Because of his students’ interests in lacrosse and the lack of sports teams at the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale, Ark., Warren Utsler, an art teacher at the high school, which is located in a high-poverty district with 80 percent free and reduced lunches, applied for a US Lacrosse First Stick Program grant.

If his students wanted to play lacrosse, they were required to play on a mixed team with players from various area high schools.

That is no longer.

On Jan. 12, US Lacrosse awarded a First Stick grant to the Don Tyson School of Innovation, which provided equipment, among other comprehensive resources, to assist the program in becoming self-sustaining.

Utsler received interest from 75 students and was able to field two teams of 22 girls and 23 boys in grades 8-10 in February. Don Tyson, which became the first high school in Northwest Lacrosse to offer lacrosse teams comprised of its own students, will begin competing in the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Lacrosse League, which provided pinnies, by May. Victor Carreno and Sarah Gentry, former and current University of Arkansas club lacrosse players, respectively, will coach the teams.

“Without this grant, my students, no matter how interested in lacrosse, wouldn’t have been able to afford the equipment,” Utsler said.

During a dedication for the school on Feb. 14, featuring players from both teams wearing their new equipment, current and former governors, along with city and business leaders across the state, including U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, offered their support.

“It’s a really big deal,” Utsler said. “I love bringing in a sport like this into the area because I’m from the Kansas City area, which is a melting pot of different people coming in from all over the world, and the same thing happens here. A lot of people that come here have played lacrosse growing up, so we have a base of people that are interested in the sport.”

Utsler plans to work with the NWA lacrosse league to challenge and inspire other high schools, even middle and elementary schools, to establish their own teams with the hopes of making lacrosse a state-sanctioned sport.

“This plants the seed,” Utsler said. “All the high schools down here are extremely competitive in all the sports, so I’m challenging them that they need to have their own teams and I’m sure that’s going to happen. They now have kids playing on mixed teams, but I think this is the impetus for them to have their own team.”

Utsler still receives calls from interested players and parents at least once or twice each week hoping to join the Don Tyson teams. With the continued interest, he thinks the sport is bound to explode in Arkansas.

“It’s going to be really rapid growth,” he said. “Truly a community effort to bring and build lacrosse in Northwest Arkansas.”

Locally Grown

St. Louis

Former Syracuse and U.S. U19 standout Josh Amidon and Onondaga Redhawks player Wade Bucktooth shared the sport’s spiritual meaning with a group of area box lacrosse players.

Heartland

The chapter has been focused on growing the game within local schools by supporting Soft Stick grants, with a PE workshop and Learn to Play clinic scheduled for fall 2017.

North Texas

Chapter leaders will be on hand Aug. 19 for the MLL championship game at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.

Houston

Anyone in the area can join the chapter at its annual NCAA championship game watch party Memorial Day or in its support of Shootout for Soldiers, a 24-hour lacrosse game June 3-4 at Gosling Sports Park.

Central Texas

All youth leagues adopted LADM competition rules for 2017, the girls (CAPLAX) across all age groups and boys (CTYLA) in lightning and bantam age groups.  The chapter will host CDP and ADM clinics at the end of the year.

Arkansas

The chapter will host three clinics for new players age 8-12 this summer, with a focus on inner-city communities.

Louisiana

With an emphasis education, the chapter is hosting officials clinics for girls and a Level 1 women’s CDP clinic in the fall, while also looking to secure an LADM seminar.

Picture This

Lax at the Sugar Bowl

The Louisiana Chapter hosted the AllState Sugar Bowl Lacrosse Classic Jan. 28-29, featuring 48 teams and more than 800 players. St. Paul’s High School, from Covington, La., won both the varsity and JV boys’ divisions.

Northshore (La.) captured the inaugural varsity girls’ championship.

My USL Rep

Tim LaBelle Southwest

Tim LaBelle, a native New Yorker who spent the last seven years as a lacrosse coach and administrator in central Texas, joined US Lacrosse in April. He previously coached youth and high school lacrosse in Maryland, New York and North Carolina and is a US Lacrosse Coach Development Program trainer. An Austin resident, he will support development efforts in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

How can US Lacrosse help grow the sport in your area? Contact Tim at tlabelle@uslacrosse.org or 410-235-6882.