Big Changes in MBSLA in 2012

The 2012 lineup of teams in the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MBSLA) looks decidedly different than 2011. The MBSLA is a lacrosse league composed of club lacrosse teams that are not sanctioned varsity sports by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) at their respective schools. The MBSLA has recognized state champions in lacrosse since 2004, two years before the MSHSL sanctioned lacrosse as an official varsity level sport.  The MBSLA also runs the spring leagues for 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and JV level teams throughout the entire state, including teams that presently participate in the MSHSL.

In another great sign of the growth of the sport of lacrosse in Minnesota, there will be 26 teams competing in the MBSLA in 2012 up from 20 in 2011.  Nine new club lacrosse teams will be participating in the 2012 MBSLA lacrosse season.  This is a great indicator that lacrosse is growing throughout the State of Minnesota.  To emphasize this point, most of the new teams come from areas outside the traditional hotbed of the Twin Cities metro area.

Grand Cities lacrosse players after scrimmage with Fargo

In the North, the new teams include Grand Cities and Proctor.  Grand Cities is made up of players from Grand Forks, ND and East Grand Forks, MN including surrounding communities.  The new Grand Cities team has shown impressive organization and they look to be building their program quickly.  They also have the distinction of being the furthest north and most remote lacrosse team in the MBSLA and state.  The new Proctor team sprouted quickly after a large group of inspired students decided they wanted to form their own team in the Duluth, MN area.  The team now has a coach and a schedule and they are preparing for their first season of club lacrosse in the MBSLA.

In the East, traditional athletic powerhouse Cretin-Derham Hall (Joe Mauers alma mater) makes their entrance onto the Minnesota lacrosse scene.  Cretin-Derham Hall will begin their first season of lacrosse under the direction of experienced lacrosse coach Pat Donaghy.  Henry-Sibley moves from the East conference to the South.

In the South, Henry-Sibley comes in from the East, St. Louis Park comes in from the West, and two new teams make their first foray onto the lacrosse scene.  Waconia, with youth lacrosse teams already participating in youth leagues, will now field their first MBSLA high school lacrosse team.  Northfield also makes their entrance onto the Minnesota lacrosse scene with their first MBSLA team in 2012.

St. Louis Park vs. Hastings 2011

The West conference will see the most growth in 2012 with 4 new lacrosse teams coming on the scene.  St. Michael-Albertville will field their first high school level lacrosse team in 2012.  In 2011, St. Michael-Albertville participated in the MBSLA middle school season.  Rogers will be participating in their first MBSLA season in 2012.  Rogers has also had youth level lacrosse teams participating in the Youth Lacrosse Minnesota leagues.  Becker will be fielding their first MBSLA team in 2012.  The fourth new team in the West conference will be Providence Academy.  2012 will mark Providence Academy's first participation in organized competitive lacrosse.  St. Louis Park, last years state runner-up, will move from the West conference to the South.

While 9 new teams entered the MBSLA, two teams left for the MSHSL for the 2012 season.  Both Orono and Hastings will be fielding their first sanctioned varsity level teams in 2012.  The only other change in the MSHSL in 2012 will be the separation of Eastridge and Park.  Park will now field their own MSHSL team this season.  With the additions of Orono, Hastings and Park, the MSHSL will now have 57 teams.  The only other change in the MBSLA is the elimination of Centennial's club team.  Centennial will still be fielding a varsity level MSHSL team.

Exciting things are happening in lacrosse in Minnesota as the sport continues its meteoric growth in the state.  It will be exciting following the new MBSLA teams this season and also watching Orono and Hastings, two former MBSLA teams, compete in their first MSHSL seasons in 2012.

Instructional Video of the Week: Basic Keys to Shooting

Ben Hunt's basic keys to shooting:

Bulldogs Getting Ready for 2012 Season

From Bulldogs Lacrosse website:

Duluth, MN -- After finishing the 2011 regular season with a 7-8 record (4-1 in the UMLC conference) and winning their 14th UMLC title, making their 10th appearance in the MLCA tournament, the University of Minnesota-Duluth men's lacrosse team will take it to the road once again for another highly competitive season.

The 2012 Bulldog schedule includes five UMLC in-conference match-ups and seven out of state non-conference teams. The out of conference game matches the Bulldogs against seven teams who also took part in the 2011 national tournament. In the preseaon rankings, the Bulldogs are currently ranked at #15.

"This schedule is a high-level schedule. Not only will we get to see some great out of conference competition, but we are also looking forward to another season of great UMLC lacrosse," said the Bulldogs Head Coach Frank Clark.

The University of Minnesota Duluth opens their regular season with UMLC conference match-ups before heading west to California. The season officially starts on February 18th against Marquette University at Vandais Sports Center and taking on Iowa State Univeristy on February 19th.

