Is Lacrosse even played on the West Coast?

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I was flipping the channels and came across the UVA-John's Hopkins lacrosse game...there was a top 20 poll, and there were no teams on the west coast.  As a matter of fact, I think 18/20 teams were from the East Coast with the exception of Notre Dame and Denver.  It doesn't seem like a terribly expensive sport to play, and it looks like it would be fun.  Why isn't this sport more popular in other areas of the US?
 
It's actually growing out there a lot...All the kids who can't make the football team finally have a sport to play.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

I was flipping the channels and came across the UVA-John's Hopkins lacrosse game...there was a top 20 poll, and there were no teams on the west coast.  As a matter of fact, I think 18/20 teams were from the East Coast with the exception of Notre Dame and Denver.  It doesn't seem like a terribly expensive sport to play, and it looks like it would be fun.  Why isn't this sport more popular in other areas of the US?
It's a decently expensive sport to play, similar to hockey.  Think about all the places where it's big in the US: Long Island, DC, New England.  I'm not sure how lax became so huge in the middle to upper class demographic but this is where most of the talent comes from.

I do know blacks in the DC area have taken advantage of the sport and have used it for admission to some heavy weight prep/private schools and gone on to play in college.  The lax coach at my high school (Loomis Chaffee) tried to get me to play but I was too consumed with soccer.  I regret not at least giving it a shot. 

  
 
Imagine if this sport was accessible to many public schools in urban areas? Whoa.....It would take some time to sell the sport to many of these kids, but I could see it potentially being a hit in a few years down the road. I think it's a spring sport, so you can have kids play football/basketball in the fall and winter and have another option for a physical sport come spring time....
 
Originally Posted by Ricardo Malta

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

I was flipping the channels and came across the UVA-John's Hopkins lacrosse game...there was a top 20 poll, and there were no teams on the west coast.  As a matter of fact, I think 18/20 teams were from the East Coast with the exception of Notre Dame and Denver.  It doesn't seem like a terribly expensive sport to play, and it looks like it would be fun.  Why isn't this sport more popular in other areas of the US?
It's a decently expensive sport to play, similar to hockey.  Think about all the places where it's big in the US: Long Island, DC, New England.  I'm not sure how lax became so huge in the middle to upper class demographic but this is where most of the talent comes from.

I do know blacks in the DC area have taken advantage of the sport and have used it for admission to some heavy weight prep/private schools and gone on to play in college.  The lax coach at my high school (Loomis Chaffee) tried to get me to play but I was too consumed with soccer.  I regret not at least giving it a shot. 

  
I'm sure it takes good skill, but if you're a good athlete already, the sport doesn't look too difficult for someone to pickup.  Even if you don't play the sport until your mid-teens, it seems like a good way to earn a college scholarship opposed to being lost in the #'s game in football or basketball.....
 
Also big in Jersey (Cherry Hill/Princeton areas). I'd love to see the sport spill over to the public schools and urban demographic.
 
It's getting bigger on the west coast, but not even close to how it is in Long Island/Upstate/Baltimore.

Denver is getting bigger so hopefully it spreads put west.

...

But it will be a while before it would ever get urban, just not the fields to play on and you would have to get kids to buy into it.

This has nothing to do with people not being able to make the football team. Different seasons, way more skill in lacrosse.
 
Malta....i just found this on youtube...check it out



looks REALLY interesting....

*1:09
pimp.gif
 
And in terms of scholarships, amazing amounts of schools give out money if you'll play for them.

One of the best ways to get into school around here. Kids this year and last year are going to great schools...Hopkins...Cornell
 
Originally Posted by SCuse7

It's getting bigger on the west coast, but not even close to how it is in Long Island/Upstate/Baltimore.

Denver is getting bigger so hopefully it spreads put west.

...

But it will be a while before it would ever get urban, just not the fields to play on and you would have to get kids to buy into it.

This has nothing to do with people not being able to make the football team. Different seasons, way more skill in lacrosse.

I think (not 100% certain)....but SU Alum, Jim Brown, is considered to be one of the greatest lax players of all-time.....

the more diversity in the sport the better....I'm seeing twin brothers on UVA (african amercian), who are playing really well for the Cavs....this is a great thing to see. 
 
Yea that's the league I remember reading about last year. I think it's great they're doing that for the kids. That's gonna open up SO MANY opportunities for college and beyond.

