Reagan Harding has dreamt of one day getting the chance to play his favourite sport, professionally, in his hometown with his mom and dad in the stands. Now, a possible future with the Saskatchewan Rush has come to fruition.
The Rush amplified that dream Monday during the 2015 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft by selecting Harding 47th overall.
Harding says he was actually sleeping in England when it all went down and was informed of the good news by his mother and friends on social media.
“We are actually six hours ahead of you guys in the United Kingdom, so I actually woke up to it and was pretty excited I couldn’t really get back to sleep,” said Harding on Wednesday.
“I thought it was a pretty great accomplishment and I was just really happy that I was actually considered to be drafted and especially to my home town.”
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Growing up in Saskatoon, Harding was a natural athlete who graduated from Bishop James Mahoney High School.
“I played hockey and I played baseball but as soon as I played lacrosse it felt like it was my first love and I just felt like it was something I wanted to do every day and I never got tired of doing it,” said Harding.
He says the sport came very natural to him as he learned box lacrosse and then field lacrosse later on with the Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association. To this day, Harding is thankful for the Scorpions lacrosse club which taught him to be a better player and person.
Harding played last season for the Lake Erie College Storm, earning his second consecutive ECAC Offensive Player of the Year honour. The midfielder played a total of 64 games, tallying 136 goals and 43 assists.
Currently, the 24-year-old is studying abroad at Durham University where he’s working on a masters degree in business management. He enjoys playing lacrosse in England while simultaneously building interest about the game as part of his scholarship.
“They have a real love for the game over here, so it’s really nice to help some British people who actually love the game as much as I do, learn a little bit and get more involved in the game and to show them,” said Harding.
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In July, the Rush franchise relocated from Edmonton to Saskatoon during the off-season. Harding thinks this is a great opportunity for the Bridge City.
“I thought it was kind of strange when I first heard it,” said Harding.
“I just never thought I would see a professional lacrosse team in Saskatoon and I’m glad obviously because we only have the Saskatchewan Roughriders and it’s nice to have another.”
Unfortunately, Harding says it will likely be a while before he can earn a spot on the Rush’s roster.
“Right now, I’m fully involved in my masters program and that’s basically first priority right now so I don’t believe I’ll be able to make camp … I’m very thankful for them drafting me but it’s just something that I have to play by ear,” said Harding.
In the meantime, his dream continues to live on.
“I’ve always been a fan of the Rush,” said Harding.
“Just stepping on the floor and playing in front of the home crowd would be absolutely amazing.”
“If I wasn’t in school right now then I would be more than happy to try out and do my best to make the roster and play in front of my friends and family and everything like that because I owe a lot to those people and I’d really like to show them after all these years how I play.”
The Rush will make their home debut at the SaskTel Centre Jan. 15, 2016 as they defend the 2015 NLL championship title this upcoming season.
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