Students form RHS lacrosse club

COBY ESTRADA

For the past 10 years, Woodcreek Lacrosse Club operated as an independent team with players from the Roseville community, but it was not directly affiliated with any school’s athletic department. But this year, Woodcreek decided to create an official school, CIF sanctioned, team.

As a result, students from RHS can no longer play on the team and formed their own club.

Senior Ryan Szekula was one of those players initially left out when WHS formed a school specific team and now plays for Roseville’s club team.

Szekula was a main part of the recruiting process for the lacrosse team, as he reached out to his old football team from the fall. The lacrosse team had some players return from the old Woodcreek club but not enough to make a full team.

“I thought of kids that weren’t playing any winter sports and that were open minded and athletic,” Szekula said. “Lacrosse isn’t too easy to get into, it’s not like a basketball where you can just pick it up and go.”

Junior Brett Kundsen, was one of the players Szekula recruited. Kundsen had never played lacrosse before but was intrigued by the sport and the people with him. 

“I thought it would be fun because it’s a new experience and I’ve never played before,” Knudsen said. “A lot of my friends are playing too so that made me want to play.”

Knudsen describes the recruitment as a ripple effect as more people continued to say they were playing, the more people joined. 

With a team full of athletes who haven’t played lacrosse before, the team has to take a step back and learn more about the fundamentals. Senior Mason Crews, who has been playing lacrosse since he was 12 years old, believes the team must start from the bottom in practices.

“Our team is full of people with no experience in lacrosse, so in practice we’re doing the basic skills, just throwing and catching. No hitting yet,” Crews said.