Huntley High School Junior's Future Is Lacrosse

Todd Meyer wants to play lacrosse when he gets to college ... scholarship or not.

A 17-year-old resident of Lake in the Hills, Meyer is a junior at Huntley High School and among the growing numbers nationally that have become smitten with a sport first played by Native Americans centuries ago.

One reason why Meyer enjoys the sport is its “uniqueness.”  Although more and more people know what it is, it’s still not prime time. Meyer watches lacrosse on YouTube and on high-digit cable channels.

“It’s a combination of basketball and hockey,” said Walt Kopp, who started the Huntley Lacrosse Club four years ago. “Back when we started there were five teams. Now there are 12 teams. It’s really gaining in popularity. Boys like it because it’s a contact sport.  And there is a lot of running."

There are 20 players on Huntley's varsity team. Ten players from each team take the field. They include a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attack men.

“You’ve got to be smart if you want a scholarship,” Kopp said. “Being just a good player won’t do it. … lacrosse scholarships are Ivy League, places like Johns Hopkins and Cornell.”

“This is an investment with the hopes that Todd gets a college scholarship,” said Cheryl Meyer, Todd’s mom.

A club sport, lacrosse is not officially recognized at Huntley High School. Todd’s parents paid about $700 for his equipment, including cleats for outdoors and turf shoes for artificial grass, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, a rib guard, a helmet and a stick.

This year the Todd's mom said she spent about $500 for league fees. Todd will be on an elite traveling team this summer that will cost another $1,800.

“I used to play football,” Meyer said. “But football clashed with my drumming in the school band. Lacrosse is a good fit. It’s a spring sport that’s both brutal and fun.”

Just coming off an ankle injury, Meyer was out of action for nearly two weeks.  In a game May 9 against Crystal Lake South, Meyer had a hat trick in the first half.

“He was on his way to a career scoring high,” his mom said.  “But he rolled his ankle about a minute into the second half.”

 Huntley went on to win that game 10-3.

 Todd is back on his feet. His team is 5-6. No worries, though, every team makes the playoffs.  The team to beat in their conference is Cary-Grove High School.

Meyer is left-handed, which he says is a benefit. He’s an attack man, an offensive player. He’s strong from the opposite side most defenders are accustomed to. He said he averages about three goals a game.

“For the last decade, lacrosse has been one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country. US Lacrosse chapters have been established in 40 states and more than 560,000 played on organized teams in 2009 compared to just over 250,000 in 2001. The sport is growing at almost every level of the game,” according to the US Lacrosse website.

Todd said he senses the growing interest in the sport.

“More and more people are stopping me in the hallway," Todd Meyer said. "They're asking, ‘Hey, when are you playing next?’”

Bruce Blumer, Huntley High School's athletic director, said one day lacrosse could become a school-sanctioned sport.