Lacrosse Team Fares Well at Tournament

The Flower Mound Force Lacrosse program packed a presence the annual Plano Jr. Jam tournament in late November.

Just in its second year, the Force program sent 5 teams to the tournament, with boys teams 3rd grade through High School, and a newly formed girls middle school team.

The competition found the 3rd/4th grade boys Bantam team winning its age division, and the 5th/6th grade divisions receiving Runners-up accolades in a dramatic overtime game Sunday afternoon. It was the first championship for the program over many other local DFW clubs, most of which have been playing for years in established High School programs.

Coach Terry Cole volunteers his time for both the 3rd-4th grade team and a 5th-6th grade division. “It was a lot of fun to see the kids have such a good time and also to see them realize a little success of the field,” Cole stated. “With so many of the kids being brand new to the sport, they’ve had to put in a lot of hard work and conditioning, and that’s really paid off.” Both of his sons, Dominic and Nicholas, played victoriously on each of the teams, scoring multiple goals throughout the tournament, and playing key roles in decisive games.

Lacrosse, toted as “the fastest game of two feet”, is relatively new in the Metroplex, and brand new to the Flower Mound community. Tom Halter, the Force Boys High School Varsity coach, brought the idea for the program to the Lewisville YMCA in April 2008. Since then, the YMCA hosted 3 seasons and now supports over 100 kids.  The sport is rich in heritage and although unfamiliar to most, is quickly picked up by young athletes because of the similarities to hockey, baseball, and soccer.

Registration is open now for the Spring 2010 season and questions about the program can be directed to Bryce Merrill, the YMCA sports director who oversees the program, at [email protected], or at the YMCA’s new competitive sports webpage www.crosstimbersports.com.