The following weekend on February 25th, the Bulldogs will face off against the Unversity of Minnesota. In 2011, the teams met twice. It was a close match-up in last year's regular season game with the Bulldogs losing 8-7 in overtime to the Gophers. The Bulldogs returned the favor with a decisive 11-6 victory in the UMLC Championship game.

The Bulldogs will make a repeat trip to the Husky Dome against St. Cloud State University on March 3rd. In the 2011 season, the Bulldogs beat the Huskies 24-4.

Next, the Bulldogs find themselves on the road to California for three matches starting on March 10th. First, they'll play against Cal Poly (#7), followed by Chapman University (#3), and then University of California Santa Barbara (#12).

Matt Madden, Sr. Midfielder

March 17 will pit the Bulldogs against defending National Champion Bringham Young University (#1) for what is to be an intense rematch after the 2011 season where the Bulldogs lost to BYU in Provo 11-10.

Their travels will continue on in March when the Bulldogs find themselves in Arizona to match up against Arizona State University (#2) on March 23, and then University of Colorado (#11) on March 25th.

Coach Clark commented "March will no doubt be a challenge, but one we are looking forward to."

On April 1st, the Bulldogs will be back in Minnesota, but this time in the Twin Cities, as they face off against Mankato State University.

The Bulldogs will round off their regular season with a home game in Duluth, Minn., on home turf against the University of Illinois on April 15th.

Get Creative When Working on Your Stick Skills

Get creative when you're working on your stick skills... Check out this crazy cool video featuring lacrosse legend Mikey Powell...

Great Night for Northern Minnesota Lacrosse

In the first ever winter indoor lacrosse games in Northern Minnesota, the NorthCoast Indoor Lacrosse League kicked off its inaugural season last night.  Six teams are competing in the 8 game winter indoor lacrosse season.  The 8 game regular season will be followed up with playoffs and the first ever NILL Championship to be played on March 25.  Two teams from Grand Rapids and 4 teams from Duluth are competing in this first season of NILL play.

Game 1 action

Opening night proved to be a success with 3 exciting games of lacrosse.  In game 1, Team 2 - Halver defeated Team 4 - Grand Rapids 18-5 behind a flurry of goals from Matt Reeves and Cooper Carlson, each notching 5 goals.  Mitch Smerz added 3 goals and Britton Harris scored a pair for Team 2.  Steve Halver, Zack Galo and Andrew Martin each added a goal.  Goalie T.J. Vallie stopped 8 shots.

For Team 4 - Grand Rapids, goalie Tyler Altringer withstood a flurry of shots stopping 16 in the process.  Joey Keating notched a hat trick for Team 4 with three goals.  Doug Jensen and Ben Dunnell each added a goal.

Game 2 action

In game 2, Team 6 - Free Agents took on Team 5 - Grand Rapids.  In a game that was tied at halftime, the Free Agents pulled away in the second half to win 14-9.  The Free Agent team, comprised of several former UMD Bulldogs lacrosse players, displayed some crisp passing before putting the ball in the back of the net on a more regular basis in the second half.

In the first half, the scrappy and talented Team 5 - Grand Rapids team played very well and kept the game close.  Team 5 was led by Christian Higginbotham who notched 3 goals.  Ben Dunnell and Joey Keating scored 2 goals and Zach Smith and Jace Martientto added a goal apiece.

The Free Agents were led by Scott Wishart and Brandon Gilseth each scoring 3 goals.  Bobby Moore added two goals, both beautiful behind the head shots that found the back of the net on consecutive goals.  In a display of depth, 6 other players added a goal apiece.  Matt Kampmeyer, 8th grader Gage Kuhlmey, Matt Koppang, Brandon Nispel, Steve Lokken and Alex Rogers all scored one goal for the Free Agents.  Goalie T.J. Vallie stopped 8 shots.

In the final game of the night, the young Honey Badgers team comprised primarily of 9th graders with one 8th grader and an old guy took on Team 3 - Wieczorek, both Duluth teams.  In a game that stayed close most of the night, Team 3 prevailed 11-8.

Team 3 was led by Brody Carlson and Kyle Limoseth, both notching 3 goals apiece.  Jimmy Bendas and 8th grader Silas Wieczorek each added 2 goals apiece and Mike Nowicki added 1 goal.

Game 3 Action

The Honey Badgers were led by Jesse Larson and old man Andy Holak, both with 2 goals.  Beau Holappa, 8th grader Bryce Holak, Zack Zierden, and Dan O'Connell each added a goal.  Zierden also added two assists.  Goalie Mike Vuchetich stood tall in the goal for the Honey Badgers making 12 saves on the night.

