The COVID-19 pandemic happened at the exact wrong time for an aspiring professional lacrosse player from Kamloops.

Tyrell Hamer-Jackson, 24, had finally made it to the big leagues after bouncing around in the Western Lacrosse Association down on the Lower Mainland. A year after taking a year away from the game, his break finally came with the NLL’s Vancouver Warriors.

The team signed him to a rookie contract as a face-off specialist but just two games into playing in the top lacrosse league in the world, things were shut down because od the coronavirus.

Speaking to NL Sports, Hamer-Jackson says he continues to be in a holding pattern but isn’t feeling sorry for himself.

“It’s not really time for that,” he said. “There’s a few worse things happening in the world, and if all I got to do is stay ready and stay in shape, then I should be up there too.”

“It’s not the worst that could happen and there’s still a road ahead for me, I feel.”

Hamer-Jackson played Junior B hockey with the Kamloops Storm as a goaltender. In his two games with the Warriors, he took 43 face-offs.