Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in high school and college. The Lafayette Girls lacrosse team was established in 2018, and the Lafayette Boys Lacrosse team was established in 2007. Lacrosse is a sport where players use a netted stick to carry, pass, and shoot a ball along a field to try and score a goal. The main goal is to win by ending the game with the most points. Each goal is guarded by a goalie that is shot on by an attacking player and is worth one point. The team of ten players that has more points wins the game. USA Lacrosse has said that playing lacrosse takes speed, athleticism, skill, heart, and determination. Lacrosse originated with the indigenous people of North America as far back as the twelfth century, and it is the oldest organized team sport in North America.

Boys’ lacrosse is a spring sport, and the tryouts occur on February 10th. To try out, students need a Kentucky High School Athletic Association sports physical, a valid U.S. lacrosse member number, and to register at lafayettegeneralslax.com. You must register by February 1st. To play, students need a stick for their position, a helmet, a mouth guard, a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment or NOCSAE, a certified chest protector, gloves, elbow pads, cleats, and a cup. There is gear that players can borrow, but it is not guaranteed they will always be able to because supplies are limited.

The Times asked Zachary Dietzel, a senior midfielder, what he thought of lacrosse. “I personally love lacrosse because not only is it a sport I enjoy, it is a way for me to socialize with my school team and other lacrosse players from all over the state.” This quote is important because it is one of many positive opinions from the boys on the lacrosse team.

Boys’ lacrosse practices are five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 6 to 8 in the football stadium. Practices officially start February 11th, the day after tryouts. During the season, games are scheduled for both home and away. All game dates will be released at the beginning of the season. A season usually consists of 14 to 15 games. Practice focuses on conditioning in the first half of the season and stick skills and plays in the second half. No workouts have been scheduled during this article’s printing, but that decision can be changed.

No experience is needed to play lacrosse, but if students wish to gain some experience during the off-season, there are club options like the Hillbillies, Bandits, and Kings. The Hillbillies have tournaments, clinics, summer ball, and fall ball. Bandits have fall ball, tournaments, and summer ball. Kings have summer ball and tournaments in the Midwest and the East Coast. They also have fall ball. All of the clubs cost additional money. These clubs can help students’ high school lacrosse careers by giving them additional experience that can benefit their skill level.

If students or parents have additional questions about boys’ lacrosse, they can contact [email protected] or [email protected]. Boys lacrosse can also lead to new opportunities in the future, like getting scholarships to play in college. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or the NCAA, there are 77 college teams available for boys lacrosse. Lacrosse is a fun after-school sport that you can still participate in.