Lacrosse Approved as a Varisty Sport at GH

 

Tue, Feb 3, 2009

BY MATT DEYOUNG

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After three years as a club team, girls lacrosse will be a varsity sport at Grand Haven High School this spring.

 

The decision was approved at Monday's school board meeting, leading the program's coach, Kim Vincent, to breath a big sigh of relief.

 

"I was so relieved," Vincent said. "We knew we had done all the work that needed to be done, but until you actually hear the people on the board, what they had to say about our team was just incredible. It's a testament to the board, how involved they are on the community."

 

Grand Haven High School athletic director Jack Provencal is excited to offer another sport and credited Vincent for her hard work in getting lacrosse to the varsity level.

 

"She's done a remarkable job," Provencal said. "When we built the athletic complex, we built it with the knowledge that we would be having girls lacrosse, and the (soccer) field has been marked accordingly."

 

Boys lacrosse became a varsity sport in 2004, and plays on the football field, since boys and girls lacrosse fields have different dimensions.

 

Provencal said girls lacrosse is a self-funded sport, although the district will pay a portion of the coaches' salary.

 

The only issue may be splitting up field use with the girls soccer team, which also plays in the spring.

 

"The challenge is facilities, and we have phenomenal facilities, but the bottom line is there's only so much time for so many events," Provencal said. "They'll all work together."

 

The sport of lacrosse has grown tremendously in popularity over the past decade, and local efforts have made it an exciting option for girls in this community. Vincent has worked with the Northwest Ottawa Recreation Program to offer various lacrosse clinics to help introduce the sport to more and more young people.

 

"These girls have really fallen in love with the sport," Vincent said. "This is a growing sport, but it doesn't grow on its own. I'm training these girls to be coaches, and so our high school girls are helping coach at the lower levels, and their excitement is trickling down to the

younger kids."

 

Vincent never played lacrosse in high school, instead playing field hockey on the east coast. She's devoted the past several years to learning the ins and outs of the sport, attending the U.S. Lacrosse convention and also earning certification as a lacrosse coach.

 

Vincent said 22 girls are already signed up for this spring's team, with room for a few more girls. Only a varsity team will be offered this year, although as the sport continues to grow, a junior varsity squad may be added.