All in all, it was a great night for lacrosse in Northern Minnesota.  Here's to many more winter lacrosse games in Northern Minnesota in the future!

Easton Lacrosse Danielle Spencer's Motivation

Really like this motivational video from Easton Lacrosse featuring Northwestern and Team USA's Danielle Spencer.

2011 College Lacrosse Highlights

Best MLL Goals of 2011

Some highlights of the best goals from the 2011 MLL professional lacrosse season.  Start getting primed for indoor lacrosse!

Lavin Lacrosse to Sponsor NorthCoast Indoor Lacrosse League

The NorthCoast Indoor Lacrosse League (NILL) is happy to announce a partnership with Lavin Lacrosse.  The NILL is a winter indoor lacrosse league in Duluth, MN geared to provide offseason lacrosse opportunities for area high school players.  Lavin Lacrosse is a complete lacrosse supplier in Rosemount, MN.  Lavin is one of Minnesota's only lacrosse specialty stores selling a full line of lacrosse gear and providing custom team uniforms and apparel.  Lavin also supports the growth of lacrosse in the state and offers several excellent lacrosse camps including the well regarded UMD Bulldogs Lacrosse Camp in Duluth.

Lavin will be helping with league jerseys/pinnies and providing discounts on lacrosse gear to all league participants.  The NILL is encouraged by Lavin's presence and is looking forward to a very successful first season.

Duluth-Superior Chargers Revamp Coaching Staff

To keep up with the growth of the sport of lacrosse in the Duluth area, the Duluth-Superior Chargers board of directors opened their coaching positions to new coaches and revamped their coaching staff and structure.  The coaching search brought several new and qualified coaches to the interview process.

New Chargers head coach Scott Wishart #17

After an extensive coaching search and review, the Chargers are happy to announce Scott Wishart as their new head varsity coach.  Wishart comes from the successful UMD Bulldogs lacrosse program and brings a strong lacrosse i.q. and tireless work ethic.  He was a high scoring attackman during his time with the Bulldogs and will maintain the UMD system that has been operating for the Chargers over the last several years.

Along with Wishart, the Chargers hired Matt Koppang, another former UMD Player, to be the head JV and 9/10 coach and first assistant to the head coach.  Koppang has been on the Chargers staff for the past 2 years and brings solid experience and teaching to the long poles and defenseman.

Mike Feldstein has been hired to direct the Chargers middle school program that includes 7/8 and 5/6 teams for the 2012 season.  Feldstein brings several years experience coaching a high level 7/8 program for the Northwest Lacrosse Club and is a former attackman for the Arizona Wildcats of the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference.

Two additional former UMD players were interviewed and will also be serving on the Chargers coaching staff.  Brandon Nispel, a former all-american midfielder for the Bulldogs will provide solid teaching and expertise for the midfielders.  Alex Rogers, a former attackman for the Bulldogs will also be helping with the Chargers varsity and JV programs.

The Chargers are also happy to have much of the coaching staff from last year returning to assist the varsity, JV and middle school coaches along with a couple of new coaches that will be assisting the program.  With the success of the coaching search, the Chargers board expressed their confidence that they now have the coaching staff in place to take the program successfully into the future with a strong varsity level presence as well as the valuable experience needed at the youth levels to build a strong foundation for the future.

Departing from the Chargers program is head coach Matt Reeves.  Coach Reeves has been a huge part of the success of the Chargers program over the last 5 plus years.  Taking over a program that had not won a game, Reeves took the program to a level of success not seen previously in northern Minnesota.  Last years Chargers team finished the season with an overall 7-3 record, losing to eventual state champion MontiQuois in the first round of the state playoffs.  The Chargers board expressed their appreciation for the commitment and efforts of Reeves during his tenure as the programs head coach.

Lacrosse Continues to Grow in Minnesota

From the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Amateur Update: Lacrosse continues to grow  

Posted: Dec 15, 2011, 5:15 am

By Ben Boldt

As the year winds to a close, the staff at the Sports Commission likes to take a look for new trends in the sports industry. One trend that has shown up the last few years is the growth of the sport of lacrosse. Not too many years ago lacrosse was a sport played primarily on the east and west coasts of U.S. and considered by many to be a minor sport. Well that view is no longer correct.

One of the sports industry’s noted authorities, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) shared in their 2011 report that lacrosse was America’s fastest growing sport in 2010 with an increase of 33 percent among frequent participants and an increase of almost 38 percent among all participants. The sport’s national governing body, US Lacrosse, also reported the number of organized lacrosse teams at 624,593 in 2010 which was a 10 percent increase over 2009.

