Men's Lacrosse Club
Building a brand new team will take several committed individuals. We need to have at least one goalie, four long poles, and eight middies/
attackmen going into each game. This gives us a sub for every position but goal. Having been around lax for a while now, I can guarantee you that a we will want more than 13 players available, especially since most days will have
at least two games. Unfortunately, the
Great Plains Lacrosse League requires players to be 18 or older, which prevents some eager Valley guys from playing.
The GPLL plays on Saturdays throughout June and July. This means that there are games every Saturday; most are in Kansas City or Omaha. There is a remote possibility that we could possibly arrange games in the Des Moines area, but most likely it would be one weekend. KC is kind of the central location for the league and they have two teams to serve as hosts.
In addition to the time and travel
commitments, there are financial obligations too. Every player will need lacrosse specific helmets, gloves, and pads to play. The
GPLL is a US Lacrosse sanctioned league which means that
hockey pads are not allowed. All players will also have to
register with US Lacrosse ($50 per calendar year). Since there are league dues, there will be team dues; I would guess around $200, but don't quote me. Travel costs may or may not be included in the dues.
Unlike Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, we are in our first year of high school lacrosse. The exposure level in Des
Moines is still fairly nonexistent; holding a free recreational league in-town this summer will give us an opportunity to teach new players and spread the lax-bug. Our local player pool will increase significantly by next year since the game is currently growing rapidly and we will have even more former
Valley players over 18.
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions about playing for the Demons,
contact us. In the meantime, the Demons may debut as a team in the
Open Box Lacrosse League.