U.S. Lacrosse: Sport Continues to Expand in West

By Chris Goldberg
PhillyLacrosse.com

BALTIMORE – Overall expansion, especially in the West, was the talk this weekend at the annual U.S. Lacrosse National Convention held Friday and Saturday at the Baltimore Convention Center.

More than 5,000 coaches, officials and lacrosse enthusiasts attended the event, held in Baltimore for the second year in a three-year stretch. Friday night’s highlight was keynote speaker Lou Holtz, the former football coach at Notre Dame and now an analyst for ESPN.

Holtz spoke about setting goals and preaching good values. His message was that if you want to be happy for a lifetime, coach young people.

U.S. Lacrosse was pleased to note some impressive numbers on lacrosse participation in the United States. There were more than 524,000 lacrosse players in 2008 (2009 stats will be released in a month), an increase of 9.1 percent compared with 2007. Lacrosse remains the fastest growing team sport in the country, U.S. Lacrosse claims.

U.S. Lacrosse Director of Public Relations Colleen Aungst said the growth in lacrosse continues to spread throughout the West. She noted that a 63rd US Lacrosse chapter was recently launched in the Great Plains region.

“Obviously, the sport continues to grow exponentially,” Aungst said. “Every state is covered with a chapter, including Hawaii and Alaska. To have 9-to-10 percent growth is pretty significant; to do that every year is really significant. Most every other sport is either staying even or losing players.

“Attribute it to what you will; either the fast-paced action or the excitement of it. Also, the media is getting so involved. ESPN is doing 62 games and also Hollywood is picking it up – you’ve seen it in Beverly Hills 90210 and now two big movies, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Crooked Arrows.’”

Aungst said people no longer believe that only East Coast teams can win lacrosse championships. She mentioned the move of former Princeton coach Bill Tierney to Denver as a major boost to the western expansion.

“With the Outlaws doing as well as they’re doing, and Tierney moving out, there is a ton of powerhouse potential out west of the Mississippi,” Aungst said. “Hey, Kelly Amonte Hiller did it (winning the last five women’s NCAA Division I crowns at Northwestern); they are the first team off the East Coast that has won.”

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