Writer: Chuck Cantrell
Face off . Pick. Pass. Slash. Trip. Shoot. And that's just the beginning.
Chattanoogans are catching lacrosse fever. Long in the shadow of more popular team sports such as football, basketball, and soccer, lacrosse enthusiasts believe their time has arrived.
"Lacrosse is booming in the South," says Troy Kemp, head lacrosse coach at the McCallie School. "Lacrosse is where soccer was a few years ago. An active community means more fans at games, more youth leagues, increased media coverage, and additional high school teams. Stores will also begin to carry lacrosse equipment."
In 2010, Chattanooga is ground zero for the lacrosse explosion in Tennessee. McCallie won its 10th Division I state championship-Kemp's seventh as head coach. Across town, Baylor School's fledgling program-the school has only competed in lacrosse for four years-won its first Division II state championship.
"I'm really proud of how far our program has come in such a short time," says Jon Bloom, head lacrosse coach at Baylor. "McCallie has had an active lacrosse community for some time, and it's great to see Baylor getting there. Now we're seeing other schools developing programs. Players just gravitate to the sport. If you offer it, students will play."
McCallie introduced its lacrosse program in 1989 and was the only team in Chattanooga for several years-Baylor had a program for a few years and then discontinued it in the 1990s before reviving the sport four years ago. "Our schools are rivals, but the McCallie staff was excited about the rebirth of the Baylor program," says Kemp. "It is great to have local competition and more fans at games."
Lacrosse blends elements of several sports-the constant up-court and downcourt action of basketball and soccer, the physical nature of football and rugby, and the behind-the-goal play and equipment similar to hockey.
One of the oldest team sports in America, lacrosse originated with Native Americans around the 12th century. Games were used as part of religious rituals, to resolve conflicts between tribes, and even to prepare for war. Lacrosse gained popularity with Europeans who settled in America and Canada. In 1867, Canadian dentist William George Beers codified the game.
Modern lacrosse was revolutionized in the 1970s with the introduction of plastic stick heads and balls. Today, shafts are made of high-tech materials such as titanium.
In 1994, Kemp and other lacrosse supporters founded the non-profit Chattanooga Lacrosse Summer League to grow the sport by providing an outlet independent of school affiliations. Kemp hoped to identify and energize potential coaches, officials, and former players in the community.
A grant to the league allowed Chattanooga Lacrosse to provide the basic equipment necessary to play so novices might try the sport before investing in what can become pricey equipment.
"Lacrosse is growing in popularity in part from the efforts of Chattanooga Lacrosse," says Kemp. "New programs have formed as a direct result of our camps. We sold sticks, held clinics, and offered summer camps for local kids who were interested in learning the game. We targeted elementary and middle school students.
"Many of our former campers attend various schools in Chattanooga. They allwanted to play lacrosse, but many of their schools did not off er a program. Once the critical mass was reached, a few schools started club teams."
Now besides Baylor and McCallie, Notre Dame and Signal Mountain field lacrosse teams. Programs are in various stages of development at Soddy-Daisy, Ooltewah, and Hixson high schools.
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga has an active club lacrosse team that represents the Mocs in intercollegiate competition against teams including Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky, MTSU, and Tennessee.
Several local schools off er girls lacrosse as well.
"Lacrosse brought me and my dad together," says Bloom. "I grew up playing catch and shooting on goal with my dad, and when we're together we still play catch. I am great friends with my teammates from high school and college.
"I love watching these young kids play the game and grow into great young men. Lacrosse teaches the boys how to compete, to play with sportsmanship, and to play unselfishly through a fun game. That hopefully will help them in whatever they do beyond high school."