Pop in your mouth guard, snatch a long-handled netted stick, and lock in…it’s time to play the fastest game to be played on two feet: lacrosse.
First created by Native American tribes as a way to distract British soldiers from capturing Fort Michilimackinac during the French and Indian War, lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. According to Berkhamstead Sports, “the rules of lacrosse were created in 1794, when a game between the Seneca and Mohawks (tribes) was played.” Later in the 1800s, the French picked up the sport, civilizing the game and utilizing the raw competition as a way to “toughen up the young men for war.” In modern day, however, lacrosse is more than a wartime distraction or training regime for lads lacking tenacity. For kids across the nation and for our very own in Hardin County, lacrosse is an inclusive outlet for athletes to grow on and off the field.
In years prior, the local lacrosse team many know, love, and support has not been sanctioned by Central Hardin High School nor received school funding or promotion. Some have argued that they should not be considered a team at all, but rather a ‘club.’ Right now, their players are a conglomeration of athletes from Central, North, and John Hardin. This is atypical, and naturally, has brought many mixed emotions and hesitancy to join.
“I’d say one disadvantage is that North and Central have always had a bigger rivalry and so, I’m not saying that affects team spirit, but…that takes away from the competitive drive of it,” senior lacrosse player Ian Fogle explained.
Without the natural separation between the Bruins, Trojans, and Bulldogs, the team’s lacrosse only competition is Elizabethtown and the various teams from Louisville schools. Many of these Jefferson County teams have been playing for decades with state-of-the-art resources, leaving us at a great disadvantage when game day comes around. It has been a long-time battle in trying to find fair matchups that reflect our own expertise and skill.
“If other schools like John and North got teams as well, we would compete better,” senior lacrosse player Hannah Wise said.
Another key implication on the team’s success has been the subpar conditions for practice and training. The land plot allotted for our teams has no field lines or grid, often confusing the players when trying to plan out spacing arrangements or positional responsibilities. Furthermore, the practice area is split in half to accommodate both the boys’ and girls’ teams, leaving them with a fraction of true field size to spread out on.
“We used to practice at the sports park, but we don’t have that anymore. It got too expensive, so the fields we play on are real rough,” Wise explained. “The ground will be uneven and you can roll your ankle, it sucks.”
But no matter the conditions and limited resources, the people and team based environment have made it worth sticking around for veteran players like Wise and Fogle.
“I joined lacrosse because, when I was in eighth grade, my sister was friends with people on the lacrosse team and I would always hang out with her because I was an annoying little brother and wanted to be around her constantly,” Fogle recounted. “Those guys had a really big impact on my life and they continue to have that impact today.”
Brotherhood – that common interest, order, and love for his teammates – is what fueled Fogle forward when times were tough. The laughs, strategies, and sweaty handshakes shared are the niche experiences an exterior presence can only hope to understand. There is a feeling of intimacy in lacrosse, as there is intimacy in so many sports recognized by Central. It is time that the boys with sticks in hand are given the support they so deserve.
Similarly, the sisterhood of the traveling lacrosse team has shown the young women like Wise how beautiful athletics can be. When talking with her, Wise reflected on her long-time desire to participate in sports, but realizes that the thing that held her back was how nearly every athlete she knows has been training since they were little. She felt like starting something like softball would be pointless, as she would never be able to catch up. However, with lacrosse it was different. Every member of the team was new to the sport and joined out of a desire for community; it was seemingly the perfect environment for Wise to thrive.
“I gave it a shot, loved it, loved the team… everybody’s inclusive…and it brings you together with people you never really thought you’d be friends with…it’s nice,” Wise said with a smile. “They’ve changed my life completely.”
It is undeniable that the bonds between the players are strong – with everyday carpooling and communal effort to keep the games going – but they are eager and looking for new individuals to join. There are no limits to how large a family these brother and sisterhoods can build.
There have been rumblings from KHSAA that lacrosse may be sanctioned as an official school sport at Kentucky in the 2024-25 school year. For the players rising in the program, this is promising news, and will hopefully answer their pleas for not only more participation, but also much needed funding.
Now and in years prior, the lacrosse team has remained extremely conservative with expenses, savoring every last cent of money they receive in donations. Without the ability to bus as needed, players and parents carpool to and from competition locations to save gas. They have also settled for cheap, poorly-fitting jerseys to avoid draining the bank account. Recently, the group took fundraising into their own hands by going door-to-door, explaining their situation, and asking families in their neighborhoods for contribution. In these dire efforts, they raised around $4,000.
The teams’ lacrosse players both young and old, male and female, are eager to see the introduction of lacrosse into the array of school-sanctioned activities. Their passion, drive, and love for the sport is worthy and deserving of funding, promotion, and recognition. The journey to this moment has been no easy trek. As Wise said herself, “It’s a little rough, but we make it work.” However, just because these athletes are willing to put up with inferior circumstances doesn’t mean they should have to.
Athletes of all varieties, from soccer, to swim, archery, basketball, golf, and lacrosse, cannot continue to grow without the support of the Bruin community. They need our praise, pride, presence, and payment to advance in skill and success. Look how far these young men and women have come with their sticks standing solemnly in the shadows. Now just imagine what they will achieve with these same sticks set stoically in stone…
