COLUMBIA — Local residents have formed a lacrosse league to introduce children to the sport earlier.
Parents, high school lacrosse players, Columbia Parks & Recreation and MU Lacrosse Coach Keith Euker have teamed up with the support of local Play It Again Sports to form the Mid Missouri Lacrosse League.
The season will run from April through late June with practices and games on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The league is open to boys and girls in grades 5-8.
For more than 10 years, lacrosse has struggled in Columbia because it is a club sport and does not receive funding from the high schools, according to a news release.
Furthermore, the existing high school-aged club teams face stiff competition from their opponents from St. Louis and Kansas City, whose students have been playing the sport longer.
The goal of the Mid Missouri Lacrosse League is to introduce the sport to children at a younger age and hopefully increase the popularity of the sport in Columbia, providing high school rosters with more skilled players.
Registration for players is now open. Registration Forms are available at the Columbia Parks & Recreation office, Play It Again Sports or can be downloaded at youth.columbialax.org. Volunteer opportunities are also available for team parents, coaches and referees.
For more information, contact Stacey Tonyan, President Mid Missouri Lacrosse League by e-mail at: tonyans@missouri.edu or calling 573-289-1490.