As part of their mission US Lacrosse helps new programs get started and does so by sending out “New Start” kits that contain the basic info needed to get up and running. In 2010 US Lacrosse sent out 363 kits and has helped to start over 2,300 programs since 2004. Many of these new programs have been started in the Midwest where the popularity of lacrosse has grown at a rapid pace.

Just this month at the Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors meeting, a proposal was made to increase the number of state tournament-qualifying sections for boys and girls lacrosse from four to eight. This proposal was made to accommodate the growing number of schools who are adding lacrosse programs across the state. Rochester Area Lacrosse, which will open registration in February, has seen increased numbers in each of the organization’s first four years and fully expects growth again in 2011.

In response to this growth the Sports Commission is offering a new opportunity for teams in April 2012 with 2 tournaments that will be held at the Rochester Regional Stadium Bubble. Lacrosse teams still struggle to find sufficient field space for practice and games, especially youth teams who are passed over for their high school counterparts.

So the Sports Commission is putting these tournaments together with the youth and middle school teams in mind. These tournaments will be played in the great conditions of the climate-controlled bubble and allow teams the ability to get a jump on their spring season.

Lacrosse is a sport that certainly looks like it is not only experiencing strong growth but is here to stay for the long run! For more information on lacrosse in the Rochester area check out, www.rochesteryouthlacrosse.com.

Instructional Video of the Week: Lacrosse Catching Fundamentals

Great video from Tier Lacrosse on basic lacrosse catching fundamentals which supports the previous post about deep bag pockets creating bad habits in young lacrosse players.  This is one of the most basic of fundamentals, but is often where many bad habits can start and can have a very negative effect as the player grows.  This is especially important for Northern lacrosse players, many of whom I see snatching and twisting the ball out of the air when they catch.  This video emphasizes the importance of catching the ball with soft hands.  Just watching the first few minutes is very educational for young players.

Why a Deep Pocket Won't Make You a Better Player

How many young lacrosse players think a deep pocket in their lacrosse stick is the way to go?  Trevor Tierney, a former national champion goalie at Princeton and son of legendary college lacrosse coach Bill Tierney, suggests that a deep pocket encourages lots of bad habits in the young lacrosse player.  Tierney is the founder of Tier Lacrosse whose mission is to help grow the game of lacrosse and use the game as a way for young lacrosse players to grow and evolve as both athletes and as people. 

From Tier Lacrosse.

DEAR SANTA...I WANT A NEW STICK WITH NO POCKET

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 AT 6:09AM

One of the biggest problems that I see in youth lacrosse is that young players are learning to play with huge pockets. Here are the reasons why most youth players love having a bag in their stick and the disadvantages of each perceived "advantage" :

1. It's easier to catch the ball with a deep bag. While this is true, it also allows young players to develop bad habits while catching the ball. For instance, many players will "snatch" at the ball and twist their stick into the catch, instead of catching it behind their head. To see the best way to learn how to catch the ball, watch these two videos by Josh Sims and I : VIDEO I / VIDEO 2 .  As we display in those videos, the disadvantages of snatching the ball are numerous. Many times, the player usually drops the ball by spinning his stick and hitting it with the plastic, instead of giving with the ball in the pocket. Also, if you catch with your stick in front of your head, then it takes more time to bring it back for a pass or shot. To be able to get a quick shot or pass off, you need to be able to catch the ball behind your head and then you can get it out all in one motion.

2. Youth players must think the coolest part of lacrosse is cradling. The first thing I ever see with a beginning player is that he is cradling and spinning his stick wildly out of control, but the ball is still staying put because of the bag in his stick. The problem with the ball staying in the stick is that it makes it hard for that player to get it out for quick passes. This is wear youth players struggle the most. They may be able to throw a decent pass when they have all the time in the world in line drills or partner passing, but when they dodge in a game and a quick slide comes, they cannot get the ball out of their stick to save their lives! Being able to move the ball quickly is one of the most important aspects of the game. Youth players cannot do that with a huge bag or a lot of whip in their stick.

3. Youth, high school, college and pro players all do one thing very well - and that's because they all practice it ad nauseam - they can shoot great with time and room. They are all able to stand around a goal with no one on them, take a few cradles and LET IT FLY! The better players obviously can shoot it harder and into the corners more often than beginners, but anyone can shoot with time and room in lacrosse. Since this is the skill that players practice most often, what skill do you think they string their sticks geared towards? You guessed it…this certain time and room shot that happens maybe once a game. If you have a deep pocket and some whip, it definitely helps put some more heat on the ball. However, it hurts the players skills in the two other areas that I talked about above. It also makes them less effective shooting on the run, which is a much more important skill to have as a player gets to take that shot more often.

