Lacrosse continues its growth in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (BVM) — Lacrosse is not usually the first sport that comes to mind for a teenager looking to participate in high school athletics, or at least it didn’t used to be. Deemed as one of the fastest growing team sports in the country according to US Lacrosse, the sport is on the rise across the nation, specifically in midwestern states such as Indiana.
Lacrosse was first played in North America well over a century ago by Native American tribes who then called the game “stickball.” The sport is typically played with 10 players on each team. Four players must stay on the offensive side of the field, four must stay on the defensive side, and three can go anywhere on the field they want to.
The sport has obviously modernized and developed over the years, and over the last decade, it has increased in popularity significantly as more and more kids begin to experiment with lacrosse.
US Lacrosse was founded in the late 1990s, with the goal of bringing popularity and support to lacrosse players across the country.
“Since 1998, we have been dedicated to providing leadership, support and resources to members of the lacrosse community,” a statement reads in the US Lacrosse 2018 Participation Report. “Fueled by a passion for the game, US Lacrosse plays a central role in the rapid growth of the sport throughout the United States and abroad. US Lacrosse currently serves nearly 450,000 members in communities across the nation.”
In 2001, total participation in lacrosse in the U.S. among the youth, high school, college and professional levels was at 253,931 players. In US Lacrosse’s most recent participation survey from 2018, that number had risen significantly to nearly 830,000 players.
Specifically, the sport has seen an over 200,000 player increase at the youth level among both girls and boys since 2006, and an over 150,000 player increase across both genders at the high school level.
Over the last couple years, the sport has continued its growth at the high school ranks. Predominantly seen as a competition played on the East Coast, lacrosse is now expanding westward, specifically into the Midwest.
One state that continues to grow the sport is Indiana. Despite the growth, Indiana is known as a true basketball state and lacrosse will not be changing that narrative anytime soon. It isn’t a traditional sport where kids grow up watching or playing to follow in their family’s footsteps. Rather, it is a trendy sport that kids are seeing more and more of and are wanting to try.
The Indiana High School Lacrosse Association was formed in 1998, with eight founding members: Brebeuf, Carmel, Culver Academies, Hamilton Southeastern, North Central, Park Tudor, South Bend St. Joseph, and Westfield. Carmel was the first school of these eight in Indiana to offer a lacrosse team. But over two decades later, there are now over 100 high school club lacrosse teams in the Hoosier State.
With the sport’s continuous growth, the next step in Indiana would be getting lacrosse sanctioned by the IHSAA. Neighboring states in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois all have sanctioned lacrosse at the high school level already, and it remains to be seen how long it might take for Indiana to follow.
However, there are some challenges facing the state until they get to that point. Some of the general challenges include the costs of the sport. But US Lacrosse often awards grants to schools and clubs which significantly helps with the cost of gear.
Another difficulty is finding skilled coaches to teach the sport. It is rare to find a long-tenured coach in lacrosse like you might in sports such as football or basketball. However, as time passes, this should become less and less of an issue.
Center Grove is a good example of starting to find young coaching talent while also growing the program. The Trojans’ lacrosse program began in 2008 with 27 players on one team. Now, nearly 200 boys play for the club across different levels.
Their current varsity head coach, Drew Calvert, was an original member of the ‘08 squad as a sophomore in high school, but now can pass his first hand experience down to the younger generation. Calvert was also a football player, and likely enjoyed playing a similar styled sport in the spring.
In fact, lacrosse is actually seen as a nice substitute for football players in the offseason. Although it is much less of a contact sport for girls, the boys’ side of the sport can be very physical. However, it is not at the physicality level of football, leading some parents who might be concerned about severe injuries or concussions to see it as a nice alternative to the gridiron.
What ultimately may be holding the IHSAA back the most is that 60% of high schools in the state must participate in lacrosse for it to be sanctioned. With nearly 700 high schools in Indiana, the Hoosier state still seems several years off from having lacrosse as an official high school sport.
Further growth of lacrosse is still needed, but with the upward trend of the sport it certainly could happen. Many may look at soccer’s growth in the ‘90s as a blueprint, and the hope is that lacrosse will continue to catch on further and further among the younger generation as soccer did.
The sport also gives another avenue to become a collegiate athlete. According to Next College Student Athlete, there are currently 11 colleges in Indiana who offer lacrosse programs. Although just one is at the Division I level, about 290 roster spots and over 40 scholarships are available for high school lacrosse players. Of course, the sport is very popular collegiately out east as well.
It will be interesting to see how the growth of lacrosse continues as it expands throughout the entire country. It may not be a sanctioned sport in Indiana quite yet, but its rise is evident, and down the road we might just be talking about it in the same capacity as sports like football, baseball, or soccer.