JOURNALISTS from the sport magazine, Inside Lacrosse, will be visiting Bermuda to cover the Bermuda Lacrosse Association's (BLA) first international 'King of the Rock' tournament at the National Sports Centre this weekend.

The BLA will play host to Team MacWear from Long Island, New York, who are a collection of former lacrosse players from NCAA Division I universities around the United States, one or two of whom have NCAA National Championship rings.

Team MacWear will take on the Bermuda Lacrosse Team - who competed at the 2006 World Championships, at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

BLA president Mike Totman is gearing up for the weekend.

"This will be the first time an international lacrosse tournament is hosted in Bermuda by our local lacrosse team," he said.

"Looking at the success of the Rugby Classic and what that has done for this island, this tournament is a significant step for lacrosse in Bermuda.

"With this first step we hope to establish awareness of lacrosse both in Bermuda and abroad. With the Department of Tourism as the host sponsor, we will showcase to visitors the beauty of Bermuda's natural resources but also highlight Bermuda as a premiere sporting destination.

"This tournament will also provide us with a chance to show the residents of Bermuda what this sport is all about - the fast pace, high-scoring, physical nature blended with absolute finesse on the field. We hope to build on this event for future years."

In order to master the game, which is one of the fastest growing sports in North America, players must become adept at throwing, catching and scooping a ball with a stick - the 'crosse'.

The BLA's considerable growth and participation in the 2006 World Championships caught the attention of Inside Lacrosse - a magazine, website and TV show that is the industry leader for lacrosse information. The publication is sending two journalists to the island to cover the inaugural tournament and profile the development of lacrosse in Bermuda.

"Inside Lacrosse is an affiliate of ESPN and covers all aspects of lacrosse from youth to professional," Totman said.

"They are excited about the opportunity to feature the unique aspects of playing lacrosse on this unique island. They think everything about us is, in their own words, just 'cool' - from our team atmosphere, quick growth, team logo to the fact that we play in such a small country and have made a name for ourselves internationally. In fact, the population of Bermuda is less than the capital cities of all the other countries we play against," explained Totman. "Through their print and online outlet, Inside Lacrosse has a readership more than one million people. This bodes well for Bermuda's sporting landscape, as an entire readership will become aware of Bermuda through lacrosse who might otherwise never come in contact with the island."

Team MacWear will also play Bermuda's Under-19 squad in the second game of the tournament at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

The 'King of the Rock' tournament serves as a warm-up for the U-19 team who, for the first time, are going to the U-19 Men's World Championships in British Columbia from July 3-12. All 18 players on the team, 15 of whom are Bermudian, have learned lacrosse abroad and will now represent Bermuda on the world stage. The U-19 team's volunteer head coach, Stephen Michel, feels that his squad, although young, will have a good showing.

"We have been practicing twice a day for this entire week, from 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and then 6 to 8.30 p.m., to prepare for this weekend's tournament and the World Championships," Michel said. "Our goal this weekend is to beat the senior men's team (Bermuda) and play competitively against Team MacWear."

Totman feels that the 'King of the Rock' tournament is a sign of things to come for Bermuda.

"Attendance at the 2008 NCAA Final Four Tournament saw upwards of 50,000 people at the championship game, and the U-19 Men's World Championships expect more than 30,000 attendees this summer," he said.

"If we can establish a successful lacrosse event here in Bermuda and capture even a small fraction of that fan base, imagine what lacrosse could become here in Bermuda. University scholarships are growing at all of the NCAA division levels and lacrosse is one of the higher scholarship sports behind basketball, baseball, and American football. One of the BLA's goals is to establish a strong youth programme here that will assist local students in obtaining financial assistance to attend university who otherwise might not have the opportunity. This tournament is the first step toward those goals."

For more information about this weekend's 'King of the Rock' international tournament or about the Bermuda Lacrosse Association, visit www.bermudalacrosse.com.