NEENAH (NBC 26) — A modern sport has entered the WIAA lexicon.
For the first time, the state’s high school sports governing body is sponsoring boys and girls lacrosse this spring.
Neenah High School has had a club lacrosse team for decades, but coaches and players believe this is a modern opportunity to raise the sport’s popularity.
- WIAA lacrosse will feature 40 boys teams and 36 girls teams in the sport’s inaugural season this spring.
- While this sport is modern to the WIAA, it is nothing modern to high schools; club teams have competed in the state tournament sponsored by the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation since 2003.
- Members of the Neenah varsity team see the move to the WIAA as an opportunity to grow this emerging sport.
- The state lacrosse championships will be June 8 in Sun Prairie.
Everything is more or less business as usual in Neenah this spring.
“Now we’ll go to the WIAA state tournament and hopefully win a trophy at the WIAA state championship,” Neenah head coach Eric Marsh said. “But from our perspective and how our athletes are treated and how they do it, it’s not really any different.”
Marsh has been coaching high school lacrosse for 15 years; he started in Appleton and moved to Neenah before last season.
“Here at the school, it’s been treated the same as any other college sport for a long time,” Marsh said. “The tradition here is quite deep.”
Historically, the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation has administered high school competition, sponsoring the state championship since 2003.
The modern entry into the WIAA is seen as an opportunity for growth.
“It’s always been kind of a little sport in Wisconsin,” Neenah senior Benjamin Carey said.
“There’s really a lot of talent here. It is currently unused,” Carey added. “A lot of guys don’t realize it yet, but in four years they could be in the same situation as me.”
Carey became interested in the sport in fifth grade. He now attends the University at Albany on a lacrosse scholarship.
“In my opinion, lacrosse is the best sport in the world,” Carey said. “It’s great fun and you can play it literally anywhere. Everyone has the same opportunities. I think once it becomes a WIAA sport it will start to grow more.”
There are currently 40 high school boys teams in the state. That number is expected to grow, and Carey said it starts with the youth movement.
“I personally would sell it to young kids,” he said. “There is a huge youth population in Neenah in Appleton in the Green Bay Area. This is huge. And I think if you can sell it to these young guys, it will grow.
“I think it’s just going to take more exposure to the game,” Marsh said. “Bringing it to people and putting it in front of their eyes so they can say, ‘Hey, this is a really cool sport. It’s a really cool sport.”
Several teams have already started their seasons. Neenah plays its first game of the year on Saturday at Neenah High School against Franklin.
