The Fastest Game on Two Feet
Lacrosse is one of America's fastest growing sports.
By Frannie Horn
Some fierce and swift fourth graders move relentlessly around the field of a local sports park playing an age-old game with a proud heritage. A game of constant action and exceptional grace that combines the individual skill of baseball, the physical demands of football, the team strategies of basketball and conditioning required of soccer, the game is lacrosse, and it is happening in Birmingham.
Buzz-central for the metro-Birmingham area is the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association. Fueled by the intense and contagious enthusiasm of its executive director, Hunter Faulconer, GBYLA has exposed thousands of kids to this sport. "Lacrosse is known as the fastest game on two feet. It's several different sports on one surface," Faulconer says. "There's lots of action and very little downtime." He is accompanied by an army of volunteer coaches, parent organizers and board members on a collective quest to bring lacrosse to north central Alabama.
First played in Canada by indigenous peoples, lacrosse is not only the fastest game on two feet, but is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States at all levels; youth (under 15), high school and collegiate. The U.S. Lacrosse 2009 Participation survey reports an eight-year growth percentage of 137.8 percent for youth programs, 125.5 percent for high school programs and 55 percent for college programs. Betsy Dobbins of Homewood reflects on its growing popularity: "We played soccer before coming over to lacrosse. Lacrosse uses all the game-reading skills of soccer but is more physical, which my older son enjoys." As for her younger son, "He likes getting to run around with a stick wearing cool space-man gear. From a parental perspective, they've developed confidence, speed, teamwork skills and have learned to channel aggression."
Spring is lacrosse season in Alabama, and the GBYLA competitive season runs February through early May. In 2010, there were 57 teams with a total of 1,200 boys and girls from first grade through high school. GBYLA team assignments are made based on where each player lives, their age and sex. Faulconer says an ideal team is comprised of 22 to 24 players, and if more kids in an area want to play, they'll form a new team. Boys and men's teams play 10 per side, girls and women's teams play with 12.
GBYLA teams currently encompass a number of Birmingham neighborhoods: Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills, plus teams from Altamont, Briarwood and John Carroll high schools. And while they don't have a GBYLA team in their area, players come from Alabaster, Chelsea, Fultondale, Gardendale, Pelham, Pinson, Trussville and around the region and are assigned to the geographically closest team. Faulconer is adamant, "Lacrosse is for everyone. Anyone can play. If you want to play, we'll work to make it happen."
While attention is often focused on mainstream scholarship-sports, lacrosse is an ever-expanding vehicle to college. As of 2009, there were 557 NCAA varsity lacrosse programs spread over three divisions. Birmingham- Southern College fields men's and women's teams in Division II. Thirty-six new programs, heavily weighted to southern schools, began play in 2010, and 33 new programs begin play in 2011. The GBYLA has at least a dozen former players currently playing at the college level and expects five more from this year's class.
The GBYLA also offers fall clinics, which promote cross-community play, gives new players a chance to try lacrosse and allows experienced players to refine their skills in scrimmage play. "Our fall clinics are when we mix it up, and we all play together. Kids and parents meet players from other communities and schools, and kids can try out lacrosse fun, non-competitive environment," Faulconer says.
Details
Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association
gbyla.org
Registration for the spring season starts in mid-December. Contact Hunter Faulconer for more information at (205) 914-4895 or hunter@gbyla.org.
U.S. Lacrosse is the national governing body for domestic men's and women's lacrosse. uslacrosse.org