And you're right about the athelticism. The hand/eye coordination can be developed but you can't teach speed, balance, quickness, and power, which, stereotypes aside, black kids are full of. An attacker in lax is akin to a running back or wide receiver in the open field. You wanna line up as a linebacker and catch somebody coming across the field? That's what defensemen in lax do. It's extremely similar to hockey and soccer but also to some of the skill positions in football.
 
laugh.gif
some of my friends on the West Coast have never even seen people play lacrosse.

ts HUGE in the Baltimore area, mainly among rich white kids at private schools. i never really got into lax myself, but all the black dudes i knew who played in HS straight wrecked the competition and got scholarships to Georgetown, UNC, Maryland, Towson, Loyola, etc to name a few.

and DJs that vid looks interesting, watching it now
 
AMP....yeah, I think that's them (Bratton??)....

An attacker in lax is akin to a running back or wide receiver in the open field. You wanna line up as a linebacker and catch somebody coming across the field? That's what defensemen in lax do. It's extremely similar to hockey and soccer but also to some of the skill positions in football.


these reasons are why I think it could catch on in many urban areas...but it's all about the exposure. These kids are not going to seek out a lax coach and ask to play....the coaches have to go to them and showcase the sport. There's goal-scoring, hitting, extreme endurance, and other elements of skill that could appeal to these kids.

A lot of these kids are so fixated on hooping/football as far as getting into a school....exposing them to other sports like Lax, soccer, etc can open a lot of other doors of opportunity to not only play sports in college, but further their education for free or at a fraction of the cost. 
 
People always have this image that the kids who couldn't make the football team automatically play lacrosse, and while I'm sure that happens, there are plenty of great athletes in the game.

It's kind of like when people say it's easy to pick up and play soccer, since it's just "running and kicking", but there are a lot more skills involved than just running and throwing a ball in lacrosse. I've always thought it should be far more popular, the basic draw is pretty simple, it's hockey on grass essentially. For the kids who play football, you still get to run, juke, and hit somebody, plus they give you a metal stick to do it with.

Problem is it can be costly, stick, helmet, pads, gloves, all add up in price. Not to mention you need a decent amount of people as well as a goal. So you won't be running a lot of lax pick up games as a kid or growing up, that option just doesn't really exist unless you make an effort to get involved in the sport. Plus in urban areas it's just near impossible to draw kids away from football and basketball. Look how difficult it's been for baseball to bring in African-Americans, and that's one of the biggest sports in the country. So lacrosse probably won't get any bigger any time soon unfortunately.
 
There used to be a team for my local park in San Francisco, was gonna play but i was playing baseball at the time and wouldnt have time. Also San Fran used to have a Pro Lacrosse team, Dragons.
 
Originally Posted by Big J 33

People always have this image that the kids who couldn't make the football team automatically play lacrosse, and while I'm sure that happens, there are plenty of great athletes in the game.

It's kind of like when people say it's easy to pick up and play soccer, since it's just "running and kicking", but there are a lot more skills involved than just running and throwing a ball in lacrosse. I've always thought it should be far more popular, the basic draw is pretty simple, it's hockey on grass essentially. For the kids who play football, you still get to run, juke, and hit somebody, plus they give you a metal stick to do it with.

Problem is it can be costly, stick, helmet, pads, gloves, all add up in price. Not to mention you need a decent amount of people as well as a goal. So you won't be running a lot of lax pick up games as a kid or growing up, that option just doesn't really exist unless you make an effort to get involved in the sport. Plus in urban areas it's just near impossible to draw kids away from football and basketball. Look how difficult it's been for baseball to bring in African-Americans, and that's one of the biggest sports in the country. So lacrosse probably won't get any bigger any time soon unfortunately.
The thing with lax is that it's easier to get a pick up game going/toss the ball around than hockey is, which is half the battle.  I remember in high school dudes who weren't even on the lax team throwing the ball around on the quad all year round.  The thing is, it's the "preppy" culture.  You won't see two black dudes in brooklyn out there with sticks throwing the ball around because it's foreign.  That's why I applaud what they're doing in the DC area and getting these kids acquainted with lax.
You're right, it won't get bigger any time soon but the gears are in motion in certain places.  Hopefully the MLL (Major League Lacrosse) continues to grow and pick up speed because it's a pretty fun league to follow. 
 
Berkley High in the bay was one of the only schools I knew of that had a lax team. no clue who the hell they played though.
 
Jim Brown was great, changed the rules because of him. He was from LI, Brattons are too. Huntington I think.
 
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