Boys Jr. Bandits Elite

Information

Boys Jr. Bandits Elite is a competitive box lacrosse tournament program for boys in Grades 9/10 and 11/12. The program gives players the opportunity to continue developing their box lacrosse skills through practices led by experienced coaches while competing against programs from across the United States and Canada.

Teams will compete in three tournaments during the winter season, with practices held throughout November, December, and January. Tournament dates and locations are subject to change.

Teams will be coached by former NLL pro Mike McNamara and local coaches AC Watt, Tylor John, and Jackson Pragle. At least one current Buffalo Bandits player will also assist with tryouts and team practice sessions.

Tryout Dates

The tryout fee is $30 and includes a Jr. Bandits practice pinnie. Players who were rostered on a 2025–26 Jr. Bandits Elite tournament team or the 2026 USBOXLA Championships team will have the tryout fee waived.

Players are not required to attend both tryout dates but are strongly encouraged to attend both sessions to give coaches the best opportunity to fully evaluate each player.

Monday, October 19

Grade 9/10: 6:00–7:30 PM
Grade 11/12: 7:30–9:00 PM

Monday, October 26

Grade 9/10: 6:00–7:30 PM
Grade 11/12: 7:30–9:00 PM

Team Fee

The team fee is still being finalized and is expected to be approximately $950. Players who do not need to purchase a new uniform can expect the fee to be approximately $75 less.

A $200 non-refundable deposit will be due upon acceptance of a roster spot.

The team fee includes:

Coaching
Practice floor time
Entry into all three tournaments
Jr. Bandits jersey
Jr. Bandits shorts
Jr. Bandits shooter shirt
Five ticket vouchers redeemable for a 2026–27 Buffalo Bandits regular-season home game, pending availability

A current USBOXLA membership is also required and must be purchased separately.

Travel, hotels, meals, and other personal expenses are not included in the team fee.

To register for a USBOXLA membership, please follow this link: USBOXLA Membership

Practice Dates

Both teams will practice from 7:00–9:00 PM on the following dates unless otherwise noted. Practices will be held at Gil Lay Arena in Irving, NY with the exception of November 28 and January 2 which will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Wednesday, November 11
Saturday, November 28 - 1:30-3:30 PM KeyBank Center
Tuesday, December 8
Tuesday, December 15
Sunday, January 2 - 1:00-3:00 PM KeyBank Center
One more practice date TBD

Tournaments

Border Wars

Location:
Utica University Nexus Center
300 Oriskany St. W
Utica, NY 13502

Dates:
December 18–20, 2026

Per the tournament, games are expected to begin around 11:00 AM on Friday, with the final games ending no later than 4:00 PM on Sunday.

Border Wars Tournament Website

This is a stay-to-play tournament. Hotel information will be provided to players selected to the roster.

Midwest Classic

Location:
Resolute Athletic Complex
3599 Chiller Lane
Columbus, OH 43219

Dates:
January 16–18, 2027

Midwest Classic Tournament Website

This is a stay-to-play tournament. Hotel information will be provided to players selected to the roster.

Six Nations Regional Championship

Location:
Seneca Allegany Community Center
3677 Administration Drive
Salamanca, NY 14779

AND/OR

Gil Lay Arena
11093 Erie Rd
Irving, NY 14081

Dates:
February 5–7, 2027

This is a stay-to-play tournament. Hotel information will be provided to players selected to the roster.

Please note: Transportation, hotels, meals, and other travel expenses are not included in the team registration fee.

Equipment

Players are required to provide the following equipment:

Helmet with cage
Shoulder pads
Arm guards
Bicep pads
Kidney pads
Mouth guard
Gloves
Sneakers
Stick (short pole; no wooden sticks. Goalies must use spoons.)

Team Fee

The team fee is still being finalized and is expected to be approximately $950. Players who do not need to purchase a new uniform can expect the fee to be approximately $75 less.

A $200 non-refundable deposit will be due upon acceptance of a roster spot.

The team fee includes:

Coaching
Practice floor time
Entry into all three tournaments
Jr. Bandits jersey
Jr. Bandits shorts
Jr. Bandits shooter shirt
Five ticket vouchers redeemable for a 2026–27 Buffalo Bandits regular-season home game, pending availability

A current USBOXLA membership is also required and must be purchased separately.

Travel, hotels, meals, and other personal expenses are not included in the team fee.

To register for a USBOXLA membership, please follow this link: USBOXLA Membership

Other Information

Should a team qualify for the 2027 USBOXLA Championship Tournament, a separate tryout and practice schedule will be announced in the summer months.

For questions regarding tournament hotels, USBOXLA memberships, team fee payment schedules, or other program information, please contact Ian MacKay at ian.mackay@bandits.com or Dan Ristine at dan.ristine@bandits.com.

Follow Jr. Bandits Youth Lacrosse

Instagram & X: @BanditsYouthLax
Facebook: @Bandits Youth Lacrosse

Registrations

Jr. Bandits Boys Elite26-27 Jr. Bandits Elite
26-27 Boys Elite Individual Registration Jr. Bandits Boys Elite26-27 Jr. Bandits Elite Info & Register

Jr. Bandits Elite Coaching Staff

Jr. Bandits Elite

Mike McNamara

Head Coach

Mike McNamara brings extensive box lacrosse experience to the Jr. Bandits coaching staff. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, McNamara was selected 40th overall by the Toronto Rock in the 2010 NLL Draft and went on to play defense in the National Lacrosse League from 2012–2016, spending time with Buffalo, Colorado and New England.

McNamara is also a three-time Mann Cup champion with the Six Nations Chiefs. His playing career began with the Hamilton Bengals at the Junior B level before he advanced to Junior A with the Six Nations Arrows, where he served as an assistant captain.

McNamara currently resides in Buffalo and continues to bring his experience from the junior, senior and professional levels to the next generation of box lacrosse players.

AC Watt

Assistant Coach

Tylor John

Assistant Coach

Tylor John joins the Jr. Bandits Elite Teams for his second season in 2026. He also serves as a coach with the Jr. Bandits Box Lacrosse League, Orange Crush Buffalo, and the St. Joe’s Marauders.

John brings experience coaching at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. He began his coaching career at Depew High School, where he guided the program through its first sanctioned season in Section VI. After five seasons at Depew, he joined the D’Youville University men’s lacrosse staff, helping the program secure its first win in school history. Most recently, John joined the Sweet Home High School coaching staff for the 2025 season.

A veteran player in the Can-Am Lacrosse League, John has competed with the Buffalo Creek Thunder, Newtown Golden Eagles, and Tuscarora Tomahawks. He has also represented Poland in multiple international tournaments with their developmental teams.

Jackson Pragle

Assistant Coach/Goaltending Coach

A graduate of Akron High School, Jackson is currently studying Sport Management at Genesee Community College while pursuing a coaching certificate. At Akron, he won back-to-back Section VI Lacrosse Championships and became the only player in Section VI history to record both a goal and a save in a championship game.

Jackson began playing box lacrosse with the Tonawanda Braves and currently plays for the organization’s Jr. B program. His playing career includes a bronze medal with Team First Nations at the 2019 Canadian Minor Nationals and a gold medal with Team Haudenosaunee at the WU18LC Championship. He has also competed extensively with Bandits youth programs, earning multiple Jr. Bandits Elite tournament championships and helping the Buffaloes win the 2026 NCBS National Championship.

In addition to playing, Jackson is a NAMLA referee and has begun his coaching career with the Brave Tigers developmental field program. He brings a strong work ethic, competitive mindset and passion for the game to the Jr. Bandits Elite coaching staff.

Boys Jr. Bandits Elite