U-46's first girls lacrosse team determined to make it
Learning a new sport is hard enough. Doing it with a squad of novice teammates can be "daunting" - but exciting as well.
Twenty-six girls from Elgin Area School District U-46 high schools are finding that out as they launch the district's first co-op junior varsity girls lacrosse team.
"It's a daunting task," coach Natalie Homan said. "We have girls who weren't interested last year that decided to pick up a stick and a ball. ... They are learning and they are having fun."
Only four girls on the team have played lacrosse before. The rest are mostly cheerleaders, with one basketball and one softball player.
The students began practicing in February and have played seven games. They won their first, 7-6, and tied another but have otherwise struggled, and that can be demoralizing.
"I find it hard because when you mess up and miss a shot, it makes you scared to take another shot," said Kayla Emmett, 16, a Bartlett High School sophomore and cheerleader who was inspired to try the sport after watching her older brother play lacrosse for the school's varsity boys team. "Everybody came from different sports and we are learning to play as a team."
Homan, 29, of South Elgin, was a four-year varsity lacrosse player at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. She said she gives pep talks after every game and consults with her retired former coach, Tom Paulius, for coaching tips and advice.
"We are going to keep moving forward," she said. "The way they've handled those losses ... they have held their heads up high and haven't backed down."
U-46 tried launching a girls team in the spring of 2018, when lacrosse became an Illinois High School Association-sanctioned sport. But the program never got off the ground for the lack of a head coach.
People new to the sport find lacrosse has "a faster pace" with constant movement and rules that can be confusing, said Dan Arntzen, Streamwood High School athletic director overseeing the lacrosse program.
Girls lacrosse also differs from the boys' version in that it's not a contact sport involving tackles and use of sticks to strike opponents' bodies. Boys are required to play with pads and helmets, while girls are equipped with only googles and mouthguards. Helmets also are optional for girls.
"It's a lot less contact than I'm used to," said Ella Winterhalder, 15, a freshman basketball player from South Elgin High. "Trusting my teammates is probably one of the best things about the sport. Getting the fundamentals down was the challenge at first, (but) I'm getting the hang of it."
With five games left to play this season, Homan is hopeful the girls will pull off a few more wins, starting with Tuesday's home game at Streamwood High's Millennium Field against her alma mater Carl Sandburg.
Win or lose, the girls - who hail from Bartlett, Elgin, Streamwood and South Elgin high schools - are making history charting a new course for U-46's lacrosse program, Homan said.
"I'm hopeful that, through all the time and practice and sweat and tears that we've put together a team, they will be successful," she said.
She and players also are seeking support from the school community to help boost the team's morale and build the program.
"Nobody really knows about us at our school," Kayla said. "We want people to come to our games and watch us play ... come cheer at home games."