Lacrosse. The equivalent game to playing soccer and hockey, but without the ice. This year the lacrosse team comes back bigger and more motivated than years past. It seems that GSHS is looking forward to a victorious year. This year 8 came back to play this great sport and 30 took the challenge of playing lacrosse. 38 make a big team, and a threat to others.     

     With the new team players, everything is different. Maybe the team has new found strength and unavoidable weakness; it all depends on the players themselves. “Practices are different… we go over the basics (passing, scoring) rather than running through the drills,” said Michael Moreno

     It would seem like this year calls for development of basics. Which is a good thing in any sport, he also says there is no competition that goes on during the practices. Tough luck new players, but with practice and motivation they can be a competitive force unlike any other.

     Moreno speaks for all of the team when he says what motivates the team is fun. That's what every sport should be: not for self gratification but an awesome athletic experience.  The difference that Moreno describes is the numbers. Being a comeback player it surprised him. It would be a surprise to see 30 new players sign up for a team, in one year. Of the 8 who came back, they include Moreno himself, Connor Pawlak, and Blaze Barham.

     A team that the Demon lacrosse team wants to play is their rival Aspen. As well as SteamBoat. But they want to beat Aspen  due to a loss against the team, now they just want to beat Aspen, being the best team in the league, according to Moreno.  As the team they want to have fun and also get school funding. That is as good goal as any, wanting the school to fund the sport. It may be a challenge due to cuts of school funding but they’ll find a way. Moreno believes the team to be progressing in their development of skill.

     “We want to be a threat and be competitive but we want to have fun and make lacrosse enjoyable,” said Moreno. Head coach Schroder would agree. It is good to know that player and coach agree it's all about having fun. “We want to have a good team philosophy; we want to make the players play as a team rather than individuals.” Playing together and having good competition is what coach Schreader wants to see this year for the team. 

     What coach wouldn't want to see that.  Like they saying, ‘there is no I in team’ both in spelling and meaning. Every player can shine. If only one part of a whole is working harder the whole thing falls apart. But as whole it becomes a devastating force. 

    As far as playing the team does a great job. These players are motivated by a philosophy and a good goal. Lacrosse to the team is more  than just a sport. The lacrosse season will continue and end, and it is up to the players themselves to decide how the season will go. Maybe they’ll win, or not, what matter is that they will have played their best.