WOODBURY— A thirty-minute long drive along winding Connecticut roads is creating new bonds and saving the sport of lacrosse for athletes from Lakeview, Nonnewaug, and Thomaston high schools. As a new freshman member of this team, I am torn: is the long drive worth it?
For the past few years, lacrosse athletes have traveled approximately 15 miles or a half hour to practice.
Now, team members have to drive 30 minutes there and maybe even more back. Through the windy roads of Litchfield County, some athletes find themselves car sick through those twists and turns.
“A difficult part of the co-op would definitely be practice,” said junior captain Jadyn Heron. “Whether it’s location or time, it’s a challenge for all of us.”
As a freshman with no driver’s license, it is going to be a difficult process to find a ride there; but lucky for me, I have my brother as a ride. I can’t stay the same for my fellow freshmen.
Freshman Charlotte Toon, who plans on joining the team this year is skeptical on the long trek to just practice. This is especially challenging for any athlete dependent on transportation.
“It’s hard trying to find a ride, because who wants to drive 30 minutes each way to practice?” Toon says, acknowledging that Region 14 doesn’t provide bussing to lacrosse.
Last season the Lakeview girls’ co-op team finished with a 3-10 record. While the boys team finished with a 6-7 record.
Still, even with the travel challenges, the co-op offers more benefits than problems.
Even bigger than the drive is the challenge with numbers and experience.
“It is kind of disappointing to come to a team with only a couple of wins and players,” Toon shares.
Not only is there a lack of participation, but there is a lack of experience among the team.
This all happens in the shadow a nation-wide phenomenon: Women’s lacrosse is a growing sport, according to USA Lacrosse, surging in enrollment within recent years.
“The Premier Lacrosse League announced the launch of the Women’s Lacrosse League in 2024,” noted USA Lacrosse. “The new pro women’s lacrosse league will begin play in 2025 during the Championship Series.”
As the sport expands, more new players are joining.
“Lacrosse isn’t really a big sport in this part of Connecticut,” Nonnewaug sophomore Bryce Gilbert adds. “It’s rare to get players who are experienced.”
On the other hand, the new connection between teammates creates everlasting bonds.
“Through this co-op, I was able to make some really good friends, two that I would now call my best friends,” Heron said.
The connection between teammates can forever last and this co-op provides new opportunities for more connection.
Although there are two sides of this story… I believe the Lakeview co-op should stay–despite it’s challenges.
Even though it is hard driving to Lakeview and back, without the co-op there would be no team because of the weak numbers.
Heron agrees.
“I think that if our lacrosse team was just Nonnewaug players, then we wouldn’t have enough to be a team,” said Heron. “We already have trouble with numbers, so I think I like having a co-op because it allows for us to have more players of all different levels and experiences.”
Getting rid of the co-op wouldn’t fix anything, but keeping it just might save lacrosse for students like me.
