Women’s Lacrosse at Hamilton

Photos by Roberta Pratt.

Alie Robertson and Peyton Toepfer

While still being a relatively new team, having its first season in 2017, the Hamilton Women’s Lacrosse team has recently experienced many new and exciting developments. Last year the district implemented a youth program at Templeton Middle School, and next year the team will be considered an official sport instead of a club, meaning it will receive additional funding. Currently there are 17 girls on the team with a diverse range of experience and motivations for playing. Senior Emmie Corbin, who plays attack, says, “I was looking to join a competitive environment to work out and have fun in.”

While lacrosse has been around for awhile, dating back all the way to when it originated in Native American tribes, it is still a relatively unfamiliar sport to most people. Women’s lacrosse is a sport played with sticks with a net on one end and a small, yellow rubber ball. In addition, players wear metal eye masks and mouth guards to protect their faces.

Photo submitted by Robertson.

Lacrosse is a game that is almost entirely based on possession. Played in 25 minute halves, whether it be picking up fallen balls or completing long-range passes across the field, lacrosse is a game that requires teamwork and a variety of skills.

There are three positions–excluding the goalkeeper. The first position is attack, where girls remain on the 2/3 of the field by the enemy goal. Their main priority is setting up plays around the opposing team’s goal and scoring points. Next is the defensive position where girls remain on the 2/3 of the field nearest our own goal. The role of these players is to ensure the opponents do not score, they set up around our team’s goal not only to deter a potential shot, but to pressure the other team into dropping the ball. Lastly, midfielder is a position who plays both defense and offense. Instead of only running part of the field, they are expected to run the full length of the field, and transition the ball smoothly from offense to defense and vice versa. Additionally, in the beginning of the game, midfielders have the responsibility of taking the draw, as shown in the image above, which determines which team starts off with the ball after every goal.

The team is excited with the addition of a youth program so that future generations will already have developed stick skills like passing and ground balls. They hope to continue building a team bond and atmosphere. “My favorite memories are our team bonding activities. Things like singing together on the bus and going to Culver’s after we win a game,” says Corbin.

As of May 11, the Hamilton girls lacrosse team is 4-7-1. The team’s most recent win was on May 3, where they beat DSHA 12-3. Another senior, Ella Hutton who plays defense, states that some things the team is looking forward to in the future are “consistency all throughout the team. I’d love for the team to be able to play with constant effort for games and practices…I think a change in perspective of games can switch things up right away.”