You could say he was born to play lacrosse.
From family history to a priceless mentorship Okotoks Raiders sophomore Myles Hamm has parlayed his development into a scholarship to attend Harvard University.
“The first time I ever stood up was using a lacrosse stick at my mom’s field national game,” Hamm said. “I’ve pretty much been involved forever and started playing field lacrosse when I was six.
“I started travelling with a lot of (Raider) kids and kids on the Mounties and it has taken off since then.”
Hamm’s mother Courtney launched the Mustang Field Lacrosse program, now based in south Calgary, in Okotoks. That same program put Hamm and countless others in the collegiate spotlight.
Playing for the travelling Mustang Starz, now headed up Raiders assistant coach Jesse Fehr, the former Okotokian got on the radar of a pair of Ivy League schools in Brown and Harvard last year.
The intimate setting of the latter reminded him of his former hometown.
“It was the atmosphere, there weren’t too many kids there,” he said. “I grew up in Okotoks so I didn’t want a big environment, I wanted something where I could be close to everybody.”
Fehr and his disciple have more than the Raiders red in common as lefty midfielders with a tall, athletic build.
Like Fehr, Hamm attended Westminster Prep School in Connecticut before suiting up for the Harvard Crimson.
“I made my decision based on Jesse,” Hamm said. “He’s been a big inspiration for me. Pretty much everything he’s done, I’ve done.
“He’s been almost like a brother to me. When I’m home from prep school we go out for dinner and just talk about life.”
Hamm has been giving his coach plenty to talk about as a stellar second-year defensive/transition ace on the most stingy defence in Alberta.
The Raiders’ second round pick in 2015, Hamm has put on 25 pounds of lean muscle as a sophomore and continues to be one of the most athletic transition players in the province with foot speed that is unmatched in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.
“It’s easier to be a part of the team this year because we’re a lot younger,” he said. “Being bigger helps out a lot and I played all spring so just playing a lot more lacrosse at a higher level has helped me in box.”
Hitting the books both north and south of the border has been more than helpful.
Hamm, who held a 92 per cent average at Westminster, is making sure to have the student part of the student-athlete equation come first.
“I’m not that focused on going pro in lacrosse. I want to have an education, I want something to do after lacrosse,” said Hamm, who plans to study Law. “Harvard is the best for that. It’s an Ivy school.
“I would like to be all-Ivy. I know that’s not going to happen for a while. I want to be the third, second or even first midfield guy for Harvard in my freshman year. To try and play is my main goal. I’ve got to prove myself there.”
