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SALT LAKE CITY — In my travels over the past couple of seasons, I've certainly noticed the youth soccer programs (boys and girls) putting in the extra work, creating their own new social order of "Soccer mom's." Then, like the easy breezes of spring, you've got (older) America's favorite pastime — baseball — big in Utah, too. Many major leaguers grew up pitching, catching and hitting in the Beehive state.
Then, there's that blast charging up the far left lane. Just as the X Games has cascaded into rare air and turned backcountry skiing tricks into common "Wowzers," and now main staples in the Winter Olympics, so too North America's oldest sport of lacrosse is creating a counter-culture following.
No one's arguing that lacrosse has the TV draw of that "X" madness, but look around at your local parks during the week, especially on Saturday's in the fall and spring. There's a pile of young kids, in pads, helmets (gotta wear your mouthguard) and 4-foot sticks chasing a hard rubber ball with extreme purpose and a plan.
Marty Westcott, director of Adrenaline Youth Lacrosse Utah, has been a "Laxman" almost from the cradle.
"Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country at the youth level," Westcott said. "Same here in Utah. We're growing at about 10-12 percent a year."
Westcott grew up in the lacrosse-rich state of Colorado, played at BYU, was head coach at BYU and then Utah before leading Bountiful to Club State titles.
Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country at the youth level. Same here in Utah. We're growing at about 10-12 percent a year.
–Marty Westcott
"(It's) the fastest sport on two feet," Westcott said. "And that speed is what a lot of the little kids like."
Many youth see it as a nice alternative to the sometimes stagnant baseball game. It's got similar movements to basketball and soccer, and yes, the kids love to hit. It's not the collision-based sport that football is (mom's appreciate that), but the kids can work off a little aggression with a bump or an occasional whack with the stick.
Officials call penalties, but a well-coached lacrosse team is in constant motion, except for the momentary delays setting up plays once a team gains possession and moves into the offensive zone.
So many of our youth lacrosse teams have doubled in roster size in the past year.
Bountiful third-fourth grade coach Jim Redmond said: "We're recruiting to a point where we went from one team at each age to two. It's a lot of fun to see. We've got kids who've gone from not being able to catch or throw at all to now they can do it all with some skill.
"At this age you see a huge difference," he added. "Sometimes tremendous growth, in a short amount of time."
And turning out better players at younger ages is music to Westcott's ears.
"It's great for a high school coach like me to be able to see young kids playing because now I know by the time they get to us they're going to be much more skilled than we have in the high school ranks now."
Mothers I've spoken to gladly embrace the new title "Lax Mom," appreciating the added aerobic activity their boys and girls — hundreds, maybe thousands of girls and young women playing lacrosse in Utah now, too — get from shift to shift, practice to practice and game to game. Plus, the season's as long as you want.
"We started the Greater Utah Lacrosse League in 2010 to support growing enthusiasm for the sport," said Renee Tribe, GULL co-founder. "The league currently involves more than 2,300 families from Logan to Payson, and this partnership with Adrenaline will bring additional structure and continued momentum.
For more information on 1st-8th Grade participation visit thegull.info.
