Prince Albert lacrosse player signs with Ottawa Black Bears in National Lacrosse League

“I got a call from the scout two or three days ago, and he was just like, ‘We opened another spot in our training camp and we want you to come.’ So, yeah, that’s kind of how that went – it was pretty simple, straightforward, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

Swystun plays with the Oakville Rock in the Major Series Lacrosse League in Ontario. (Submitted photo/Bauer Swystun)

The invite came as a bit of a surprise to Swystun. Despite being a Top 50 prospect and one of the top five sleeper picks, he wasn’t called during the NLL draft in September.

“It didn’t go the way I anticipated it to go, but that’s alright. I came to terms with it.”

Now he’ll have the chance to show his perseverance during the teams’ training camp next week. If he does well there, he could crack the playing roster.

“I try not to get my hopes up. All I know is that I’ve never turned down from a challenge,” he said. “It’s still my dream to basically show what I can do at the highest level, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. So my goal is to just crack some heads and be a physical presence.”

Swystun is used to a little extra effort. His career has taken him to several different schools and teams between Canada and the United States over the last couple years, including California, Winnipeg, Tennessee, Edmonton, Burlington, South Carolina and back to Ontario, where he was drafted in the MSL (Major Series Lacrosse) league to the Oakville Rock – a senior ‘A’ box lacrosse team.

“I’m like a walking red flag to any chick who looks at where I’ve been living the past five years because I’ve been transferring schools and I’ve been traded to teams, drafted to teams…but that’s my story,” he laughed.

Swystun will look to be a big physical presence when he attends training camp for the Ottawa Black Bears next week. (Submitted photo/Bauer Swystun)

He credited his lacrosse coaches for keeping him motivated and gave special mention to Dylan Chand, who coaches the Junior ‘A’ Saskatchewan SWAT team.

“He’s my mentor. I look up to him and I literally call the guy for not even lacrosse related advice. He was a big part of my career and helped me excel my game because he put himself in my shoes and because he’s been there before.”

Swystun currently resides in Ontario. He works at the Pure Muscle and Fitness gym and has been putting size on his frame the last few months; he’s 6’2 and 215 lbs. He’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been heading into camp with the Black Bears.

As for any young lacrosse fans back home in Prince Albert, Swystun wants them to realize anyone is capable of anything, no matter where they come from.

“Especially being from Prince Albert, some people may say, ‘Oh, I’m just from a small town, I can’t make it to that level. I can’t go to the show.’ They need to know it is definitely so obtainable if you put your mind to it and you just work your ass off. You just gotta perfect your own craft, and mine was being a big presence on the floor physically. I understood my role, and from what I would like to believe is, I made it to the level that I’ve dreamed about.”

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

by Teena Monteleone

Prince Albert lacrosse player signs with Ottawa Black Bears in National Lacrosse League

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