Lacrosse is one the fastest growing sports in America and it shows at Wesley Chapel District Park.
The Wesley Chapel Athletic Association's lacrosse program includes the Chiefs, the Warriors, and the Tribe. The Tribe is its newest program developed for kids in the U-11 and U-13 categories.
Director of lacrosse Frank Britton has been involved in the program for three years, but started following it when his kids began playing in 2003 and is seeing firsthand the growth of the sport. Britton is also a science teacher at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, which has a lacrosse program that students have shown an interest in.
"With lacrosse being on television now, I get kids coming to me at school wanting to know how to get into the game," Britton said. "The funny thing about it is that once kids get into it, they're hooked. They walk around with their stick all day, they check lacrosse (Web) sites, and they know the names of the players on John Hopkins, Syracuse, and the teams in Major League Lacrosse."
One factor that may make the sport so popular is that it is an easy crossover for kids who have grown up playing football. Hall of Fame Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown is considered to be one of the best lacrosse players of all time. For Tribe coach David Penrod, the transition to lacrosse from football in 1980 made perfect sense.
"I got into the game because one of my friends saw me playing and wanted me to try it," Penrod said. "You have to pass, you have to catch and you get to run over people. I like that. My first day of practice, I fell in love with the fact that it's such a dynamic game."
Penrod says he enjoys lacrosse more because of the camaraderie and team-oriented nature of the game.
"It's the ultimate team sport and players don't showboat like they do in football," Penrod said. "How often do you see a guy who just returned an interception for a touchdown turn around and thank the defensive line for putting pressure on the quarterback? Never. In this game, if a guy gets a great pass and scores, he isn't trash talking or any of that, he's going back to thank his teammates for setting him up."
Lacrosse is obviously fundamentally different from football, but coaches say that the learning curve doesn't take long to conquer.
"It might take a kid a few weeks to be completely confident," Britton said. "At that point they're ready to go into games and within a short time they're ready to jump right into it."
The amount of kids who stick with the game is high, according to coaches.
Colin Hennessy, 11, is a perfect example. He started five years ago and has been hooked on the game ever since.
"I used to play baseball, but I like this better," Hennessy said. "You spent so much time just standing around in baseball. With this, I'm always moving and I can hit people. It's like football with a stick."
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>>Fast facts
Wesley Chapel Tribe U-11 and U-13 Lacrosse teams
Where: Wesley Chapel District Park
When: Team practices Tuesday nights at 7.
The Tribe starts its season this month with a tournament called the Braveheart Shootout.
The players will have regular games starting in October and play several tournaments throughout the season, which runs through January.
More information: The Tribe is looking for players. Contact Frank Britton at (813) 997-3365 or e-mail him at fb3ajb@aol.com.
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