New Intramural Youth Lacrosse Program A Success

Friday night, under the lights at Cabrini College’s Dixon Field, the hard fought lacrosse championship game was headed into sudden death overtime. Both teams had battled fiercely.

With less than two minutes left to play in the game, the Maryland squad, which had trailed most of the game, scored a game-tying goal against the talented Villanova team, sending the game into extra minutes. 

Although the teams bore the names of some of the nation’s top lacrosse programs, the players were actually second, third, and fourth graders playing in the inaugural season of the Springfield Athletic Association’s intramural lacrosse program. It was a fitting conclusion to a season that far-exceeded both parents and coaches expectations.

“To go from nothing to this - a tournament at Cabrini under the lights - is incredible,” said Brian Gougler, a parent and coach for the intramural league’s Notre Dame squad. “Giving kids the opportunity to play on a weekly basis in competitive games is a big boost for the entire Springfield lacrosse program.”

Gougler and other coaches are quick to credit the program's success to league organizer and Springfield resident Ed Grafstrom, who has a second grade son playing in the league. Up until this year, second, third and fourth graders who were not playing travel lacrosse were largely limited to practice clinics organized through the athletic association. 

Maryland team coach Kirk Kuzmick said clinics set up in prior years were helpful to teach players lacrosse fundamentals, but the kids really wanted to put on pads and play the game. 

“This season turned out better than anyone had hoped for,” Kuzmick said. Like many others, Kuzmick credited the program's success to Grafstrom, who took the lead in proposing the concept of an intramural league to the leadership of the Springfield Athletic Association, then executing the idea.

Grafstrom and others approached the athletic association’s leadership over the winter with the idea of the intramural league and a new U-9 travel lacrosse team.  Initially, Grafstrom was nervous about whether there would be enough interest. He recalled closely watching the registration numbers. 

Ultimately, that concern was unfounded. More than 80 players registered, more than enough to create six separate teams, each named after local and national college lacrosse programs – Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Maryland, Penn State and Villanova.  About 60 percent of the players were second graders, 30 percent were third graders and 10 percent were fourth graders.  

Despite the accolades many league coaches and parents gave Grafstrom, he was quick to credit others for the success of the program. He said it worked because of the dedication of a core group of parents and travel team coaches who were committed to its success. He noted how the Springfield travel C team coaches, Gougler and Rob O’Brien, required their players to play on the intramural squads. Players on the newly-founded U-9 team, coached by Grafstrom, Paul Broom, Dave Lohr and Anthony McBride, were also required to play intramural as well. Grafstrom said that gave the second graders, who were largely new to the sport, the opportunity to learn from players with advanced skills and knowledge of the game. 

The intramural program seeks to emphasize the fundamentals of the game. While games were held each Saturday afternoon, they were preceded by an hour of practice and instruction. 

For his part, Grafstrom was thrilled with the success of the program. “I am just really happy with how everything turned out,” he said, noting that getting kids introduced to the game at a young age is important for them to be competitive in later years. He said he looks forward to working with the parents and coaches to build on this year’s success. 

In addition to the thrill of playing in a championship tournament Friday, the young players also had the opportunity May 18 to take part in practice drills under the direction of Cabrini coach Brian Felice and his players. Felice also emphasized the importance of introducing young players to the game at a young age and teaching them the fundamentals of lacrosse. 

Handing out championship trophies to the Maryland team, which scored the game-winning goal minutes into the sudden death overtime, Grafstrom told the excited players they could claim something no other Springfield team would ever be able to – they are the winners of the intramural program’s inaugural championship.  

But in the end, every player who took part is a winner. They learned the fundamentals and skills of lacrosse and walked away with memories that will last a lifetime.