Southern Oregon: Expanding Southern Tip of Northwest Lacrosse in the PNCLL

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of running into several Oregon Lacrosse stalwarts at the MLL thriller in Portland.  What I hadn't expected to find, was a college club coach who was as passionate about the growth of Lacrosse in the seemingly distant land of Southern Oregon.  To my enjoyment, Matt Brown, head coach of Southern Oregon University, shared with me some of the travails his program has been through.  I was at the league meeting when the PNCLL decreed SOU a team, but only later would I understand what it means to have a college club team in an area with NO YOUTH LACROSSE.  I had the pleasure of asking him a few questions about his program...

WALAX: How long has Southern Oregon had a program?

MB: The team was founded in 2004 and we joined the PNCLL for the 2005 season.

WALAX: How long have you been affiliated with the program?

MB: Since the beginning.

WALAX: How many total players do you have in your program?

MB: Historically we’ve competed w/ an average roster of 14 guys.  This year recruiting has finally started to pay off and we should have 20-25 guys.

WALAX: How many kids in the program come from the local community, and how many come from other locations?

MB: As of now there aren’t any local youth programs but we have had a couple of guys from the area learn the game with us.  Most of our players come from Portland, Bend, and Northern California.

WALAX: What is the dynamic of experience on the team given your numbers of players?

MB: Each year we have guys that have never played the game before up to guys that played throughout high school.   Some of our best players learned the game with us.  They were solid athletes and picked up the game quickly.

WALAX: In order for your program to grow to the likes of a Western Washington what needs to happen?

MB: Currently it is all about recruiting.  Southern Oregon is an amazing place that many students would enjoy calling home.  However, it is not for everyone.  If you want a big college experience this is not the place for you.  If you love the outdoors and want a much more personalized college experience than SOU is a great place for you.

WALAX: How many coaches work with you for practices?

MB: The first two years I was the only coach.  For the last three years I have been assisted by Dayvin Turchiano.  This year we may add one or two more coaches depending on how things work out.

WALAX: What are some of your favorite “small team” drills people might not know about?

MB: The “Chemotti” Drill is always a favorite.   You start with everyone inside the crease facing the goalie.  The coach rolls a ball out to start the drill.  It is a mad scramble for the loose ball and then either the defense clears or the offense takes a shot.   The drill encompasses almost every aspect of the game and can be done with any # of players.

WALAX: Do you feel you are poised for success in the PNCLL next year?  What should people expect from your program?

MB: We will be a very young team this year with almost half of our team being freshman.   That said, I still believe that we can be very successful this season.  We have never had the luxury of so many subs and fresh legs that we will have this year.  Also, all of our incoming freshman played in high school and almost all of them earned all-league honors from their home divisions.   In our short existence we have been known to be extremely physical and full of heart.  That will stay the same.

WALAX: What  can the Lacrosse community do to help the development at Southern Oregon?

MB: Anyone that has experience starting youth lacrosse from the ground up can contact me at 541 512 1339 or email [email protected] with helpful lessons learned and ideas to make it work.   That would be the biggest help of all.   Please help.