Lakes Region Lacrosse confronts low sign-ups, uncertain future

GILFORD — Lakes Region Lacrosse Club President Chuck Axtell warned, in a Feb. 12 Facebook post, that if the low enrollment and volunteer numbers for the upcoming spring season did not improve, the club might have to cease operation.

In 2022, signups were half of what they were pre-pandemic, the post noted. This year, they are half of what they were last year.

The program typically fields eight teams — four in the girls division and four in the boys — and as of an update last week, only three of them had coaches. There were just 20 girls and 24 boys enrolled across age groups, with only one of the eight teams able to field a complete lineup.

“The bottom line is drastic change/help is needed or the club cannot function,” Axtell wrote. 

Lakes Region Lacrosse Club, based in Gilford, was founded in 1995 and fielded its first girls team in 2007. By 2018, the club had more than 150 rostered athletes across all teams, with a near-even split between boys and girls, according to its website.

Lacrosse is often dubbed the oldest sport in North America because it was created by Native Americans in eastern and central parts of what is now the United States and Canada. It evolved over time as it was appropriated by white European settlers, and saw its first modern wave of growth in the post-war era.

The sport grew exponentially at the youth and college levels in the past three decades, though the pandemic calmed the trend, according to a column by USA Lacrosse CEO Mike Riccio. The sport remains among the fastest growing programs in the NCAA in both numbers and in clout.

And while lacrosse and youth sports on the whole are gradually bouncing back from the disruptions of the pandemic, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2022 Project Play report, the pandemic hit many smaller clubs and programs the hardest. The report notes that 3 of every 10 parents said their local sport organization was forced to close, merge with another organization or scale back its offerings in 2022.

Lakes Region Lacrosse Club may find itself among them.

Axtell couldn’t pinpoint a single cause of the dwindling numbers, which he noted other teams in the league, including teams in larger cities, are also experiencing.

The learning curve, costs and the uncertainty of a program on the rocks all play a role, Axtell said.

Because the sport isn’t as commonplace in children’s upbringings, there can be a big skill gap in hometown leagues between kids who were raised on the sport, playing it year-round, and kids who are just learning the basics. That disparity can be discouraging, Axtell noted.

Also, the club has a $135 registration fee, which largely goes toward paying for indoor facilities before the snow melts and paying referees for games, in addition to buying first aid supplies and team equipment like nets and balls. That fee may seem steeper for young families as the economy cools.

And while the sport has less equipment and costs than some others, Axtell said, “anything that’s a cost is a barrier to entry.”

Furthermore, a self-reinforcing cycle of low enrollment and program uncertainty can turn athletes away.

The program has been struggling with getting coaches and other parent volunteers, in addition to athletes.

“You need the parents’ involvement: you need parents coaching and volunteering on the board,” Axtell said. “It just hasn't been there in the last couple of years.”

Axtell, who grew up with the sport, played in college and now has two kids immersed in the sport, stepped into leadership last year to prevent the club from closing. He had hoped that low enrollment and parent enthusiasm was “just a blip after the pandemic.” But two consecutive years of telling athletes and parents that there may not be a club come spring drives families to other programs or other sports, Axtell said.

By contrast, Laconia Lacrosse Club is as popular as ever, according to board President Mike Holmes. Several of its teams have waiting lists or have been split into two groups.

In New Hampshire’s youth lacrosse league, kids whose town has a team must play for it, and those without an official team in their hometown can choose from clubs nearby. Some but not all of LRLC’s attrition consists of players from surrounding towns joining other teams, Axtell said.

Holmes attributed the strength of Laconia’s club to consistency and its free registration. Its board and group of coaches has remained largely unchanged in recent years, Holmes said. For Holmes, who started in the program as an athlete in its founding years in the '90s, “having great role-model coaches makes you stick around.” 

As a community-based program, Laconia’s athletes do not have to pay to register, though they must meet an individual fundraising goal. Holmes said Laconia’s lack of a fee may help draw in players from surrounding towns.

Additionally, in a virtuous circle, the recent success of Laconia High Schools’ lacrosse teams is both a product of and a fuel for enthusiasm among city youth. Sachems have taken home five state titles in the past eight years — three by the girls squad and two by the boys. In a sport without much media or pop culture presence, local ties and success are a key element to drawing in young athletes.

LRLC’s registration for the upcoming season closed Tuesday. It’s too early to make decisions about the club as a whole, though it appears several of the teams will be short of a full roster, Axtell said. Younger groups can combine with older ones to play up a level, but whether that’s the right call for younger players varies, Axtell said. He may refer athletes to other clubs. 

“I don't really care where kids are playing. What's important to me is that they have the opportunity to play,” he said. 

But ensuring that is a balancing act, especially since most of Lakes Region’s teams are just a few players short. If smaller programs continue on despite struggling with numbers, teams play without substitutes — if they play at all — making for exhausting games that “aren’t really that fun.” But if smaller teams close down and send their players to other programs, those kids may not see much playing time on squads with already full rosters.

On both ends of the spectrum, Axtell said, “there's limits to what each town can provide.”