County closing in on junior varsity lacrosse for ’08

Junior varsity lacrosse, which has never existed in Montgomery County Public Schools, is set to become a reality. The county’s Board of Education has seen fit to implement it into its budget beginning next spring, and while the Montgomery County Council ultimately decides whether or not to sanction the sport in June, it seems every coach in the area is thrilled.

‘‘Look what [JV] has done for field hockey,” Gaithersburg girls coach Michelle Lewis said. ‘‘I think that with the advent of JV, our kids can only get better. Kids in other counties in Maryland are picking up their sticks in middle school. Some of our players don’t do that until ninth grade. This will develop a feeder system.”

‘‘I think it’s going to be incredible for us,” said Springbrook boys head coach Mark Pim. ‘‘I look at JV lacrosse to, for one, make a place for ninth- and 10th-graders to come in be able to play on a level playing field — they can play games and learn what it is to be on a team. And second, it also opens up opportunities for a lot more kids to play, particularly players that wouldn’t have played in the past from different socio-economic backgrounds. So I look at it as tremendously important.”

Pim also mentioned another benefit: improved coaching. With most sports, young coaches gain most of their knowledge in the junior varsity ranks. There’s not quite as much pressure to win as at the varsity level, so not only is that where undeveloped players hone their skills, it’s also generally the main proving ground for coaching protégés. However, with lacrosse, many coaches in the county have entered the job with little mentoring and even less experience, which limits the potential of any players they coach.

But the most immediate benefactor of JV lacrosse will be the young players who get increased on-the-field experience. The physical nature of lacrosse dictates that bigger, more mature athletes have a better chance of succeeding. So currently, underclassmen usually spend most of the season on the bench while their older teammates get the bulk of the playing time.

‘‘Right now, without JV funding, I’ve been forced to kind of develop my younger guys by myself, and the only way I can is in practice,” said first-year Sherwood boys coach Drew Offut, who formerly coached at Watkins Mill. ‘‘But realistically, most of your time is spent with the guys who are playing. With 14-year-olds who weigh 120 pounds, it’s dangerous and scary, so I’ve always been hesitant to let those kids play. Concussions happen, broken bones happen. Now all those freshmen get to play with people their own age and really develop.”

Though there is no junior varsity program, younger players currently do have a forum to enhance their skills. Players from several county schools compete in leagues such as Potomac Lacrosse, which plays its games on Sundays and forms teams based on the high school each player attends. Rockville Youth Lacrosse is another popular league, though generally reserved for those with playing experience.

These leagues serve an important purpose. However, there are two problems. First, varsity coaches cannot be affiliated with these leagues, as state rules dictate that they can’t connect with their players on Sundays, so those teams are often coached by parents or volunteers who don’t have as much knowledge of the sport.

Moreover, not every school fields enough players to have kids competing in such leagues. This results in certain schools having huge advantages with their rosters.

This is another problem JV lacrosse will solve.

‘‘The more established schools in county all have JV clubs, but I don’t have enough bodies, so we don’t,” said Paint Branch boys coach Kevin Eagan. ‘‘We don’t have kids interested, whereas Whitman and Churchill do. I’m reluctant to recruit 10 kids and sit them on the bench all year. But next year, we can throw a lot of guys on the squad and watch them play. They’d probably go 0-10, but at least it’s a situation where they’re playing the sport.”

Whether it hints at future success, there is a little precedent, too. The Frederick County Board of Education found room in the budget for JV lacrosse at the onset of the 2005-06 season, the year after the Urbana girls became the first Frederick County team to win a state playoff game. Coincidentally or not, the Urbana boys followed the next season with a win in the Class 3A⁄2A state semifinals.

Not that it can’t happen this year, but every coach in Montgomery County hopes history repeats itself.

‘‘Yeah, look at Urbana — it definitely raises the level of play throughout the county,” said Wootton boys coach Colin Thomson. ‘‘It allows for more coaches on your staff, another paid coach and two assistants, then an official season to give guys more playing time. No doubt, it elevates the game.”