Cedar Crest Youth Lacrosse teaches athletes perseverance and teamwork

Despite a lack of local programs, a local lacrosse club is building interest and finding competition across county lines.

Cedar Crest Youth Lacrosse is one of just two school-run youth lacrosse programs in Lebanon County. They regularly play against teams in Berks and Lancaster counties, but the Cedar Crest club is smaller than many others in the region.

The club is made up of 46 boys aged 7 to 14 years old, divided into four teams — 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U. They practice at Cedar Crest High School, but the club is open to all children in Lebanon County.

Club president Andy Joseph said youth lacrosse clubs are sparse throughout Lebanon County, with Palmyra being the only other program. Even with a lack of competition, he said they don’t have many kids participating in their teams — they have just enough to fill out their age divisions.

“It’s open to anybody around here. It’s not school-specific, so that’s one of our biggest pushes,” he said. “We just need numbers.”

Lacrosse players need equipment to be able to play. They need a stick, helmet, protective padding, and more. Vice president Kathleen Tims said this can be a barrier for families interested in trying it out.

“The equipment can be expensive, so we are trying to get grants from USA Lacrosse, and we’re fundraising so we can provide more equipment for kids that want to learn to play because it’s a big expense for people that are just starting out to buy all the equipment you need,” she said.

Joseph added they run free open gym nights in the winter when kids who don’t have their own equipment can play around with a stick and a tennis ball to get a feel for the game.

And Joseph said most of the kids are fairly new to the sport, starting about a year or two ago, so any newcomers would be in good company. The kids are “fully into it now,” he said.

Tims said it’s a great option for kids who play other sports, too. They can take up lacrosse in the off-season to stay in shape and learn new skills.

“It’s a very similar game to basketball and ice hockey,” she said. “We welcome kids that play other sports because it’s a great crossover where they can learn, take what they know about the other sports they play, bring it to lacrosse, and then learn lacrosse moves and bring it to their other sports.”

Beyond the physical aspect, she said they can learn other social skills through play. It’s a lot of teamwork and communication, and kids learn to persevere. Lacrosse is a high-scoring game, so players need to be able to turn around and restart if their team lets a goal through.

“For lacrosse, you can’t win this on your own,” Joseph said. “It’s such a team sport — there’s so much communication.”

Joseph and Tims said the club has a great retention rate, with most kids who join to try the sport sticking around for future seasons. Tims said they all get along well and look forward to the spring when they get to play together again.

Tims said anyone interested in the club can contact the organization through its Facebook page, where they post reminders and advertise their winter open gyms.