BROOKINGS – Lacrosse. It’s an old game that dictionary.com says was “originated by Indians of North America, in which two 10-member teams attempt to send a small ball into each other’s netted goal, each player being equipped with a crosse or stick at the end of which is a netted pocket for catching, carrying, or throwing the ball.”
And it’s the game that Jorgen Dahl, varsity head coach of the Brookings Rage lacrosse team and founder of the South Dakota State University lacrosse team, and Nate Quam are working to generate more interest here in Brookings.
A native of Bloomington, Minn., Dahl is an SDSU senior majoring in agricultural systems technology with a minor in agricultural business. Quam owns Dave’s Collision Repair, a family business in Brookings.
Dahl has played lacrosse since he was a third-grader. He’s been coaching for four years at the college level and three years at the youth level. Quam works on the organization side of the venture and oversees the lacrosse program in Brookings.
“The SDSU men’s lacrosse team got a lot of attention from around here,” Dahl said. “Corey Mitchell, who started the Sioux Falls Spark team, he actually refereed our first ever SDSU game in Vermillion.” This year marks the third year for the SDSU lacrosse team.
“Right now it’s just a club team,” Dahl explained. “Obviously in the near future we definitely want to have a high school-sanctioned sport here in Brookings. But to do that there’s a lot of hoops to jump through to get into the school. You’d definitely have to have a JV (junior varsity) team, a varsity team, and a freshmen-sophomore team. That’s usually how it goes. That’s three high school teams; everything below that is all youth. That could be run through the club organization.”
Club sports have to pay their own way. Unlike sanctioned sports such as football, basketball and track, they don’t get funding from the school system.
According to Dahl, the cost to equip a lacrosse player with a stick, helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads and athletic cup “can be anywhere from $100 to a grand. It just depends on how much you want to spend on your gear.”
Lacrosse is considered by many to be an elite East Coast college sport – think Penn State, Syracuse (N.Y.), Duke (N.C.), Georgetown (Washington, D.C) and the universities of Maryland and of Virginia.
However, Dahl said, “I think as far as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even into Iowa and Nebraska, it’s definitely caught on in the Midwest. Now it’s just a matter of going farther west and catching on more and more.”
Some players participate in Sioux Falls
The Rage operates under the overarching umbrella sponsorship of the Dakota Premier Lacrosse League. Dahl and Quam hope to see more coaches come onboard as the program grows and attracts more players.
Quam said about 18 boys have signed up for varsity. He added that for now the numbers signed for the 12U, 14U and 16U are not sufficient enough to put together teams at those levels.
But he’s ensuring that those who want to play lacrosse at those levels have the opportunity to do so.
“We have twos and threes of those; so those kids travel down to Sioux Falls and compete in that league there. About three of us drive down twice a week for practice. And they’re placed on the same teams that allow them to play together,” Quam explained.
Dahl wants to see players get involved at those ages, “so when they get to high school age, they already know how to play. They already have some knowledge; they just need to grow as a player and as a person.”
Both Dahl and Quam see the younger teams, when put together, as “a feeder system” for bringing players to the high school and varsity level.
So far it’s been boys only signing on.
Mix of hockey and soccer
Dahl and Quam admit that lacrosse is a game that can be both “rough and aggressive.” But the protective gear is good and safety is stressed.
Dahl noted the importance of referees in adapting to a game that is still new in this part of the country.
“They were definitely up to speed on it, but in my eyes I think they didn’t let the kids play the game as they should have. Maybe they overcalled a little bit; but that comes with the first year,” Dahl said.
“The referees are adapting to the game and the speed of play and that kind of thing, and they always just want to make the right call. That’s perfectly fine.”
By way of definition, Dahl said lacrosse is “basically a mix of hockey and soccer. There’s mid-field attack and defense, and you have your one goalie.”
Dahl sees lacrosse in Brookings in its third year “as up and coming. There’s definitely lot more of it out there, with the varsity program being in its second year.”
He’s hoping to see boys who show athletic talent develop an interest in lacrosse.
“It’s definitely worth giving it a try,” he explained.
Citing Brookings High School athletes who play the mainstay sports of football, basketball, baseball and hockey, Dahl said, “All of those players can hop on a lacrosse field and do great, just with the aspect of their background of those sports.”
Anyone looking to see what lacrosse is all about are invited to a pair of free games at 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. on March 25 at SDSU’s Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Additional information about lacrosse in Brookings can be found at brookingslacrosseclub.com or by giving Quam a call at (605) 691-9060.
Contact John Kubal at jkubal@-brookingsregister.com.
