Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and now the trend is starting in Sioux Falls. The group Sioux Falls Lacrosse has over 150 kids playing the sport since starting a year ago.
Wearing helmets and cradling sticks, players dart across a field trying to score the ball into a goalie. Opposite to the field a group of seven-year- olds attend their first clinic to learn the basics of Lacrosse.
George Gongopoulos brought his son Elliot to the clinic. He says the Lacrosse sounded like fun sport for his son to try out as a beginner.
“We thought it was sometime a little different than what everyone else is doing with soccer, baseball, and football and our son was excited for it. We’ve watched it a few times on tv and thought it would be something different and fun to try,” says Gongopoulos.
Co-founder of Sioux Falls Lacrosse Corey Mitchell has been giving clinics throughout the summer to teach kids more about the sport. Mitchell already has large expectations since starting the group about a year ago.
“It’s going to grow very quickly here in South Dakota. We’ve started clubs in five other cities and we are working with other program organizers to start clubs and we have plans to start some more next year. So we’ll have several teams next year to play in league.”
Mitchell believes part of the attraction to the sport is it’s newness to the area.
“I think there is a certain novelty to it since so new, it’s also a challenge- it’s really easy to learn but it’s hard to master, and I think that what keeps people coming and sticking with it because they can continue mastering their craft,” says Mitchell.
In Minnesota Lacrosse is a school sanctioned sport. Mitchell says he already has questions from parents asking if that is the goal.
“I think that would be awesome at some point to have it as a school sanctioned school sport, but for now we’re just trying to grow responsibility and make sure that the kids are having fun, and we’re just trying to get more numbers and introduce the sport to more kids and have more sticks in hands and just continuing growing,” says Mitchell.
This past year Mitchell also started a girl’s Lacrosse team with 35 players. Anyone can join the sport from kids to adults.