NEENAH, Wis. — Often described as a mix of hockey, soccer and basketball, lacrosse will become an officially sanctioned Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) sport next school year.
At Neenah High School, players always considered lacrosse a “real” sport. It started in 2003, with the Neenah Lacrosse Club helping spread awareness of the game in the Fox Valley.
“It’s a mix of everything. It’s not a sport that you had to be a part of since third grade. You can come out if you’re an athlete. We can teach you how to play lacrosse. We can’t teach you how to be 6-foot-2 and run like the wind, but that helps,” said Eric Marsh, the Neenah boys’ head coach.
Marsh served as boys director of the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation Board and helped push the club sport toward gaining WIAA status.
“We felt it was a little inevitable. It was just a matter of when and how quickly. Then they passed it and were all excited about it,” said Marsh.
Played in the spring, some students joined the team without any previous experience.
“Anyone that wants to try it out and comes and picks up a stick. It’s something that you can grasp onto right away. If you’re willing to work at it, you can get good really quick,” said Marsh.
Sophomore Keane Sullivan’s parents thought football was too physical for their son.
“Then my parents were like, well, I guess you can play lacrosse, but they didn’t realize how aggressive it got. It’s been really fun,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan said the recognition of lacrosse as a varsity sport is significant.
“Definitely for the validation of it being a legitimate sport amongst other high schoolers, but as much a play style, not too much. Most things are staying the same,” said Sullivan.
Relatively new, the Neenah girls’ club team started in 2014. They were just as excited.
“The girls’ rules have loosened up in the area, which has been great. Overall, I think you’ll start to see that across the state. It almost used to be a giant game of freeze tag because every time there was a penalty, the game would stop, and the ref would place everybody where they needed to go. Now they don’t,” said Paul Kelly, Neenah girls’ head coach.
Kelly credited Neenah High School for treating club athletes as equals to their varsity counterparts.
“But there are some perks that come along with being a WIAA sport: scheduling time, field time, and it’s only right for the kids. They’re involved in an activity, and just because it’s club or WIAA, it shouldn’t determine whether or not they get certain advantages over other sports,” said Kelly.
The phrase, “fastest growing sport,” was mentioned by players and coaches in reference to lacrosse. They saw the new designation as validation that their sport is heading in the right direction.
“In the long run, this is going to make the sport grow exponentially, I think,” said Marsh.
Although he said he might be biased, Marsh described lacrosse as exciting for fans and players.
“We have ten kids on the field at the same time. They’re all involved in the play all the time. 15-10 is a typical score, so you’re not bored of not scoring goals. There’s a lot of action and contact,” said Marsh.
According to the WIAA, it’s the first time an entirely new sport was introduced for both genders since the addition of boys and girls soccer in 1982-83.
The initial WIAA season for lacrosse will begin in the spring of 2024 with many co-op teams. The boys will have 33 teams representing 71 schools and the girls will start with 30 teams across 59 schools.
The fast-paced game has been gaining recognition in the state, and lacrosse enthusiasts said they hope that it attracts more players and fans.