So youth players like having a big pocket because it makes it easy to cradle the ball and do stick tricks, to catch the ball in an ineffective manner, and to let it rip when no one else is in the same county as them. This is a bad way to learn to play lacrosse! If you go back and watch some college lacrosse from the nineties, you will see that the players had much smaller pockets. They also were able to cradle, catch, throw and shoot very effectively and quickly due to these smaller pockets. To find great lacrosse games on DVD, all you have to do is click on this link to Amazonand look up some of the NCAA Division I games from the nineties. You will be amazed by what you see and the skills that these players demonstrate are the perfect way for youth players to learn the game!

So, I want all youth players (especially my Denver Elite guys) to go get scissors, cut their pockets out and chuck them in the trash can. If you can string your own stick (which you should learn to do as a lacrosse player, by the way) then string up a nice new shallow pocket. If you cannot string up a stick, then take it to your local lax shop and have them string you up a shallow pocket with no whip. At this time of year, you can even ask Santa for Christmas (or your dear old grandma for Channukah) for a new stick (WITH NO POCKET SANTA…OR GRANDMA…GET IT RIGHT!). Better yet, you could also get a girls' stick to practice with which makes it even more challenging to learn these skills in the right way.

With all this being said, here are the steps you need to take to become a better player…and this goes for most of you high school players as well :

1. Get rid of that bag. I don't want to see it again until you get offered a scholarship by some big time NCAA program!

2. Go get a new stick with a shallow pocket.

3. Watch some game film from the nineties and study how those guys played back then.

4. Get out and practice with your new baby. It's going to be a lot harder to catch, throw and shoot, but that's okay. It's going to make you a MUCH better player!

Lacrosse. To be Successful...

New Winter Indoor Lacrosse League Forming in 2012!

The NorthCoast Indoor Lacrosse League (NILL) would like to announce it will begin play on Sunday January 8, 2012.  The NILL is an exciting new offseason lacrosse opportunity for Northern Minnesota lacrosse players in grade 9 and up.  Games will be fast paced, exciting and high scoring.

All games will be played at the new Pioneer Park indoor turf field at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC).  The season will consist of 8 games and playoffs will take place March 18, 2012.

The NILL is designed primarily for local high school lacrosse players to hone their lacrosse skills over the winter and have some fun while the fields are still covered with snow.  The NILL is intended to promote improvement of lacrosse skills, lacrosse I.Q. and stickwork.  The safety of all players participating in the league is at the forefront and league rules are designed to encourage safe play and improvement of lacrosse skills.

If you're interested in playing, please visit the NILL website for more information.  To register for the league, please go to the Registration page and complete the online registration form.

Looking forward to some fun lacrosse play this winter in Northern Minnesota!

Instructional Video of the Week: Off-season Speed Training

Nice video showing some good drills for lacrosse athletes to improve their speed and quickness during the off-season.

Wall Ball: Get in Your Touches!

Are you getting in your touches in the off-season? Have you played a lot of wall ball? This video will help you get in your touches. Always have a stick in your hand, you never know where the opportunity to get a little "wall ball" in will arise...

Amazing Video About the Roots and Power of Lacrosse

Watch this amazing video from Easton Lacrosse about the power and roots of lacrosse on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

Duluth-Superior Chargers to Offer 5/6 Grade Team for 2012 Spring Season

The Duluth-Superior Chargers Lacrosse Club is excited to announce to addition of a 5/6 grade lacrosse team that will compete in the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MBSLA) during the 2012 Spring season.  Building off the success of the summer YMCA youth league, the Chargers are hoping to provide more lacrosse opportunities for Duluth area kids interested in playing the sport of lacrosse during the Spring.  More details and a schedule are yet to be determined, but practice will likely start sometime towards the end of March 2012.  Most MBSLA 5/6 games are played on Sunday in a "Jamboree" format where teams travel to a site to play two games against two different MBSLA teams in one day.  MBSLA 5/6 seasons are generally 8 games in length with games starting around the 1st of May and ending around the end of May.  The season will likely require a commitment of 4 Sundays in May to complete the 8 game season.  Duluth is hoping to schedule two home games at Public Schools Stadium at Duluth Denfeld on one of those Sundays.

For more information about the MBSLA 5/6 league and information about the teams that participated in the 2011 season please visit the MBSLA website HERE

If you have any questions, please contact Chargers President Brad Mackinaw - jam127Bwm@aol.com - or Chargers middle school manager Andy Holak - trailrunners@gmail.com - for more information.

Duluth-Superior Chargers Varsity Coaching Position

The Duluth-Superior Chargers Lacrosse Club has opened the Varsity coaching position to new candidates for the 2012 season.  With the growth of lacrosse in Duluth the club is seeking to open all of its coaching positions to new applicants.  The Varsity job posting is below.  The club is also seeking JV and middle school coaches to fill out the staff.  All coaching candidates are welcome to apply.

