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.