A GROWING MOVEMENT: LACROSSE BOOM HITS CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN SECTION SCHOOLS STARTING TO PARTICIPATE IN POPULAR EAST COAST SPORT.Byline: Gideon Rubin Special to the Daily News WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Perhaps it is the fast-paced, often thrilling action. Maybe it is the intense physical contact, or the alt/extreme image. Whatever the reason, lacrosse lacrosse (ləkrôs`), ball and goal game usually played outdoors by two teams of 10 players each on a field 60 to 70 yd (54.86 to 64.01 m) wide by 110 yd (100.58 m) long. Two goals face each other 80 yd (73. is one of the nation's fastest growing sports. U.S. Lacrosse, the sport's governing body Noun 1. governing body - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he , reports membership since 1990 has ballooned from 7,025 to 178,175. It estimates 382,568 participate in youth, high school, college and professional lacrosse. Nowhere is the sport's growth more prominent than in California, where it is generating widespread interest, shedding its reputation as an obscure, elitist e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism n. 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. East Coast private-school sport. The sport's boom has been especially pronounced in areas of San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. County and Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern , and its growth has reached the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area. Lacrosse was sanctioned last spring by the Southern Section, and if not for a labor dispute - game officials won't work because of the pay scale - its inaugural season would be in full swing. The Southern Section has 31 boys' teams and 19 girls' teams competing, including five area boys' teams and one area girls' team. Lacrosse has been played as a club sport at the high school level, and its new status is a welcome development for area players yet to receive the recognition accorded athletes in other sports. ``It's awesome,'' Oaks Christian of Westlake Village senior defensive midfielder Will Danielson said. Danielson had played lacrosse on the East Coast for three years before moving to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, while in seventh grade. He is a top-level club player who has received scholarship offers from several Div. I programs, including Butler and Syracuse. ``Lacrosse has been a doubted sport ever since I got here,'' he said. ``It's awesome that we're sanctioned now. It means I can get a (varsity) letter for playing.'' Lacrosse, developed in the 18th century by Native Americans who occasionally used the sport to resolve tribal conflicts, is described on U.S. Lacrosse's Web site as ``a combination of basketball, soccer and hockey.'' Players can torque a hard rubber ball out of the net at the ends of their sticks at speeds of up to 100 mph at the high school level and 110 mph at more advanced levels. The boys' game allows checking; the girls' game permits only stick checking. New Community Jewish High is the only area school to field boys' and girls' teams and the only Jewish school in the nation to field a girls' team. Several top area girls' players who play club lacrosse have signed letters of intent to play at top Division I programs. Agoura senior Katie Felber has signed with Cal. Westlake senior Kat Oswaks is headed to Long Island University. The price of playing the sport can be prohibitive. The full gear boys' players require - goggles goggles, n the protective eyewear worn by dental personnel and patients during dental procedures. goggles see periocular leukotrichia. , helmet, pads and stick - can cost several hundred dollars. Lacrosse is less regimented stylistically and in terms of how it is played than more traditional sports such as football, basketball and baseball. ``A lot of kids are coming over from baseball,'' Oaks Christian coach Geoff Sebold said. ``A lot of them are action-oriented kids, and once they start playing (lacrosse), they're hooked.'' Said Oaks Christian senior defender Steven Felts said: ``We're a bunch of misfits. A lot of us aren't really that into other sports. We're just a rag-tag bunch, and we have a lot fun playing lacrosse. In California, it's still kind of an underground sport.'' Lacrosse figures to become more mainstream as it continues to grow, but the Southern Section faces several challenges as it implements the sport into its calendar. Hiring qualified officials and coaches is paramount. Many in lacrosse circles cite the labor dispute as an example of the growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. . ``The sport has grown so fast,'' NCJ NCJ National Criminal Justice NCJ National Contest Journal NCJ New Columbia Joist Co. athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Sina Monjazeb said, ``the infrastructure isn't there to support it.'' Gideon Rubin, (818)713-3607 gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Oaks Christian's lacrosse program is led by, from left, Ryan Ahern, Andrew Green, Wil Danielson and Steve Felts. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer Box: TRAIL BLAZERS |
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