Boys' Head Coach
(Varsity).  Deadline: November 30, 2011.

Position Description: The Duluth-Superior Chargers Lacrosse Club is currently seeking a boys varsity head coach for the 2011-2012 season.  The Chargers have been successful within the MBSLA. We are looking for the ideal coach to add to this success and take the program to the next level.  The Chargers are developing a quality youth feeder program and afford the promise of long-term success. We are in need of an experienced and principled coach to build upon the success of these programs.  This is a coaching-only position.
The ideal candidate will:
•    have lacrosse experience playing and/or coaching at the college level
•    possess strong player development, communication, organizational skills as well as a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the sport and team
•    be able to effectively motivate and develop both the novice and experienced player
•    be able to attract new athletes to the sport and be available for practices scheduled after school hours from March to the beginning of June
•    support an off-season program and camps to develop players and promote the sport within the schools
•    be active in and support the youth feeder program and develop a coach “mentoring” program through the youth levels
•    be able to attend all required athletic association meetings and events and participate in post season award honoring functions
•    work with the boys team managers for varsity and middle school on scheduling, uniforms and effective communication with players and parents
•    be able to train and assign team managers or staff to assist with game bookkeeping and statistics

Appointment: Part-Time, 5 months.

Contact for application and information:
Brad W. Mackinaw, President, 5114 Arnold Rd, Duluth, MN 55803
Phone: (218) 213-8891
E-mail: jam127bwm@aol.com

Team/school/org. site: http://www.duluthsuperiorlax.uslaxteams.com

Fall Ball in the North? Yes, Fargo to Play Grand Forks Predators!

Fargo Warriors to play Grand Forks Predators on Saturday, October 22

New Grand Forks Team to play Fargo Warriors in first-ever match-up of North Dakota high school teams

Fargo, ND, October 15.  The Fargo Lacrosse Club’s (FLC) high school lacrosse – www.fargolacrosse.org – will play the newly-formed Grand Cities high school lacrosse team – www.grandcitieslacrosse.org – as part of the College Lacrosse Showcase being held October 22 and October 23 in Fargo at the Pepsi Complex by Hector Airport.  The schedule is shown below.

FLC President Matt Noah stated, “The genesis of the Grand Cities club has been Tanner Lindstrom from East Grand Forks.  Tanner was a First-Team All-Conference player with the Fargo Warriors this past Spring.  Tanner’s father, Brent, has been instrumental in promoting lacrosse in the Grand Forks area.”  Both Grand Cities and Fargo plan to compete in the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MBSLA) – www.mnlaxhub.com - in 2012 after the Fargo Warriors competed successfully in the MBLSA in 2011.

Admittance is free.  The Warriors and Predators invite all area youth from elementary school to high school to witness the historic first match between the only two high school lacrosse teams in North Dakota.

vs Saturday, October 22, 12:30 pm

Saturday, October 22 10:00 am    - NDSU #1 vs. UND 11:15 am    - Univ of St. Thomas Alumni vs. MSUM Alumni 12:30 pm    - Fargo Warriors HS vs. Grand Forks Predators HS 1:45 pm      - NDSU #2 vs. UND 3:00 pm      - NDSU #1 vs. Univ. of St. Thomas Alumni 4:15 pm      - NDSU #2 vs. MSUM Alumni Sunday, October 23 10:00 am       - Univ. of St. Thomas vs. UND 11:15 am       - NDSU vs. MSUM

The The Fargo Warriors Varsity team is coached by Ben Fairbanks.

Making Lacrosse a School Sport in Shakopee

Lacrosse, a school sport?

by Kristin Holtz, Shakopee Valley News Shakopee Valley News

August 23, 2011

slideshow

Interest in lacrosse continues to grow in Shakopee, leading some to wonder when will Shakopee High School make it an official sport.

Jennifer Clarke of Shakopee Lacrosse spoke to the board about the sport’s growing popularity during Monday’s open forum. In its three years, the club has seen participation numbers increase from 24 boys on one junior varsity team to 87 male and female players on five teams.

This past spring, the girls won the NorthCentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association state championship.

The club is seeking permission to use an additional field by the Shakopee Junior High, as well as take advantage of school athletic perks, such as using the activity bus to transport freshman to the high school for after-school practice, allowing students to store equipment in sports lockers and including the varsity lacrosse teams in the high school yearbook.

The Shakopee School Board has talked about adding lacrosse to its athletic offerings after students showed high interest in a 2008 survey.

