Like Kevin Flynn, I like maps too. And, I like Kevin Flynn's idea for growing the game in more remote areas. Let's take a look at Flynn's idea and see how we can apply it to Minnesota.
Outside the Twin Cities Metro area, where 85% or about 71 of our total of 84 boys teams in the state reside, Minnesota is a big state as well. With a total of 84 boys lacrosse teams in the State of Minnesota, you could say we're doing pretty darn good here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. In fact, of states with lacrosse west of the Mississippi River, only California with 245 teams (Texas has 82 and Colorado has 66 school sanctioned teams) has more lacrosse programs than Minnesota. But, with some relatively large cities and towns in Minnesota with almost no idea what lacrosse is, much less programs there, we can always do better.
Let's take a quick look at what Kevin Flynn is proposing to do for lacrosse in the Big Sky country of Montana. Despite the spread out nature of cities and towns in Montana, Flynn believes if Montana can make football work for these spread out communities, lacrosse will work too. He sees lacrosse fields everywhere.
By the end of this year, Flynn is planning to arrange and host lacrosse clinics at
50 high schools across Montana. He'll bring a few well known friends along, teach whoever shows up and hopefully leave one or two people in each community with the inspiration to start their own team. He'll have a team of game growers from across the state to help and enlist the support of the larger lacrosse community. He'll bring in some big names, give away some cool stuff and bring the infrastructure to communities so they can get started. With passion like this, I think he can get it done.
So, now let's take a look at Minnesota. Where can we most likely grow the game here in Minnesota where it isn't already being played? Let's first break it down into
large (population 10,000+), medium (6,000 - 10,000) and small towns (less than 6,000) where we might be most likely to grow the game of lacrosse in Minnesota. Let's also break it down into cities North of the Twin Cities and those South (using Highway 12 as the dividing line).
North:
Large Communities (7): Hibbing/Chisholm, Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Cloquet/Esko, Alexandria, North Branch, Virginia/Eveleth (Iron Range)
Medium Communities (8): Thief River Falls, Detroit Lakes, Little Falls, Crookston, Litchfield, International Falls, Morris, Montevideo
Small Communities (10): Wadena, Two Harbors (North Shore), Cook County, Ely, Hinckley, Mora, Cambridge, Princeton, Baudette, Walker
South:
Large Communities (11): Winona, Austin, Faribault, Willmar, Albert Lea, Red Wing, Marshall, New Ulm, Worthington, St. Peter
Medium Communities (5): Waseca, New Prague, Stewartville, Kasson, Glencoe
Small Communities (5): Redwood Falls, Cannon Falls, LaCrescent, Pipestone, Fairmont
Some of these communities may combine with other communities to form lacrosse associations and collaborate. However, especially in the larger communities shown above, these are likely communities with enough youth to support a thriving lacrosse community with the right motivation. Just focusing on the large communities and a couple medium sized communities in the North and the large communities in the South would be a great place to start.
Pick 25 total in the state and start there.
Hibbing/Chisholm, Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Cloquet/Esko, Alexandria, North Branch, Virginia/Eveleth (Iron Range), Thief River Falls, International Falls, Crookston, Morris, Detroit Lakes, Cambridge, and Princeton in the North and
Winona, Austin, Faribault, Willmar, Albert Lea, Red Wing, Marshall, New Ulm, Worthington, and St. Peter in the South. This would spread the game much further than its current boundaries. Minnesota Native American communities are also growing the game and are locations that we can look to spread the game of lacrosse across the state.
The hope is that, like wildfire, once it catches on in one community it continues to spread until the entire state is populated with youth and high school lacrosse programs. Just like the effort going on in Montana, we CAN make this happen here.
The Minnesota lacrosse community is a thriving one. If any state can make this happen, we can. With organizations like
Homegrown Lacrosse which works to grow the game in Minnesota and provide lacrosse opportunities and the
Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MBSLA) which helps communities get started with club lacrosse programs before moving up to the state high school league, Minnesota has leaders that can make this happen. The
Minnesota Swarm have also been active in growing the game of lacrosse in Minnesota particularly in the Native Communities.
Let's all say we've got it pretty good here, but we can make it even better. Here's to growing lacrosse in the Land of 10,000 Lakes!
