Girls’ Lacrosse: Potential New Sport at AHS

JIMMY TANG
Staff Writer
Alhambra High School: home to academic scholars, seasoned athletes and one day, possibly tough lacrosse players as well. For the past six years, the proposal to add a girls’ lacrosse team has been discussed among the school’s administration but has remained stagnant. The school’s dwindling budget has made it difficult for the school to add a program that requires steep fees for transportation and equipment.
“We have been considering [this idea] based off of student interest surveys and female students who have expressed their interest in the sport,” said Assistant Principal of Business and Activities Jeremy Infranca.
Lacrosse is a team sport in which athletes score goals by shooting a ball into an opponent’s goal, using a lacrosse stick to catch, carry and pass the ball. Because lacrosse originated on the East coast, its popularity is slowly rising in the West. Unfortunately, here in the San Gabriel Valley, the team would have to travel farther distances to compete against other schools.
“Our ability to afford this program is an important factor because there are only two or three schools in the area that have girls’ lacrosse teams,” said Infranca.
Currently, there are no official reports stating that a lacrosse team will be added. However, as more students express their interest in this sport, the likelihood of it being added is improving. Many factors will be weighed in as the school decides whether this proposal will prove beneficial to the student body. One major factor that will be taken into account is the school’s opinion on having a girls’ lacrosse team.
“Having a girls’ lacrosse team would be a great idea because, to my knowledge, it is not a very popular sport in the area, so this exposure would give female students an opportunity to explore a new sport,” said junior Taneshia Ngo.
The process of adding a new sport is both grueling and time-consuming, but in the end, the school would benefit from the experience students would gain. With lacrosse added to our roster, students will have more opportunities to find outlets in which they are able to establish their character and further explore their interests.