“With more students, it does look like the next logical activity to add,” Board Member Kathy Busch said.

Board members, however, are hesitant to agree to any new activity with tight finances. Chuck Berg noted the district just increased its class size targets.

“If our goal here is to educate students, if we had some extra dollars, that would be the first thing to do, to draw those class sizes down,” he said.

The board asked Activities Director John Janke to sit down with the lacrosse club and create a formal proposal for consideration.

Read more: Shakopee Valley News - Lacrosse a school sport

Lacrosse Brings Youth Together Across Cultures in Minnesota

Great article from the The Circle News

Lacrosse brings youth together across cultures

Saturday, September 10 2011

Written by Story by Art Coulson Photos by Tyler Isenmann,

It could have been a pitched battle of Eagles, fought swiftly and without mercy. But the lacrosse game played on a recent hot summer day between the Eagles of Prairie Island Indian Community and the Eagles of Apple Valley was a friendlier affair, pitting two teams who respected the other's sportsmanship and reverence for the Creator's Game.
In fact, the two groups of boys - separated by history, culture and geography - came together to play, not one team against the other, but on mixed teams playing for the love of the game.

The game, at a small park in suburban Burnsville, and the family picnic that followed was the idea of a group of Valley Athletic Association youth lacrosse players who were inspired by the Prairie Island team's sportsmanship when the two teams played earlier in the summer.

"We had a really, really good time [playing against Prairie Island]," said Adam Johnson, an Apple Valley eighth-grader and one of the organizers of the family get-together. "I wanted them to come here so that we could do something fun with them."

"My son came home after the first game and said, 'Mom, that was so much fun," said Tyler Isenmann, a professional photographer who has visited Prairie Island several times to shoot photos of the young players. "He was so impressed with their sportsmanship. There was no smack talk."

While many of the Apple Valley players have been playing lacrosse for several years, the Prairie Island team has been playing for about a year, said coach Brian Kimmell, Native American Coordinator for the Minnesota Swarm professional lacrosse team. The Prairie Island Lacrosse program was created by the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Swarm to promote the traditional American Indian sport among Native youth.

"Lacrosse is part of my heritage," said Evan Childs, a Prairie Island defenseman who became interested in the sport at a Swarm-sponsored summer camp. "This is really fun. I have been playing all summer with my cousins."

Last summer, the Swarm hosted the weeklong Lax-4-Life camp at Prairie Island to introduce the boys and girls on the reservation to the sport of lacrosse, the heritage of the game, health tips and life skills. It was modeled after an earlier camp held by the team at the Fond du Lac reservation near Duluth.
Last year the Swarm signed a partnership with the tribe's Treasure Island Resort & Casino that included a three-year commitment to develop youth lacrosse programs and gave the tribe exclusive naming rights to the Swarm's home playing field at the Xcel Center in St. Paul.

"We are honored to have the chance to teach Native youth the game of lacrosse," said Swarm Co-Owner and Vice President Andy Arlotta. "In doing so, we hope to rekindle the spirit and tradition of lacrosse on their reservation, while at the same time providing them with an active and healthy lifestyle alternative."

For its efforts in developing lacrosse programs for Native youth on the Fond du Lac and Prairie Island reservations, the Minnesota Swarm was recognized at the White House on July 11 during First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move in Indian Country initiative.

Kimmell, the Prairie Island coach, said the tribe plans to expand its seventh- and eighth-grade lacrosse program down to the fourth-grade level next year. He is also working with Red Wing High School to develop a program for the youth to play in as they grow older.

The youth will be practicing three to four days a week after school starts in preparation for the Swarm's Youth Box Lacrosse League this winter, Kimmell said.

The coach is also appreciative of the strong support he has received from tribal leaders.

"We play on an old buffalo field now," he said. "The tribal council plans to rip out the old dirt and grass and put in a proper field - with lights."

With the backing of the tribe and an intense cultural connection, the lacrosse program at Prairie Island is sure to grow and flourish.

"I think this will go on for years, probably," said Prairie Island ninth-grader T.J. Benway, a middie and defenseman. "I like to keep the tradition going. It's an honor to play this game."

For more information about youth lacrosse programs, visit the Minnesota Swarm web site at: mnswarm.com.

Photos courtesy of Tyler Isenmann, Caught in the Moment Photography, 612-382-2822. Check out more photos of the game at www.caughtinthemomentphotography.com.

See the Prairie Island Youth Lacrosse at: www.facebook.com/pages/Prairie-Island-Lacrosse/180924358599637.

Winter Lacrosse in Duluth? Pioneer Park Opening Soon!

