It’s a misty July day, as so many midsummer days are in the suburbs of Manchester, England. A coach bus towing the 23 athletes that comprise Anne Arundel County Crosse Over’s roster cruises toward the Stockport Lacrosse Club. Its arrival is highly anticipated by Stockport-based club and Crosse Over sister team MetroGirls, whose athletes and their families gather in the parking lot. Rhinestone Stars and Stripes dance with St. George’s Crosses on hand-made welcome signs as the group of young women, ages 13–15, await a reunion 29 years in the making.
Some wait to embrace old friends, while others anticipate the arrival of a new companion. For the next two weeks, MetroGirls families will open their hearts and homes to Crosse Over athletes, just as returning Crosse Over families did the summer before in Anne Arundel County.
The Stockport Lacrosse Club, the oldest club of its kind in England, will serve as Crosse Over’s home base during the Americans’ two-week tour of England. The on-field energy between Crosse Over and MetroGirls lies somewhere between a friendly competition and a deep-seated international rivalry. Fortunately, the values of community and empowerment that underscore the experience make it possible for cunning competition and lifelong friendship to coexist. The tour’s motto, “Friendship through lacrosse,” reveals that Crosse Over’s values transcend sport.
The Crosse Over Girls’ Program was founded by Steve Willett and Steve Barryin 1996. Program co-directors Jeff Bunker and Kelly Scott have been involved with Crosse Over for over a decade, each serving as directors for the past six years. In addition to co-directing, Bunker is the team’s head coach. In even-numbered years, the Metros visit Maryland. In odd-numbered years, Crosse Over travels to England. Since the program’s founding, more than 1,500 Anne Arundel County youth lacrosse players have “crossed the pond” to compete abroad.
Rather than traditional tryouts, Crosse Over players are selected through recommendations from recreation league commissioners, coaches, former players, and their families. This approach ensures that participants are selected for more than their athletic ability. They’re chosen for their attitude, maturity, and character, as these qualities are essential for participating in the two-year experience which includes international travel. The program shapes well-rounded young adults through new experiences, community engagement, and a global view of the game.
By creating a culturally immersive experience that prioritizes relationships, the Crosse Over program leaves a mark that extends far beyond the field.
“It was a great opportunity that gave me my best friends,” second-year Crosse Over athlete Madilyn Stevenson said. “It’s something I always remember—it was a really important time for me. It changed my life.”
Stevenson has noticed increased confidence in social settings, a higher lacrosse IQ, and more motivation to improve athletically since joining Crosse Over. Her teammate, fellow second-year athlete and team captain Alyssa Berg, says the biggest lessons Crosse Over taught her are accountability and responsibility, and that the experience made her a more understanding person.
“It expanded my view of what the lacrosse world could be, because I’ve played lacrosse with the same groups of people since fifth grade,” Berg said. “Being able to play against and with people from a completely different country made me realize lacrosse is so much bigger than what it used to be and what I think it is, which also helped me realize there are so many other things in this world that are bigger than what I know.”
Year after year, Bunker observes that Crosse Over athletes return from tour with more confidence and maturity. This may, in part, be attributed to Crosse Over’s numerous team traditions. The melody of one such tradition rings through the air at Stockport Lacrosse Club in the form of an off-key rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. That’s the sound of the Crosse Over team taking its first warm-up lap of the 2025 tour. Make no mistakes; these kids are athletes, not singers. But there is a method to all of Crosse Over’s madness.
For ten weeks leading up to the tour, the team practices twice a week in Annapolis. The program’s lacrosse curriculum prepares players for the different style of play they will encounter overseas. Per program tradition, Bunker adds unique assignments, such as acapella renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner to be performed before games in England, song lyrics to be memorized for warm-up laps, and homework assignments to prepare players to respect and engage meaningfully with English culture.
A favorite team tradition is the silly hat practice, where various hats and costume items, each with a specific meaning, are bestowed upon Crosse Over players. You’ve got to keep the hat on for the duration of the training session, no matter how impractical. Bunker believes in building team chemistry by reminding athletes not to take themselves too seriously, a value instilled in the program by late founder Steve Willett.
“[The traditions] are meant to bring teams together, to create a situation where we’re all comfortable being uncomfortable,” Bunker said.
Though the program is steadfast in its values, each tour takes on a life of its own, and each team finds a unique identity. When asked to describe the 2025 Crosse Over team in one word, “Huggy mom” Jenn Beall grinned. “They were goofy,” she said.
“Huggy moms,” or welfare moms, attend training sessions, travel with the team, and are available for any of the players’ needs on tour. Beall sent each of Crosse Over’s 23 athletes a check-in message daily throughout the tour. She took the “huggy” part of her title seriously. A scientist by trade, she aimed for one twenty-second hug daily with any player who wanted one, as data suggests that an embrace of that length reduces stress.
Beall believes that the confidence-boosting effects of the tour are largely the product of the two-week stay with a host family, where athletes must self-advocate, make compromises, and adjust to a different lifestyle.
“The first couple days, they’re deer in headlights. They’re afraid getting something out of the refrigerator, you know, this and that, and by day ten, man, the moms have gotten them housecleaning and they’re helping themselves to whatever they need,” Beall said jokingly. “I jest, but yeah, they’re treating them just like one of their kids, and they really are getting that whole family experience.”
“Friendship through lacrosse” doesn’t end with the players. Crosse Over families often form their own transatlantic connections and stay in touch long after the tour.
“We talk throughout the year. We send Christmas presents, we send birthday presents for both of the kids,” Stevenson’s mom, Stephanie, said. “It’s just kind of like we’re one big family.”
This upcoming summer, MetroGirls will travel to the United States, stepping into a new chapter of the ongoing exchange. Rosters shift from year to year, but the anticipation remains the same. Players look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, welcoming new teammates, and continuing the friendships that make this experience so meaningful.
Each summer brings new lessons, new connections, and new memories that stay with the players well beyond their time abroad. What begins as a simple exchange quickly becomes something deeper, and the excitement they express about returning speaks to the community they’re proud to be part of.
For prospective Crosse Over parents, Berg’s mother Jessica has a message.
“Don’t think, just do. Like, just go for it. It’s the best experience for your girls at a reasonable cost,” Berg said. “Just that comfort level of knowing that she’s in good hands, and the experience that they’re going to get out of it—just do it.”
To learn more about Crosse Over, inquire about a roster spot, or recommend an athlete, visit crosseoverlacrosse.com
