Amy Ansell is on a mission to take a British lacrosse to next summer’s Maccabiah Games.
Ansell, a former under-21 England international lacrosse player, has been appointed chair to Team GB’s squad at the 20th Maccabiah and she is determined to find the players to compete on the big stage in Israel.
She first represented Team GB in netball at the 2005 Maccabiah and returned four years later as captain, leading the squad to silver medals after losing in the final to Maccabi Australia. However, she never fell out of love with Lacrosse and was an influential figure in setting up the very first Team GB Lacrosse team to the JCC Maccabi Games in America in 2011.
Ansell recalled a conversation with Maccabi GB vice-president Stuart Lustigman after the medal ceremony of the Netball competition in 2005. She said: "I told him that one day I would get lacrosse into the Maccabiah games ... and here we are today."
She went on to say: "I know that there are lots of Jewish Lacrosse players out there across the UK, although many of them haven't played the sport for some time.
"We want everyone to feel confident to dust off their stick and just give it a go at the first session in May.
"It would be incredible to get all the old faces out playing with the younger generation of female athletes.
"I feel so passionately about girls and woman playing team sports - this is an exciting prospect. I encourage any former Lacrosse players to apply, regardless of how long you since played.
"There is a real opportunity for us to be the start of something very special in Israel and make history for our country and community."