Great news on the winter off-season lacrosse front.  The DECC will be opening Pioneer Park soon!  There is now a great opportunity to form winter off-season lacrosse leagues and practice lacrosse year round indoors.  Opportunities for an off-season 7 v. 7 lacrosse league and other leagues are presently being explored.  The obvious concern for interested users of the park will be how much rental time will cost.

The full article from the Duluth News-Tribune follows:

Indoor soccer, other sports coming to Duluth's Pioneer Park

People soon will be able to play soccer, baseball, lacrosse and other such warm-weather sports in comfort nearly year-round in Duluth. By: News Tribune staff, Duluth News Tribune

People soon will be able to play soccer, baseball, lacrosse and other such warm-weather sports in comfort nearly year-round in Duluth.

The indoor athletic turf used in the Duluth Heritage Center’s Seitz Arena in spring and summer now will be used in the DECC’s Pioneer Hall during the winter, it was announced today at a news conference in Seitz Arena.

“The Duluth Heritage Sports Center is providing the community an excellent service by continuing its programming in Pioneer Park,” Deb Messer, DECC Board of Directors President, said.

DECC Executive Director Dan Russell estimated the turf could see 800 hours of service a winter at Pioneer Park, as Pioneer Hall will be known when the turf is there. For direct access from the DECC parking lot, a new entrance to Pioneer Park is being built across from the William A. Irvin.

The Minnesota Vikings donated the 210-by-120-foot turf to the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland in 2008 for indoor youth activities. The Heritage Sports Center has managed the turf and its programming since then. But the turf only has been available for use from April to September, when ice is put down in Seitz Arena. The DECC will have the turf available from November to March.

Native American Youth Get Active at the Minnesota Swarm’s Lacrosse Camp

From the Let's Move website
Posted by Kevin Discepolo, Secretary’s Fellow for Youth in the Great Outdoors at the Department of the Interior on August 29, 2011

Building off of the commitments made at the July White House South Lawn Series lacrosse event, I was excited to hear about the success of the Minnesota Swarm’s 2ndannual Lax-4-Life camp. The National Lacrosse League’s team from the Land of 10,000 Lakes saw their enrollment double for this year’s camp, with nearly fifty 13-15 year old Native America youth attending. Seven different Tribal communities were present, including: Fond du Lac, Prairie Island, Oneida Nation, Little Earth, Lac Courte Orelles, Grand Portage, and Mille Lacs.

The five-day overnight camp was presented by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lax-4-Life co-founder Clint Letch and the Minnesota Swarm. In addition to lacrosse training and instruction, the camp also provided educational sessions on drug, alcohol, violence, and gang prevention, as well as diabetes and obesity awareness.

Photo Credit: Alec Schimke, MN Swarm

“With the curriculum this year, we tried to teach these kids the value of lacrosse as well as the heritage of the sport and what it means to them,” Swarm Director of Lacrosse Operations Kevin Dunnigan said. “But we also wanted to work on different community aspects such as nutrition and fitness. We hope these are skills they can take forward in their lifestyle.”

Minnesota Swarm co-owner Andy Arlotta and Clint Letch started the camp last year with the goal of providing Native American youth with a healthy lifestyle choice that they could take pride in.

“In the last two years, the program has grown,” Letch said. “This year we brought girls into the program, which I think is a huge asset to have as more and more women are being called on to leadership positions throughout reservations.”

“When we arrived in Minnesota a few years ago, we were surprised that lacrosse was not being played in the Native American communities,” Arlotta said. “It has been our goal to help return lacrosse to this community where it all started, and it's exciting and rewarding to see how fast it is growing through programs like Lax-4-Life."

Brookston Community Center Manager Bryan Bosto who hosted the camp, echoed Arlotta’s observations of the sports growth, “Two years ago there was no discussion of lacrosse in this community. To see the kids carrying around their sticks in December...practicing with themselves by throwing the ball against the wall…to me that’s the biggest impact I’ve seen in any sport. The general consensus used to be that lacrosse is an East Coast game, but it's not. It’s a traditional Native American sport.”

Photo Credit: Alec Schimke, MN Swarm

Commissioner George Daniel of the National Lacrosse League congratulated the Swarm, “We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication from the Minnesota Swarm. It is encouraging to see such an amazing alliance with community members to ensure the health and well-being of Native American youth. The Swarm has set the model as we look to do similar outreach in Native American communities with our other teams.”

WDIO.com - Duluth Summer Lacrosse

Nice news report from the WDIO Up North segment on August 10, 2011 about lacrosse in Duluth featuring the YMCA youth league and Tuesday night pick-up games for middle school, high school, college and adult players.

Video Highlights from the Bulldog Lacrosse Camp in Duluth

Day 1:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Day 2:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp Day 2! from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Day 3:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp Day 3! from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.