Birkenhead’s Charlotte Lytollis has been picked to represent England at the Lacrosse World Cup

May 4 2011 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

A WIRRAL schoolgirl has been selected as one of a 24-strong squad to represent England at the Under-19s World Cup Lacrosse Championships this summer.

At just 16, Charlotte Lytollis, a pupil at Birkenhead School, is the youngest girl to be chosen for the international squad.

Although Charlotte, from Oxton, is a reserve for the World Cup, she was part of the victorious national team in two recent home internationals against Wales and Scotland.

To reach such levels of excellence in lacrosse requires both exceptional talent and dedication, and most weekends Charlotte travels down South for a two-day training session with the England squad.

Being selected as one of the elite 24 for the World Cup has been a highly-competitive process involving Charlotte being spotted by a national coach at a regional training session and then having to shine among the best 60 players in the country in national trials.

“I’m really thrilled to have got this far,” she said. “I love lacrosse. Although it’s not a contact sport, it’s really fast and quite aggressive. Being involved with the national squad has been a tremendous experience and I’ve made new friends all over the country.”

Currently, Charlotte has been told she will be one of the reserves ‘on call’ at home for the World Cup. But there is still a chance she may join national team mates for the tournament in Hannover this August.

Charlotte showed a natural flair for lacrosse after joining Wirral Lacrosse Club when she was seven. She still plays for the club’s first team and the Under-16s.

At Birkenhead School, the Oxton-based independent school, Charlotte captains the Under-16s and also plays netball and hockey for the school.

PE teacher Louise Alford-Swift said: “Charlotte is immensely talented and is extremely committed to excelling in lacrosse. Being selected to play for England is a well-deserved honour.”