Kai Faller, an Amherst Central High School lacrosse attackman, was selected as a member of the 2022 U.S. Indoor Lacrosse U18 team. He and the 22 members of Team USA competed in the U.S. Indoor Lacrosse World Games in Buffalo in early October. The U.S. team took the silver medal facing competition from three teams representing Canada, Poland and the Haudenosaunee. The USA U18 Indoor Team is managed by U.S. Indoor Lacrosse (USIL) to compete in the International Indoor Junior Lacrosse (IIJL) World competitions.

“I was super excited when I got the email that I had made it. It’s just cool playing for the country,” he said.

There was a two-hour tryout and then two three-day training camps prior to the games. He knew two other players from Buffalo; one that he played box lacrosse with when he was younger and another who he played with in a club team.

The skill level of the players he met at the world games was very good with many Division 1 college recruited players.

“Going into it, I did not play that much box, so I did not really know what was going on. But then as practices went, I learned more and more,” he said.

Faller, a junior, currently plays on the Amherst varsity lacrosse team coached by Stefan Henn. High school lacrosse is field lacrosse and with the U.S. team he played indoor box lacrosse which he had not played since he was younger.

Faller started playing lacrosse with the Buffalo Lacrosse Academy rising stars program. He started playing box lacrosse with Champion Lacrosse in Buffalo in sixth grade. In seventh-grade he played on the Amherst modified team. Then in eighth grade he expected to play on the varsity team and COVID hit so spring 2020 sports were not held. He was on the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. He is currently playing fall ball with Performax Lacrosse Club and is looking forward to varsity lacrosse this coming spring. 

As to the future, he said he may try out for the U.S. team again. Beyond high school, he would love to attend Penn State and play lacrosse there. He’s also interested in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.

When asked what else he wanted to say about the U.S. team experience, he said, “It was cool when we faced the Canadian team because all my family from Canada came down and they watched, but they didn't know who to cheer for.”