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Very few athletes have the opportunity to represent their country. Even fewer have this chance in lacrosse. Not yet recognized by the Olympic Committee despite its title as the one of the fastest growing sports in the world, lacrosse has had to make do with its own version of an Olympic battle: The World Games. For Harvard men's lacrosse standout Logan Ip, the chance to compete for Hong Kong was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Only a sophomore at Harvard, but one of the team’s leading offensive players, Ip approached the World Games as a learning opportunity. As one of only four non-domestic players, there was both a language barrier and a skill-level barrier that Ip had to overcome. Coming from one of the most prestigious programs in the United States, which is arguably the most impressive lacrosse-playing nation in the world alongside Canada and the Haudenosaunee – which Ip’s Hong Kong battled against at the games – Ip had to evaluate not only his playing contributions to the Hong Kong program, but his leadership contributions as well.

“I saw myself step up into a leadership role. If you lead by example or teach them something, they pick it up pretty easily,” Ip explained.

As the youngest member of the team, Ip learned to lead by example. He stood out with his play on the field while also teaching his comrades in practice, bringing his experience from Harvard to San Diego, where the games were played. A California native himself, the games were a sweet melding of his cultures.

The team’s performance at this year’s games was the best in program history. Consistently finishing in the bottom quartile of programs, Hong Kong – led by Ip – worked as a team to reach its goal of finishing in the top fourteen. The turning point in the team’s success was its last game of pool play, when the squad toppled Mexico by seven goals. Needing a plus-six differential to reach the more competitive play-off rounds, Ip called this moment his best memory from the tournament.

The most gratifying moment was “seeing those guys’ faces after the Mexico game. It showed that we had achieved our goal. They all have jobs and families, so they take a lot of time out of their day to train and compete. Seeing the joy in their faces, and to see them crying on the sideline, it was an amazing feat,” Ip fondly reminisced.

Ip was also blown away by the skill level on some of the teams he faced. He was especially in awe of the Haudenosaunee program, which is home to many of the lacrosse greats. Competing against the likes of Tehoka Nanticoke, who was a star attackman at UAlbany, Lyle Thompson, another UAlbany grad who is a two-time Tewaaraton winner and, and Zed Williams, who was labeled one of the star defenders of the tournament. Despite being beaten handily 13-3, this caliber of play tested Ip’s skills and pushed him to perform against some of the best lacrosse stars in history.

Ip was upfront in saying that his goal for the tournament was to go out there and have fun. For every athlete, especially those in competitive programs, there is a pressure that comes with playing. That is the beauty of this particular competition. It allows players to come together, celebrate their heritage, and play for the love of the game. It also shifts the importance of the game. At its core, every competition is about winning and losing, but in this vein, the real victory comes in using lacrosse as a mechanism for celebration. So often this central idea of community is lost in sports, but playing with one’s country across his chest establishes a sense of pride in sportsmanship, collaboration, and teamwork.

The once in a lifetime chance to play against teams like Scotland, Austria, and Germany will be something that Ip carries with him forever. It will also be an experience that shapes his future lacrosse endeavors. As a young man playing with teammates decades older, he had to learn to stand up for himself, find space for his voice, and respectfully lead and teach his peers. It will be exciting to see how these skills translate into Ip’s contribution to his Harvard team this upcoming season.

-Staff writer Katharine Forst can be reached at katharine.forst@thecrimson.com