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Submitted by Olympia Lacrosse Club

The fastest game on two feet is headed to Thurston County this weekend!

On Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 the Olympia Lacrosse Club (OLC) will host its first-ever South Sound Lacrosse Tournament at the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) in Lacey. The tournament is expected to draw 53 teams with more than 1,000 youth lacrosse players in grades 3-8 from the South Sound region. This is the first time OLC has hosted the event, and the first time it has ever been played in the Olympia area.

Olympia Lacrosse Club
Here, players from the Olympia and University Place 5/6 teams compete. Photo courtesy: Olympia Lacrosse Club

“We are thrilled to bring this season-end event to Thurston County and are honored to serve as this year’s host club,” said Al Puntillo, president of the Olympia Lacrosse Club. “When we first started out three years ago, we had no idea how popular this would become or how quickly it would grow. This weekend’s tournament is an excellent opportunity for kids and families to come check out the sport and see what it’s all about.”

Lacrosse is the fastest growing team sport in the United States according to the U.S. Lacrosse Association. An April 2016 survey of national youth participation trends found that 68 percent of youth lacrosse players said they participate in private lacrosse skill training, alone or as part of a small group, and 31 percent said they play on more than one lacrosse team in a single season.

The Olympia Lacrosse Club, a relatively new member of the South Sound League, is currently in its third year and continues to grow. The program now has teams for boys and girls in grades 3-8; there is also a high school team. The club has attracted players from all areas of Thurston County, including the Olympia, North Thurston, Tumwater school districts, as well as schools in Steilacoom and Mason County.

“It’s become a real attractor for young athletes in all areas of Thurston, Mason and South Pierce County,” added Puntillo. “It’s been a great experience, sharing this new sport with kids and their families. For the most part, it’s a new sport to everyone, which makes it fun to learn together.”

The South Sound League is made up of 15 community programs around Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula, including:

Olympia Lacrosse Club
Lacrosse players from the Olympia and Orting 5/6 teams competed earlier this season. Photo courtesy: Olympia Lacrosse Club
  • Bethel Lacrosse Club
  • Emerald Ridge Lacrosse Club
  • Gig Harbor Lacrosse Club
  • Kitsap Youth Lacrosse Association
  • Lake Tapps Lacrosse Club
  • North Kitsap Lacrosse
  • North Olympic Peninsula Lacrosse Club
  • Olympia Lacrosse Club
  • Orting Lacrosse Club
  • Peninsula Lacrosse Club
  • Rogers Lacrosse Club
  • Tacoma Lacrosse Club
  • Tahoma Lacrosse Club
  • University Place Lacrosse Club
  • Vashon Island Lacrosse Club

Players from all 15 clubs will be participating in the tournament this weekend in Lacey.

What Exactly is Lacrosse?

The sport traces its origins back to cultural traditions from the Iroquois in Northeastern United States. Many researchers attribute its modern-day popularity on the East Coast to its origins with Native Americans.

Olympia Lacrosse Club
Lacrosse is growing in popularity in the South Sound, especially in Olympia. Here, 5/6 players from Olympia and University Place compete in a recent game. Photo courtesy: Olympia Lacrosse Club

The game bares similarities to soccer, football and hockey. It is a contact team sport, played outdoors on a soccer-sized field by two teams. There are 10 players in each team: three attacks, three midfielders, three defense, and one goalie.

Players use a long-handled lacrosse stick, the head of which is struck with a loose mesh net designed to catch and “cradle” or hold a small, hard rubber lacrosse ball. The goal is much smaller than a standard soccer net. Each team’s goalie uses a lacrosse stick with a much larger head – similar in appearance to a fishing net – to catch shots and protect the goal. Each goal scored is worth one point.

What to Expect this Weekend

Athletes will compete in tournament-style play beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20. A champion and a consolation champion will be crowned at each age and division level on Sunday, May 21.  The event is free to all spectators.

In addition to watching tournament games, spectators can try their hand at the Power Shots Speed Cage to practice their throwing with a lacrosse stick and try to post the fastest throwing speed. The tournament is free and open to spectators. It will also feature food, sporting equipment vendors, tournament apparel and other lacrosse specialty items.

“This is a great opportunity to see this sport first-hand,” said Puntillo. “We really hope people will come out and see why this is one of the fastest-growing sports around.”

For more information, visit the Olympia Lacrosse Club website.

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