Lacrosse can be an enticing sport, so say those who play it and coach it. It's a growing sport in the state of West Virginia. Three Kanawha County high schools - George Washington, Capital and St. Albans - field teams in the West Virginia Scholastic Lacrosse Association, and they've seen measures of success. Both George Washington and Capital's boys teams played for state titles last season in their respective divisions.
But interest doesn't always match opportunity. There are plenty of other high schools in Kanawha and Putnam counties that don't sponsor lacrosse teams. Yet two teams have popped up in the association that have dismantled the walls of conventional high school affiliation. They reach across those boundaries to fill their rosters, allowing students the opportunity to learn and enjoy a sport they might not otherwise have the chance to join.
The Kanawha Valley Spartans and Putnam County Storm both reside in the WVSLA's Division II. The Spartans were born three seasons ago following the end of the Herbert Hoover team. The Storm was born this season after the end of the Hurricane team.
Any Putnam County student can join the Storm, coach Gary Newman said. Right now, students from Hurricane and Winfield populate the roster. The Spartans and coach Joe Cato cast an even wider net. They include students from Herbert Hoover, Nitro, South Charleston, Riverside, Ripley, some home-schooled students and even a Winfield senior who didn't want to switch teams for his final year.
Even though those rosters cross traditional school lines, both Edwards and Cato say the loyalties to those schools don't seep into their lineups and disrupt chemistry. The Storm even adopted colors - blue, orange and gray - that are different than those of the county's high schools.
"It's been something different and unique, being able to put aside those types of rivalries and join in a brotherhood, for lack of a better way of putting it," Edwards said.
The bonds of the sport and the desire to play it outweigh any adversarial feelings, Cato said, even with a team that pulls from so many different areas as his.
"It actually has been pretty amazing," Cato said. "The attitude on the team is that it's just one team. There is no rivalry. It's just a good bunch of kids that just wants to play lacrosse. It has been a great experience."
Both teams have been strong in their main mission of growing the sport in the Kanawha Valley. Cato said 11 of his 19 players are first-time players. Edwards said nine of his 22 picked up a stick for the first time this season. The draw of the sport can come quickly, Edwards said. One first-time player who joined the Storm this season was a little bit apprehensive about entering uncharted waters. But some of the more experienced Storm players took him under his wing during his first practice, helped him with fundamentals and made him feel welcome.
"By the time all is said and done, and he pulls his helmet off after a couple of hours, I'm walking over to him and he's grinning," Edwards said. "He's got this glimmer in his eye and I ask him how it was. And he says, 'I'm playing.' "
As much as anything else, Cato said, that sight is what makes putting together teams like the Spartans and Storm worthwhile. They get to introduce new players to the sport, and those players become new ambassadors for the sport, hopefully drawing in more newcomers.
"It's awesome, especially when they're dedicated," Cato said. "You can tell the ones that stay with it, pick it up and practice on a daily basis, it shows in games and shows in practices. It's awesome to see them love it and, the next thing you know, they're staying after practice, wanting to learn more."
Those combined teams haven't kept colleges from calling, either. Edwards said some of his players are being recruited, and the Spartans have two players signing to colleges - Cody Cato to Division II Ohio Valley University and Zach Nichols to NAIA Asbury University. Wins might be tough to come by this season. According to the two teams' MaxPreps sites, both are still searching for their first victories. The Spartans did make the Division II playoffs for the first time last season, so the growth is evident.
More than anything, it gives those players a chance to pull on lacrosse gear, join a team and experience an opportunity they otherwise would miss. And it allows the roots of the sport to grow a little bit deeper in the land of the Kanawha Valley.
"I say to the kids, I don't know if we'll win every game, I don't know if we'll win any game, I don't know if we'll fall somewhere in between," Edwards said. "But I will promise you that you'll have fun, and you'll be a better player by the end of the season than what you are now."
Contact Derek Redd at 304-348-1712 or derek.redd@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @derekredd.