Montgomery County lags behind in lacrosse

Nearly 25 players are lined up along the sidelines enduring the frigid weather, waiting to play in the Blair boy's pre-season lacrosse scrimmage. However, because Blair only has a varsity lacrosse team few of the underclassmen will see any playing time.

Junior varsity lacrosse does not exist in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), although many other counties and private schools in Maryland have JV lacrosse teams. Meanwhile, no boy's lacrosse team from MCPS, one of the largest counties in the state, has made it to the state finals and no girl's team has won a state championship in lacrosse.

According to Blair girls lacrosse coach Mike Horne, MCPS teams have been unable to succeed against the top teams in the state because of the absence of a JV program. "I don't think [MCPS] will be able to compete at the state level until it happens," says Horne.

The lack of JV teams requires varsity coaches to take underclassmen on the team in order to develop talent for the future. This bogs down coaches with upwards of 30 players to look after and teach.

Blair Boys lacrosse coach Robert Gibb thinks that younger players progress is hampered by having to play on varsity. They do not play very much and have to play against bigger, stronger athletes. " When the season comes around they don't play in games much, [which is] where you really learn, so they don't develop as much," says Gibb.

Horne feels a JV team would be the best environment for younger players to be taught the sport. "JV is typically where younger players learn and grow. It is necessary for Montgomery County coaches to look to the future and develop younger players," says Horne.

Gibb says the biggest factor limiting the development of a JV program is a lack of money for funding. MCPS athletic directors approved JV lacrosse, which was then approved by principles in the county. However, the Board of Education has not approved the funding.

Gibb says that MCPS predicts that starting JV lacrosse would cost nearly $700,000 dollars. However, Gibb thinks this estimate may be too high, as most schools already have the necessary equipment and jerseys to support a JV team. According to Gibb, the only major costs would be additional referees, coaches and the busing of players to games.

Coaches often channel younger players in to recreational lacrosse leagues in the community, such as Advantage Lacrosse and Burtonsville Athletic Association, to gain much needed game experience. However, these leagues are not an equal alternative to a high school JV team. High school coaches do not get to coach the players and the teams are not made entirely of players from the same school.

Both Horne and Gibb think there would be more than enough interest in lacrosse to from a county wide JV league. According to the coaches, both the Blair boys and girls programs would be able to field competitive JV teams, but there may be a few schools in the county that would have a difficult time forming JV.

Gibb thinks that JV would attract more players to tryout because currently new players do not participate because they are uncomfortable playing on a varsity team. " Some kids don't try out because they are intimidated," says Gibb.

According to Gibb, boy's varsity lacrosse teams should have about 25 players, but Blair has about 35 on the roster with 40 boys having tried out.

Boys and girls varsity lacrosse teams were formed at Blair seven years ago in 1997. According to Gibb, Patuxent, a high school in Calvert County, started a lacrosse team around the same time and was at about the same level as Blair. However, over the past seven years Patuxent's program has surpassed Blair in talent and skill due in large part to having a JV team.

This trend is seen throughout MCPS as Sherwood and Seneca Valley's boy's lacrosse teams went deep into the state playoffs in the 2003 season, but were unable to reach the next level, state finals. For the girls, Whitman enters the 2004 season riding a 95 game win streak against MCPS opponents, but the team has lost in the state semifinals for the past four seasons.

Horne thinks JV lacrosse will eventually begin in Montgomery County and boost the level of play in the county. " If enough people show they want it [JV lacrosse], it could happen," says Horne.

MCPS lags behind the high-level of lacrosse played throughout Maryland, but the addition of JV could boost the county. As interest and participation grows in lacrosse, JV seems destined to be in the near future for MCPS.