Opportunities to play lacrosse aren’t so very common in the Midwest. The sport, a mainstay on the athletic scene on the East Coast, has made it’s way to Leavenworth County though.
The Leavenworth Bulldogs offers athletes in grades 7-12 an introduction to lacrosse. The team owes its roots to Fort Leavenworth, where soldiers passing through with lacrosse backgrounds helped to spread the knowledge of the game and form the area team.
John Rainville, the newest coach of the Leavenworth County Bulldogs, is gearing up for the upcoming season. Last year the Bulldogs were undefeated in the state tournament and finished the season with a 12-3 overall record.
According to the National Governing Body of Lacrosse, it is the fastest growing team sport in America. Traditionally, lacrosse has been most popular in the Northeast, especially in the New England region. This is no longer the case with new leagues forming in the states of California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and now Kansas. Colleges, high schools and community organizations across the country are creating lacrosse programs which are attracting a growing number of players.
With preparation for the 2011 season already under way, Rainville is inviting new players to join the squad. The team plays at the junior varsity level, competing against teams from the Kansas City area. The season runs in the spring, with practices beginning in March and competition running through the middle of May.
Rainville, who has a son on the Bulldogs’ team, began coaching the after the former lacrosse coach relocated with the military.
“I knew nothing about lacrosse, until one day my son and wife spotted the team practicing at a local park,” he said.
Many of the players jump in the same way, being recruited out of area schools to come see what lacrosse is all about. Rainville said his dive into lacrosse has been a rewarding experience. He says he enjoys coaching the Leavenworth County team, and hopes that more people will recognize how useful it is in sports conditioning for other activities kids may be involved in.
“Lacrosse is a great conditioning sport for football players,” Rainville said.
Lacrosse is a sport of Native American origin that is played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled racquet called a lacrosse stick. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed to hold the lacrosse ball. Offensively, the objective of the game is to use the lacrosse stick to catch, carry and pass the ball in an effort to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal. Defensively, the objective is to keep the opposing team from scoring and to keep the ball out of their possession through the use of stick checking and body contact or positioning.
Although the personal equipment for lacrosse can be very expensive, Rainville and the parents of the team often have fundraisers to help parents offset the costs. All told, parents and players agree that the benefits to being on the Bulldogs team far outweigh the costs.
“Playing lacrosse has been a great experience and very impressionable for my kids,” said Theresa Hanningan, a parent of two of the team players.
With all interested players in the county on a common team, the Bulldogs draw from all the area schools.
“We are not associated with any of the local schools, which allows middle school and high school students throughout the community to join,” Rainville said.
Those interested in joining the team or just trying out lacrosse can join in on Bulldogs practice every Wednesday night at Ray Miller Park, 4301 South Fourth Street in Leavenworth, from 6-8 p.m. throughout the summer. The team is currently procuring equipment to allow prospective players to borrow equipment until they make a decision on whether or not to join the team. Anyone interested in donating lacrosse equipment to the Bulldogs should contact John Rainville at 913-683-0160.
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Opportunities to play lacrosse aren’t so very common in the Midwest. The sport, a mainstay on the athletic scene on the East Coast, has made it’s way to Leavenworth County though.
The Leavenworth Bulldogs offers athletes in grades 7-12 an introduction to lacrosse. The team owes its roots to Fort Leavenworth, where soldiers passing through with lacrosse backgrounds helped to spread the knowledge of the game and form the area team.
John Rainville, the newest coach of the Leavenworth County Bulldogs, is gearing up for the upcoming season. Last year the Bulldogs were undefeated in the state tournament and finished the season with a 12-3 overall record.
According to the National Governing Body of Lacrosse, it is the fastest growing team sport in America. Traditionally, lacrosse has been most popular in the Northeast, especially in the New England region. This is no longer the case with new leagues forming in the states of California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and now Kansas. Colleges, high schools and community organizations across the country are creating lacrosse programs which are attracting a growing number of players.
With preparation for the 2011 season already under way, Rainville is inviting new players to join the squad. The team plays at the junior varsity level, competing against teams from the Kansas City area. The season runs in the spring, with practices beginning in March and competition running through the middle of May.
Rainville, who has a son on the Bulldogs’ team, began coaching the after the former lacrosse coach relocated with the military.
“I knew nothing about lacrosse, until one day my son and wife spotted the team practicing at a local park,” he said.
Many of the players jump in the same way, being recruited out of area schools to come see what lacrosse is all about. Rainville said his dive into lacrosse has been a rewarding experience. He says he enjoys coaching the Leavenworth County team, and hopes that more people will recognize how useful it is in sports conditioning for other activities kids may be involved in.
“Lacrosse is a great conditioning sport for football players,” Rainville said.
Lacrosse is a sport of Native American origin that is played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled racquet called a lacrosse stick. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed to hold the lacrosse ball. Offensively, the objective of the game is to use the lacrosse stick to catch, carry and pass the ball in an effort to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal. Defensively, the objective is to keep the opposing team from scoring and to keep the ball out of their possession through the use of stick checking and body contact or positioning.
Although the personal equipment for lacrosse can be very expensive, Rainville and the parents of the team often have fundraisers to help parents offset the costs. All told, parents and players agree that the benefits to being on the Bulldogs team far outweigh the costs.
“Playing lacrosse has been a great experience and very impressionable for my kids,” said Theresa Hanningan, a parent of two of the team players.
With all interested players in the county on a common team, the Bulldogs draw from all the area schools.
“We are not associated with any of the local schools, which allows middle school and high school students throughout the community to join,” Rainville said.
Those interested in joining the team or just trying out lacrosse can join in on Bulldogs practice every Wednesday night at Ray Miller Park, 4301 South Fourth Street in Leavenworth, from 6-8 p.m. throughout the summer. The team is currently procuring equipment to allow prospective players to borrow equipment until they make a decision on whether or not to join the team. Anyone interested in donating lacrosse equipment to the Bulldogs should contact John Rainville at 913-683-0160.
