Front Page of today's Metro Section...
A very interesting and well-researched story about why lacrosse is not offered at the high school level in Prince George's and Charles counties.
It reminds TFBO2F how rare it is to play Division I lacrosse after having played for a club team, i.e. non-varsity team, in high school.
The most notable recent example is Graham Gill. He started at midfield for Navy from 2003-05 and currently plays in MLL . His high school, Shawnee (NJ) Regional, did not offer varsity lacrosse until a couple years ago. He was helped by his uncle, Virginia Coach Dom Starsia. Yet even then Gill attended a post-graduate year before the Naval Academy, in part so he could play organized lacrosse.
There were several players from the Calvert Lacrosse Club, including a couple All-Mets in the 1990s, who played in college.
Chris Gunkel played for the Montgomery County lacrosse club in the late-1980s before playing for Loyola College. (He attended Walter Johnson before it had varsity lacrosse.)
Overall, though, it is a tough road for players from club teams to make it to the Division I level. Montgomery County is in its first year with JV programs. It was a move that Montgomery County coaches had been lobbying for for at least 10 years.
Here's hoping that Prince George's and Charles counties follow suit.
By Christian Swezey |
April 2, 2008; 10:07 AM ET
| Category:
High Schools
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Posted by: jmpalomo | April 2, 2008 3:41 PM
just like soccer players usually buy their own balls, socks, shin gaurds etc. Basketball aside, most sports require some sort of investment. The expense of the sport is a poor reason for it's laco of growth. Cheap, used equipment can be purchased relatively easy at places like Play it Again Sports or even online. As a former player from a PG County club team that made it to DI I am still disappointed with the lack of recognition and support given to the sport.
Posted by: keeps4life | April 4, 2008 3:48 PM
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It is a very expensive sport. Just a helmet is $100. The public school my daughter goes to the athletes have to buy all their own equipment. Wow! Now thats expensive.