Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Lacrosse: Why more people should/are coming around to the sport.

jhk451 · 06-02-2004, 02:11 AM

I know it's already been discussed a couple months ago, but i thought it deserved another thread.

Just to start off, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and catch a replay of the 2004 NCAA Championship game with Navy going up against Syracuse. You'll get a chance to see one of the greatest LAX players in NCAA history (Mike Powell) and you'll see what the sport is all about: hard hits, lots of scoring, and an exhibition in teamwork that rivals, if not bests, any sport.

I, myself, just got into the sport about a month ago. A couple of my friends played on my HS team, and I went to a couple of their games. I was immediately entralled by the game.

It also doesn't take long to get into it. Grab one of your friends' sticks (or go out and buy a cheap beginners sticks) and just throw and catch. It's addicting because it looks so easy, but in reality, takes some time to get used to.

While I understand the reasoning behind the argument that its not an "everyman" sport, I still disagree with the statement that it will never really catch on across the country. My HS (Harvard Westlake High School in Los Angeles, if you were curious) just recently made it an actual varsity sport this year, as did a couple other schools in the area, and the turnouts at the games are always surprising. Many kids are off to the side throwing or watching their older brothers duke it out on the field. Or just students going to support their school and buddies. That's how i got into the game. Saw it, tried it, got hooked.

This is the west coast we're talking about. From my understanding, it seems like LAX is quite widespread in the northeast. At this current pace, I would not be surprised if more and more kids started playing it and that it would be a successful sport in a decade or 2. The thing is is that neither the Major League Lacrosse nor the National League Lacrosse have enough quality players to make it exciting to watch. The NCAA kids tend to be better. In due time, this will change as more and more exciting players enter the leagues professionally and increase the overall quality of play. With the increased exposure of the sport comes increased participation in the youth population.

People might say, "Oh, it's similar to hockey and soccer, and that never caught on, so why is this any different?" Because it's fast-paced and high scoring. Add in the positives such as hard hits on defense and showboat moves that make people "ooh" and "aah" and you've got a goldmine of a sport on your hands.

Pick up a stick and throw with a buddy for a bit. You'll know what I mean. Anybody that's ever played the sport can vouch for me.

06-02-2004, 02:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
jhk451 Upright	Lacrosse: Why more people should/are coming around to the sport. I know it's already been discussed a couple months ago, but i thought it deserved another thread. Just to start off, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and catch a replay of the 2004 NCAA Championship game with Navy going up against Syracuse. You'll get a chance to see one of the greatest LAX players in NCAA history (Mike Powell) and you'll see what the sport is all about: hard hits, lots of scoring, and an exhibition in teamwork that rivals, if not bests, any sport. I, myself, just got into the sport about a month ago. A couple of my friends played on my HS team, and I went to a couple of their games. I was immediately entralled by the game. It also doesn't take long to get into it. Grab one of your friends' sticks (or go out and buy a cheap beginners sticks) and just throw and catch. It's addicting because it looks so easy, but in reality, takes some time to get used to. While I understand the reasoning behind the argument that its not an "everyman" sport, I still disagree with the statement that it will never really catch on across the country. My HS (Harvard Westlake High School in Los Angeles, if you were curious) just recently made it an actual varsity sport this year, as did a couple other schools in the area, and the turnouts at the games are always surprising. Many kids are off to the side throwing or watching their older brothers duke it out on the field. Or just students going to support their school and buddies. That's how i got into the game. Saw it, tried it, got hooked. This is the west coast we're talking about. From my understanding, it seems like LAX is quite widespread in the northeast. At this current pace, I would not be surprised if more and more kids started playing it and that it would be a successful sport in a decade or 2. The thing is is that neither the Major League Lacrosse nor the National League Lacrosse have enough quality players to make it exciting to watch. The NCAA kids tend to be better. In due time, this will change as more and more exciting players enter the leagues professionally and increase the overall quality of play. With the increased exposure of the sport comes increased participation in the youth population. People might say, "Oh, it's similar to hockey and soccer, and that never caught on, so why is this any different?" Because it's fast-paced and high scoring. Add in the positives such as hard hits on defense and showboat moves that make people "ooh" and "aah" and you've got a goldmine of a sport on your hands. Pick up a stick and throw with a buddy for a bit. You'll know what I mean. Anybody that's ever played the sport can vouch for me.