The 7,152 Mile Lacrosse Journey

They grew up together. They went to the same church. They played on the same teams. They had sleepovers, playdates and trips, with their houses mere miles away.

Now they are competing against one another in the biggest lacrosse tournament in the world in a location 7,152 miles from Mamaroneck, NY.

Rhett Chambers and Ronan West are friends, with the roots of their friendship having grown most strongly on lacrosse fields starting with Larchmont Mamaroneck Youth Lacrosse (“LMYL”), their local youth lacrosse program. But when Team USA takes on Team Ireland in a remote island in South Korea in the next week, Rhett and Ronan are going to battle.

The U20 World Lacrosse Championships are taking place on Jeju Island, Korea August 15-24, 2025. The top 20 teams from around the world are squaring off, with all energies put on grinding through game after game in a push to the championship.

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Local Larchmont-Mamaroneck lacrosse players Chambers and West proudly will be on the other side of the globe, with Rhett on Team USA and Ronan on Team Ireland.

For both players, their journeys began as 1st Graders in the LMYL but it was during the Travel years of 4th-8th grades that their love for the game, and friendship, took off.

Chambers is quick to jump in on his LMYL years: “When I think of my LMYL years, words like ‘joy,’ ‘compete,’ ‘memories’ and ‘encouragement’ come to mind.”

West smiles when thinking of his LMYL days. “The first word that comes to mind is ‘friendship.’ I loved playing LMYL, both recreational and travel. Playing together for years, I created lasting bonds with the players and coaches that I will forever be grateful for.”

While both players are reluctant to discuss their own best current qualities as players, neither is shy about sharing thoughts on the other.

West on Chambers: “Rhett has always been the ultimate Lax Rat. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever met, and you can feel the passion he plays with. He was awesome to be around because he knew so much about the game and jumped at every chance to play. Rhett’s passion for lacrosse never faded and now he’s playing at the highest levels in the game–NCAA DI and international play. His stickwork opens up so many opportunities offensively, especially with his evolution athletically.”

Chambers on West: “Ronan West was and still is a stud. Humble as can be but an absolute silent assassin. Ronan is extremely respectable in his work ethic and discipline but also in the way he treats others. In the LMYL days he was a pole that had one of the best sticks on the team. He was the takeaway defender, the best wing man, sometimes face-off, Ro was as versatile as can be. Nowadays, just about the same! He is still far above many of his counterparts.”

Some kids are stars from a very early age. Some kids peak in high school. But by all indications, Rhett and Ronan continue to improve dramatically year after year, even as they enter their twenties. It’s perhaps no coincidence they share so many qualities: they are both serious students of the game; they both are technicians with their sticks; and they are tenacious competitors when they step on the field. The driving force that separates them from others: keep getting better especially when challenges, including self-doubt, enter the picture.

“I had tons of room to improve when I got to college, especially in terms of my physical development. Consistently running and lifting on a college training program over the past two years has completely changed my game. Mentally, I constantly tell myself I have room to grow so I’m just striving to become the best version of myself,” emphasizes West. “There have certainly been setbacks and times when I’ve doubted myself, but my love for lacrosse and the people it’s brought into my life have always brought me back. I play because I enjoy the game. As long as that continues, I’ll continue to push toward something more.

“My lacrosse journey has definitely included times when people doubted me and even when I doubted myself. But I have tried to always keep on improving my game in any way possible throughout my career,” states Chambers, in an eerily similar vibe that matches West. “That seems to be the only way to keep up and succeed at the top of the food chain. You realize you have a chance to thrive. Every guy at a high level has elite habits with a love for improvement.”

Making Team USA is an incredible achievement for any player—the team is made up of the very best 22 players in the entire country age 20 and under. The roster is filled with college All-Americans and 5-star recruits. For Rhett Chambers, being named to the team is insanely impressive. While the lefty attackman/middie from Larchmont earned All-American status while at Mamaroneck HS and has played impressively at Providence College, he was an underdog entering Team USA tryout camps.

After a grueling selection process through 4 rounds, Chambers turned heads with his fitness and skills at the camps. Fighting for a spot against 80+ top name players, Chambers refused to let the odds lower his confidence.

“The selection process was intense and long,” says Chambers. “It was high compete level, full go 24/7. You had no choice but to give your maximum effort every time. Still, going to Korea is not a sense of validation for me. I am immensely grateful to have this opportunity in front of me after many years of hard work.”

Like Chambers, Ronan West also had his own set of challenges when it came to making Team Ireland. The Rye Neck HS product started turning heads after a standout freshman season at Haverford College, and followed that up with All-Centennial Conference honors as a sophomore, garnering national D3 accolades and press. After helping Ireland win gold at the 2024 Heritage Cup, West was invited to a Team Ireland Lacrosse tryout in New Jersey, which led to an invite for a final tryout in Dublin. There, West, who has dual American-Irish citizenship, cemented his roster spot.

The World Championships are going to be very tough on the young men—and not just because of the competition. Combine 24 hours of travel to reach the remote destination of Jeju Island, a place with extreme humidity and tropical heat. Plus add in that each team only can bring 22 players. Rhett and Ronan are going to have to put forth maximum effort mentally and physically during the 14-day stay in Korea.

“Being here is an enormous privilege for me that I intend to take full advantage of,” says West. “I play to prove something to myself and because I love the sport. I’ve found that I play best with joy so I’m looking to have some fun while I’m representing Ireland.”

For Chambers, the experience culminating in the big tournament boils down to the experiences he has forged with Team USA mates. “In Korea, I am most looking forward to finally getting to match up against another uniform but also continuing to spend time with this group. Each day with this crew is a blast.”

Fact: Team USA is the reigning champ and favorite to take the gold in 2025 while Team Ireland has never cracked the Top 10 in a world lacrosse competition. So how do the friends think their teams will fare when they play one another?

According to Rhett “if I go up against Ronan in a game, I think we would have to immediately drop the gloves and go rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets the ball, then continue playing like nothing happened.” Ronan laughs that off, coming with a different take: “I’d love to match up against Rhett, it would be incredible to guard him for a few dodges–certainly a moment I’d remember forever. I might try some crazy check to screw with him so it could be an all-or-nothing type of deal. I’d give him 80-20 odds to beat me but if I hit the check I guarantee he’d hear about it for a while!”

Does it make sense to travel to the other side of the globe to play against a friend who lives just a couple of miles away? For Rhett and Ronan, it’s all part of the journey they are embracing in full.