Several players have left Washington in recent years with the desire to play Lacrosse at the collegiate level.  Some are playing locally, and some have stretched their wings to other institutions.  All have felt the trepidations of going to college and what that may mean for their Lacrosse, roommates, social life and academics.  Kevin Carter, a Bellevue High grad now plays at Santa Clara and was bitten by the desire to play at a higher level.  For those of you who will be going to school this year, you may find Kevin's perspective helpful...

"I left the program at Bellevue High not knowing exactly what I would find in terms of lacrosse; I knew I wanted to play, but was left to determine for myself at what level. After talking to
coaches, researching a few programs, and ultimately finding a school that fit my academic desire, I ended up a part of the WCLL (West Coast Lacrosse League) playing ball for Santa Clara University. I now have played with the team since mid September, helped to organize team
functions, participated in fall ball, had pre-season conditioning, and attended a three-day retreat. I hope to provide some insight into what club lacrosse is like in college, and the transition from the high school level.
 

Pre-season club lacrosse started with a few meetings and chance to get to know some guys on the team, but even before that, I was meeting new people who were also interested in lacrosse. By coincidence, I was assigned to room with another product of Washington Lacrosse, Thomas Cho, from Lakeside High School. We immediately got along; rooming with another lacrosse player has proven to be helpful and fun. It is easier for another athlete to handle the
lifestyle, practice times, and especially the smell of lacrosse equipment. Walking around campus, I also noticed some people wearing lacrosse apparel and throwing around in the courtyards, and quickly introduced myself. Meeting people interested in the sport was easy and
happened fast. The sport of lacrosse is unique and exciting, and therefore draws attention and acts as a means of connection and relation with other people.
 

After getting to know the team, we started the season with a fall ball session that consisted of three practices a week from mid-September to late-November. During fall ball, we had a Tournament scheduled at Stanford that was cancelled due to rain (hard to believe
coming from Washington.) We then had a break until school started again
in January. At this time we started a two-week conditioning period, having five practices a week. The conditioning was fun and included playing basketball, lifting, and running. The team also began "bonding" events for Wednesday nights, this would include getting pizza, going to
the captain's houses, and we also went to a San Jose Stealth indoor lacrosse game. After the conditioning period, the coaches scheduled a three day retreat at a near by high school. This was this biggest commitment of the lacrosse season so far. It consisted of twelve-hour
days, nine hours of lacrosse, and meals accompanied by game film. We are now practicing and preparing for our regular season games, with five practices a week for two hours each. As for the intensity level, it is a small step up from high school. We work a little harder physically
than I believe most do at a high school level, this is partially because the program here at Santa Clara is growing and there is a greater effort this year in getting kids in shape and ready for the season.

Thomas and I both believe that the high school program's we were involved with did a good job of preparation for the next level of competition. An emphasis on the basic understanding of lacrosse;catching, throwing, shooting, passing, feeding, field sense, and using both right and left hands was a great benefit of playing in high school.

 I was lucky enough to have great role models and coaches, and got a lot of exposure to the game through Washington Lacrosse. Taking advantage of camps, clinics, or any special event was definitely to my advantage.  This being said, I would still encourage anyone who has not had
the exposure to lacrosse, to pick up a stick now. Not playing in high school will likely make the transition to college lacrosse more difficult, but by no means impossible. There are kids on my team (both who played varsity sports and who didn't), who are picking up the sport
for the first time this year, and doing very well.  As the sport of lacrosse is growing so quickly, there is truly a place for any level of skill he collegiate level.
If there were one skill I wish I could have improved on in high school, it is likely to be shooting on the run. It is a skill that is very important in the game, and (as I am now finding out) even more so at a collegiate level, or any level in which goalies are better and defenses are more aggressive. This is of course from an offensive perspective; I am a midfielder. As the pace of play has gotten faster and slightly more aggressive, being able to do everything on the run has become vital. This includes: Passing; when running offences, being able to catch and throw on the run gives us the ability to re-direct the ball, work at a faster pace, and make an offensive player an overall greater threat. Shooting; time and room shots are rare, and because defenses
(especially goalies) are stronger and smarter, movement becomes a huge advantage when looking for a shot. Ground balls; being able to scoop on the run helps to keep the pace and to avoid getting crushed.  Both Thomas and I have aspirations other than lacrosse and are pursuing
these goals in college, but have found lacrosse to be a great way to have fun, be active, and network in the college community. Lacrosse anll only get more exciting as the level of
competition improves."

by Kevin Carter