Despite a down year, West High lacrosse is thriving, the coaches say.
"The girls play because they love it," said fourth-year girls coach Maren Law, whose team finished 4-6. "The level of play and requirements are a little relaxed. All the girls get so much out of it."
Ditto for boys' fifth-year coach Judd Bateman, who said his 17 players "are always there, give effort and believe in what they're doing. Every one of them contributes and I rely on all of them." They finished 10-4, losing to Bingham in the first round of the state tournament.
There are no big-school or small-school classifications, said Law, because "there are so few teams — 17 — to schedule. We've got to play anyone we can," which is why most schools play just about anybody.
Lacrosse is not recognized as an officially sanctioned school sport, so it's relegated to club team status. Both West squads regularly play teams outside of their 4A classification.
The teams' difficulty finding room for games and practices has eased, thanks to the empathy of West administrators.
"West has been very supportive," Law said. To offset expenses, the Panther girls "bust their butts" to have fund-raisers. Bateman says school administrators weren't sure originally what to make of the boys team, which had "very little" practice space.
Now, both teams have better digs. The girls practice at Warm Springs Park and play at Riverside Park, while the boys practice at Riverside and play at West's football stadium. Playing at the football facility is a "huge gift," Bateman said.
Both his and West math teacher Danny McGuire's relationships with the school helped the girls schedule games in the stadium for 2006, Law said.
The teams have earned it, both academically and athletically. Lacrosse has even been featured on West TV a couple times.
Many of the Panther boys are enrolled in the extended learning program, according to the coach. The student-athlete leader is Cory Merrell, team captain and midfielder, who sports a 4.0 GPA.
"He leads by example in how to play well and gives 100 percent effort," Bateman said.
Merrell is good enough to play college lacrosse, according to the coach, but the senior must go out of state for such a scholarship. Other players Bateman noted are: senior midfielder Dan Derrick, captain and junior attackman Chase Nelson, junior defenseman Jake Vadeboncoeur and senior goalie Joe Arrington.
Law reports that 98 percent of girls in her rebuilding program are ELP students and "so bright. They're all so set on the plan," which begins training in sixth grade for West players.
Junior attack wing Caitlin Bert, sophomore defender Elise Kitterman and goalie Liz Smith are among West's best student-athletes on a 26-member team of mostly underclassmen.
Smith, a senior, is "fantastic," with a 68 percent save-average, Law said. In the last two years of the Vail (Colo.) Shootout, she has stopped 10-15 shots per game, with 21 saves in two games alone.
Law said the Panther girls' best scorer is Bert, who averaged three goals, or points, a game. Kitterman is the team leader in forced turnovers.
Though boys and girls lacrosse is similar in the hockey-like stick, 110-yard-long-by-60-yard-wide field, the boys games last one hour and the girls play 12-minute quarters. The girls also have no out-of-bounds, and they wear kilts.