Pete Forsee and Matthias Simmons
Sports Columnists
2011 was one of the final successful seasons the Webster lacrosse program could see in the near future. Players believe their success could be more consistent if the program was school sponsored.
“I feel Jerry Collins has always had something against us. They’ve been trying to get rid of our program for a while now. They took away one of our two games at Moss Field, which really upset our team. They said the field was unplayable due to the weather, but it was debatable,” said senior Jon Herdler.
“I feel if lacrosse wasn’t a club sport, there would be more guys coming out for the team because the cost would be cut down,” said senior defensive captain Connor Weis.
Since Webster Groves lacrosse is funded directly by players, the total cost to participate is expensive. To reserve a spot on the team, a player must pay $200 instead of the $40 for the school sports activity fee. Lacrosse players also buy their own equipment, which costs anywhere from $200-350, whereas school sponsored sports provide equipment for its players.
We would like to see men’s lacrosse get their shot. The team plays very few home games and is not promoted enough by our school. A squad that posted a 9-8 record, but represented its town in the semi-finals of the State playoffs, doesn’t even have the full support of its school.
“It’s whatever. I don’t expect the school to support our lax team in anyway. I’m still going to play because I’m a competitor,” said senior Ethan Schwartz.
Schwartz played on the JV lacrosse team his freshman year but dropped the sport because of the steep cost, and a broken pelvis from a bicycle accident. Schwartz said he plans on playing his senior year to build memories with his friends.
However, if men’s lacrosse was indeed sponsored by the school, it would lose its power to schedule its own games and hire coaches of its preference. By Missouri high school rule, if a team is sponsored by the school, then it is not permitted to compete against other club teams.
Even though this would restrict the team more heavily, we think the opportunity to represent your school in another sport, and more importantly, the opportunity to possibly represent your school in a State championship game, outweighs these obstacles. Lacrosse is gaining great popularity, and it won’t be long until many schools incorporate men’s lacrosse into their sponsored activities.
