 team had all of its players commit to play collegiate lacrosse.
For further details about the Florida Select program, visit or . Those interested can also email McClain at
