Lacrosse and It's Future Impact on National Sports By: Lukas Hein

    Most people can't say they know that lacrosse was the first sport ever played on the soil we live on. Native Americans used this game as a contest between tribes, but after being forced away, the sport essentially died, and the newcomers failed to acknowledge it. Sports like baseball, football, and basketball took over, and even nowadays dominate national television. Meanwhile, lacrosse is struggling to gain national recognition even though it is the fastest growing sport in the world right now.
     Just recently, lacrosse was introduced to the Olympics, and will be in Tokyo in 2020. To add on, ESPN, a worldwide known sports channel has taken the sport under it's wing and airs multiple college games every week. Like anything, recognition is key, and once people see what the sport is and it's potential, it will be receiving the looks football and baseball get.
     All over the east coast, colleges have teams that compete at all different levels. Whether its Division 1 or Division 3, the competition is like no other. Even at the high school level, One state champion per state makes the race for a ring unreal. The problem is though that without programs bringing in as much money as the football program would, recruiting and offering good scholarships becomes hard. Not many schools can pack a stadium to the brims for a lacrosse game.
     By gaining recognition, lacrosse will become a powerhouse within the sport world. As of now, the sport revolves around the east coast, but once other parts start to pick it up as well as different colleges, stadiums will start to fill up, ticket prices will rise, and kids that work so hard every day will be able to receive the scholarship they deserve. High school lacrosse players work just as hard as any other athlete, and working the same as a football player, but that person receiving a full ride is unfair. Lacrosse's future is bright, and from here on out, it can only work upwards.

2019 Lacrosse Season By: Lukas Hein

     For both boys and girls lacrosse, the season is right around the corner. Both have big expectations with Kate Brennan coaching the girls, and Pat Shea, a newcomer to the program leading the boys. Last year, both teams came short to a state championship, with the boys losing to Summit in the group Semifinals and girls losing late in their playoff run. With returning starters, these teams are ready to meet the expectations and be contenders for a ring.
     With the entire midfield line, two defenders, and star goalie returning, the Boy Spartans are a title contender. With Pat Shea as the new coach, he is hungry for a championship. At the beginning of the season, he set a goal with all the players to not only win an HWS championship, but also a Group II title. The preparation this team has put in is exponential, and these boys are ready to rise to the occasion. Will this be the year Sparta breaks the curse and wins a state title? Shea along with every player on the roster believes so.
     Kate Brennan has done a phenomenal job building a name for the Lady Spartans. She has been able to produce multiple Division 1 caliber athletes, and never fails to get their name in the paper. Whether it's winning a game being an underdog, or dominating their Group tournaments every year, this team is special. Graduating a class like last year's is definitely an obstacle, but with mastermind Kate Brennan, anything is possible.
     Everyone in Sussex County is aware of the powerhouse Sparta is, and as always, expectations are high. Will this be the year a state championship is brought home by the Boys? Will Brennan and her girls shoot back at all the doubt in the program considering their loss of the 2018 class? The 2019 season starts this Wednesday, and both teams are prepared and hungry to shock the world and continue building the legacy of Sparta lacrosse.

Lacrosse By: Lukas Hein

     I never would've thought in second grade, when I first picked up a lacrosse stick that I would be at the place I am now. For some people, lacrosse is just a reason to get out of the house, or kids are forced by their parents to play. It was never like that for me though. Lacrosse became an important part and played a pivotal role of my life. Lacrosse has given me the desire to never give up, and you could be down a million to nothing, but giving up is never an option. Everything I've handled in life that was challenging, I faced with that mentality. Whether it was a hard test, impossible homework, or other things, I've learned to keep my head up and keep going. This sport has become an important part of my life because it went from just a thing on the side to a huge focus. For me, it's not just another thing to do. Year round training, constantly playing, receiving emails all came from the hard work I put into the sport, and showed that if you work hard enough, the results will favor you.
     Growing up playing allowed for me to mature differently than anything else. It built a toughness, mentally and physically. You fall down, and you shoot right back up knowing that might've not been your play, but you just have to forget about it. Just like getting a bad grade in school. You forget about it, move on, and focus on what's coming up next. Being able to move on from things involving school is always hard, but lacrosse allowed for me to realize how easy it is to forget about it and rebuild the confidence to say I'll get the next one. I'll score that goal the next time, I'll get an A on the test next time. Lacrosse's importance in my life is something like no other, and the goals I set for myself and the achievements I've accomplished would've never been a reality had I never picked up that stick in second grade.

Lacrosse and It's Impact on My Life

     It all started in 3rd grade when I picked up my very first lacrosse stick. At that moment, I knew that baseball was far in the past and I had found my new passion. Ever since that day, lacrosse has been able to teach me a lot of things. Whether it's respect, patience, or perseverance, all these traits help me in my everyday life. Patience is something that not many people have. It's a special trait that you can be proud of. To add on, lacrosse was able to teach me that not everything will go my way, I'm not always going to get the ball, and this allowed me to build a sense of patience. Not only have I learned a lot from my experiences, but lacrosse has become a serious part of my life. Spending my weekends in Maryland competing against kids all over the east coast, training all year, around, and being invited to prospect camps are keeping me busy, and also teaching me how to properly balance my life.
    Whether its school, sports or my social life, I've learned how to properly balance my busy life. Balancing everything certainly isn't easy, but it prepares me for the rest of my life, and reminds me to do the important things first. School and good grades before everything. Lacrosse is next considering it can play a role in my future. This ability didn't come over nigh though. For the longest time I thought that I'd become a Major League Lacrosse player when I was older, and that was my first priority. But as school became more challenging and work started piling, I started to see how important it really was. Lacrosse is only temporary and will only get me so far. But it definitely taught me aspects of life I would've been unable to acquire had I never picked up a lacrosse stick