Waunakee sixth-grader drafted to Jr. Premier Lacrosse League

WAUNAKEE, Wis. (WMTV) - Most athletes dream of hearing their name called on draft night, and Grayson Kang experienced that at just 12-years-old.

The Waunakee sixth-grader was drafted to the Redwoods Lacrosse Club, and will compete in the Premier Lacrosse League Junior Championship August 4-6 in Baltimore, Maryland.

This is the first year that the PLL held a junior draft, and Grayson was one of two Wisconsin athletes who were selected.

All eight PLL teams built a junior roster, selecting athletes from around the country in 5th-8th grade.

Grayson attended a PLL camp in January, and was at school in March when his teacher told him to pack up his things and head down to the main office.

“My Dad was there and he just said you were accepted and I was like huh? And he explained more and I was excited,” Grayson said.

Grayson has only played lacrosse for a couple years, but his father Jay Kang, said Grayson has always loved trying new sports. Along with lacrosse, Grayson surfs, snowboards and has his black belt in taekwondo.

“He definitely isn’t afraid to fail,” Jay said. ”He’ll try new things and learn from them and that’s what’s led to his success I think.”

Grayson first youth coach, Shannon Lory, said Grayson has always been athletically-gifted, but he’s worked hard to develop into a talented lacrosse player.

“The thing that I admired about him,” Lory said. “It would’ve been really easy to get complacent and be dominant and make it look easy. I could tell he always challenged himself to play harder and was maybe even his hardest critic.”

Grayson said he first discovered lacrosse through his friends, and that’s why he loves to play the sport.

“I have a very good friend base to support me here,” Grayson said. “And that’s really helped me.”

In December of 2022, the WIAA approved the addition of lacrosse as a sanctioned sport for boys and girls, starting in the spring of 2024. It’s the first time an entirely new sport has been introduced for both genders since the addition of boys and girls soccer in 1982-83.

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