Looking for a lacrosse fix in China? We caught up with Shanghai Lacrosse president, Mike Elefante, to find out about the local lax scene.

What is your role with Lacrosse China?
I have been involved as a coach for the past three years. In that time I’ve worked with Bonnie Coles (the women’s coach) to reach out to other expats and start a lacrosse community.

How has lacrosse been integrated into the local community?

Lacrosse actually started with the local community. Five Chinese universities started their own clubs and we’ve seen the number of Chinese students in those clubs grow over the past few years.

What is your coaching style?
In the beginning, I was extremely patient and just tried to keep all the students excited about the game. Now that things have become a little more serious, my old coaching style has come out. Let’s just say I don’t like repeating myself.

What goals do you have for the China team?
Our ultimate goal is to send a Chinese team for the 2013 Women’s World Championship and the 2014 Men’s World Championship. Lacrosse is spreading quickly and there are many countries with new or developing programs. This provides an opportunity for less experienced teams to play on the same stage as the best lacrosse players the world has to offer. The US and Canada usually fight it out in the finals to see who will take home the gold, but players from every corner of the globe have a chance to witness lacrosse at its finest.

Why lacrosse?
It’s difficult to explain, but anyone that plays lacrosse just knows why. I’ve been involved with lacrosse as a player or coach since I was 12. It’s a part of my life. I couldn’t imagine having to give that up just because I was in China.

Are you a lacrosse player looking for a team? Mike's team meets every Wednesday night at Yuanshen Stadium near Century Avenue, from 8-9.30pm. For more details send him an email at shanghai_lacrosse@yahoo.com

Want to get moving in Shanghai? Check out our sport directory listings for more information about different sports groups around town.