This 2022 school year, the boys’ lacrosse team for Air Academy has so much potential! This year’s coaches are building strong and confident leaders for both the JV and Varsity teams. There are many positive players ready to put all of their effort in for a great season.

Tryouts!

Pre-season and tryouts for the lacrosse team put the boys through an immense amount of hard work and is meant to teach them what it means to be a part of a team. Learning the appropriate skills and stamina is extremely important in the sport and should be perfected before the official season starts.

“The team did very well during tryouts. People made the team they deserved and it was overall a good experience for everyone,” sophomore Jeremiah Day expressed. 

Allowing the players to get their work in while having fun is essential. If the sport is not fun that will reduce the number of people that want to be on the team. Some players think they are better than they actually are, so it is good that no one got cut from the team and they were able to be put on the right team.

“Tryouts went well. We had a pretty good-sized incoming class of freshmen with very good players. Some of the challenges I’d say was missing some depth on the JV side,” sophomore Carter Inazu communicated.

The reputation of the team is important because then it allows for new people to try out for the team and want to be a part of it. The freshman this year have heard all good things about the school’s lacrosse team and decided to be a part of their community.

Anything Special Coming?

To keep the season entertaining and upbeat, the coaches or players plan activities or fundraisers to give back to the city or organizations. Banquets and representing something other than lacrosse is great for the team and those around them.

“We play Cheyenne Mountain sometime in April and it is a fundraiser for cancer. We are going to get special shoelaces and all the money raised from the game goes to helping find a cure for cancer,” senior Aidan Hames announced.

The money raised from the Cheyenne vs Air Academy game will go to a cancer foundation. This shows how much the team cares about the important things, not just winning and losing.

Practices for the Team

There is a need for practice time within a team. Practices allow the players to bond with their teammates and improve their skills for the sport. There is also an opportunity for trying new things and seeing if they will work in a game.

“During practices, we start off with our dynamic warmups and then go into drills with practicing fundamentals. Then we play live, often practicing a new offensive or defensive scheme. We’re always making drills competitive and keeping score. We end our practices with a yoga session to get more flexible,” senior Grant Rodney mentioned.

The lacrosse team makes the practices competitive so that the players can get a full feel of what a game will be. All sports need some sort of flexibility to do certain moves and run after overall, so a yoga session should be very beneficial.

Overall Experience

“My experience with lacrosse has been good. I’ve always had a support system and been encouraged to better myself in the sport,” senior Jasper Iaconis voiced.

Keeping a positive outlook on the upcoming lacrosse season is going to improve the mindset of the players greatly, which will lead to more wins for the team.