In early February, a parent mentioned the idea of a Lacrosse Club at a meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Pushing past concerns that it would interfere with other spring sports, the club was started within a week by parent Mark Whitney, and teachers Andy Cunningham and Brooke Wells.

The club meets every Monday and Wednesday, offering a less competitive athletic opportunity to eight high-school and six middle- and lower-school students. 

Only a few of the members have played the sport before, but all three coaches—Cunningham, Wells, and Whitney—have years of experience.

Whitney started playing at age 12, and Wells began in fourth grade. 

Wells played throughout high school and was then recruited to play for Haverford College. 

He has also coached middle-school and high-school club teams for three years in Santa Rosa.

Cunningham also has previous coaching experience. 

“I first got into lacrosse at around 11 or 12 when my dad brought some sticks home. I played all four years of high school and then two years in [a club] in college. I then coached for a year in the Bay Area,” Cunningham said.

Unlike the coaches, few members of the team have played before. Those with previous experience were relieved to have a place where they can enjoy the sport. 

“I love playing lacrosse. It’s good to finally have a chance to play it with other people,” freshman Cabot Jackman said.  Jackman played in Baltimore and for club teams in Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills. 

Wells describes lacrosse as “hockey without ice” because the rules are similar.

Lacrosse starts with a face-off and field layout is almost identical to hockey.

Like hockey, lacrosse allows players to take the ball behind the goal while attempting to score. 

Wells enjoys hockey and lacrosse more than other sports because of the physical contact.

A defender may hit an opposing player above the belt with his hands or shoulders as long as the opposing player possesses the ball.

That’s why the 10-player teams on each side wear gloves, shoulder pads, and helmets, in addition to wielding long sticks with netting on the end. 

The player moves with the ball in the netting, and passes or shoots the ball by swinging the stick.

A unique aspect of lacrosse is cradling, rapidly rotating the stick while the player runs. Rotating controls the ball and protects it from the defender. 

The members and coaches agree that the cradling aspect of the game has given new players the most trouble. 

Goals are scored in a manner similar to hockey. The player with the ball must shoot past a goalie to get the ball into the net and score one point. 

Ties are usually ended with sudden death, with four-minute sessions of play until either team can score the next winning point.

“The skill set is hard. It’s a combination of basketball and football. It’s a [mental] game, but there’s also a physical contact element to it,” Wells said.

Wells noted that the mental and strategic aspects of the game are comparable to basketball. Man-to-man defense is a commonly used strategy in both lacrosse and basketball.  

Cunningham said that the team has progressed rapidly in few practices. 

One of the primary concerns for the team is numbers. The club is new, and as a result they need more players.

“We’re working on becoming a team,” Wells said. “After a few more players join—three more— we hope to start competing.”

There are no varsity  or junior varsity teams organized in the school’s league, so if the team were to play competitively, it would be as a club sport. 

Mark Whitney encourages more people to join while most of the players are on the same level.  

“We have an array of skill levels and it’s not too late for new players, even those without prior experience, to join.

The six middle-school members have been playing a large role in practices.

When it comes time for the team to play games, the middle school members might have an opportunity to participate.

“We’re not really sure [what the younger kids are going to do]. If we’re doing a club team, we may be able to include them in it,” freshman Richard Whitney said.