March 21, Milton residents have the opportunity to welcome a new sport to the area: lacrosse. John Norton, Milton Parks and Recreation department director, revealed the news during the city’s public meeting regarding ideas for the Sportsplex, February 19. Coaches and players from Gulf Breeze High School and Escambia County recreation teams will put on a clinic for boys and girls, 6 to 16 years old. The clinic will have the dual purpose of introducing the sport to area youth and gauge local interest in the sport before establishing teams. Norton said, “I have a feeling, in 5 to 6 years, it will be a major sport in the area.”
Norton said Seth Barlow, a Milton High School student, was the driving force behind the effort to grow the sport in Santa Rosa County. Right now, Gulf Breeze High School is the only SRC school with a lacrosse team. Barlow said he got involved with the sport during middle school.
“I have always been a fan of the sport. Yet when I met my friend Levi in high school we connected primarily because of lacrosse. He and I talked about trying to get a team in the community then at the high school. Sadly, Levi passed away past November, so I am carrying this forward not only for the city of Milton, but in Levi's memory…Mrs. (Rhonda) Waters, who is a teacher at Milton high school, has been one, if not my biggest partner, and supporter in this endeavor.”
So what is lacrosse? Shannon Coleman, with Pensacola Lacrosse Association for Youth (PLAY), said, “The game has a little bit for everyone. It looks like hockey and field hockey. The ball is moved quickly like in basketball and we use terms like ‘fast break,’ ‘zone defense’ and ‘man to man.’ You shoot on a protected goal like in soccer. The physicality is limited in order to protect the players but like soccer, hockey, and basketball, there is physicality, and at the older ages in the boys game their are even hits like in football but not as violent.”
Lacrosse is also unique for how girls play it compared to the guys. Coach Carlee Diggins-Costello of Team LaxChix, girls lacrosse club on the panhandle, said, “We say, ‘one sport, two games,’ because they use different equipment and rules. Boys lacrosse is played with hard helmets and boys are padded up. Boys may hit to the body with the stick. They may use their body in play to push other players. Girls lacrosse is more of a finesse sport. Girls do not wear any padding and only wear a mouth guard and goggles. In Girls lacrosse there are many rules. Stick contact is permitted but you may not check stick near head. It is labeled the fastest game on two feet, and it is. Players can run up to two miles or more during a game.”
Before the clinic in three weeks, Gulf Breeze High School has a few games. At home, they play Lincoln High School Friday, Chiles High School Saturday, then Pensacola High School on March 12, the final game before the clinic.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton may play a new game