Girls’ lacrosse to face off in Saline County
The Salt County Lacrosse team will face off for its season opener today against Bentonville, starting at 1 p.m. at Alcoa 40
Park in Bryant.
“We are an independent team made up of girls from Benton, Bryant, ACA (Arkansas Christian Academy), Sheridan and homeschooled girls,” said Crystal Baker, one of the organizers for the team.
Their mascot is the Knights and Baker and her husband Adam decided to create the team because their daughters, Gralynn and Addison, both 15, had played for two years, but the local program got rid of the girls’ team. They wanted to play. They went to Little Rock, but there was no team for girls in high school.
“We decided to start Salt County so our girls could continue to play,” Baker said.
The team is for girls in eighth through 12th grades.
The family started working to create the team after Christmas. They reached out to other girls who had played. The goal was 15 girls. They got 27 signed up.
“The response has been amazing,” Baker said.
She said for women, lacrosse is a no-contact sport. There are 12 players made up of the goal keeper, attackers, defenders and mid fielders. Baker described it as a mix of basketball and soccer with sticks.
She said the sport is active and intense on a long field. There are a lot of substitutions so having a team of 27 works well.
They will play other teams in central Arkansas and northwest
Arkansas. They will even play a team in Shreveport, Louisiana. They are part of the Natural State Lacrosse League.
All home games will be at Alcoa 40 Park. They will play a few times a week.
Baker said lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
She added it is more popular in the northeast of the country. It is a sport where girls have a greater chance of getting a college scholarship or even getting to play on a college team than other sports.
They have had one preseason game against Pulaski Academy in Little Rock.
For the girls, Baker said this sport is a great way to learn team-building skills. It is also a fun way to try a new sport.
Baker wants the community to know how hard the players are working to be successful.
Eventually, they want to add a team for boys and teams for younger players.
Baker hopes to grow lacrosse in Saline County. She encourages the community to check out a game and support the players.