CITY LIFE

continued from p. 7 somebody’s said something like that to you, it hurts.”

The outcome of that first incident left Johnson’s player understandably livid during the Broncos’ 2017-2018 middle school season. But the head coach has witnessed other instances in games that were unjust and disappointing.

“As far as, like, covert things, I guess I sometimes make the observation that it seems like when our kids are getting beat down, it’s almost like a fl ag is never thrown,” Johnson adds. “Whenever one of our kids hits a kid too hard, sometimes I noticed that it’s like, ‘Alright, what’s the deal here? Why are we always getting fl ags for playing aggressive? But the other team never gets a fl ag for playing aggressive?’ So, that type of thing has come up a bit.”

Johnson and his team were tested yet again in another ugly matter.

“With the same exact kid, he was in eighth grade when it fi rst happened,” says Johnson. “We were playing Latin School and it happened again. At that time, I think what ended up happening in that situation was he kinda charged the kid after the game and tried to confront him about it. And a bunch of players got in his way. And then, we dove deeper and deeper and had meetings with Latin and emailed back and forth about it. And they kind of denied the situation, and it kind of di used from there.”

Despite facing racial hostility, Kenwood Academy is still planning to become a well-talented lacrosse program in this state. And they aren’t willing to relinquish anytime soon. Their current boys’ varsity team is the perfect example of diversifying a unit in this sport—they have three white players, one Hispanic player, one Asian player, and 20 Black players.

“I think for Kenwood lacrosse specifically in the next few years, we’re going to continue to improve quite a bit,” Johnson mentions. “Because, as we have been operating this high school club, the middle school team acts as our feeder. And we have about ten kids who are eighth graders that are going to graduate. They’ll kind of be the next generation of Kenwood lacrosse players.”

Kenwood’s lacrosse program is actively playing this season, but Urban Prep Academy’s Englewood boys’ team will not play this season due to a lack of student participation. For a team that has only recorded one victory in their four seasons of existence, the

Lions forfeited the last four games during the previous year. Despite this, lacrosse has allowed the students to try an activity that is relatively new to them.

“Lacrosse provides an experience that is truly one of a kind,” says Lions head coach Garrett Hannett. “At Urban Prep, it would allow for athletes playing other sports to learn new skills and apply them on the field and for other students to discover a new sport to play and love. These students deserve to have another sport to play other than football and basketball.”

A Lynwood, Illinois, native and Marian Catholic High School graduate, Hannett competed for the Spartans and eventually Illinois State University’s club lacrosse team. He was informed by a college teammate that Urban Prep was searching for a head coach since their previous coach, Matthew Wegh, left after the 2021 season to accept a new position at De La Salle, which he maintains today. Wegh was also a prominent figure for the Lions as he and other administrators helped build the program when it started in 2019. As an African American fan and player who adores the sport, Hannett took the new head coaching position shortly after but failed to gain a victory last season.

“Some struggles the team experienced were the number of players to field a team,” says Hannett. “It can be hard for new programs to get fully committed players, but that was to be expected. Other struggles were mainly around acquiring equipment for players due to the cost.”

Urban Prep was able to contribute funds of around $1,500 for equipment for their players thanks to StringKing, a small sporting goods store that gave the team a discount. This was a great gesture for the team to avoid spending money on annual emoluments. However, high expenses on full packs of equipment have overburdened the program beyond Urban Prep’s budget for sports.

But the 27-year-old has good faith in the program and expects to return to the field with his team in the future. “I would like for the team to return and grow,” says Hannett. Nonprofit organizations can also help introduce the sport to Black communities and inner-city youth. OWLS Lacrosse (Outreach With Lacrosse and Schools) has been a pillar for south- and west-side congregations since 2011. Since 2018, their scholars have earned around $900,000 in scholarships and fi nancial aid for more than 300 Black kids per year.

“This centuries-old game has brought and continues to bring people together from all walks of life and experience for a common goal (or two),” says OWLS Lacrosse executive director Sam Angelotta. “It’s fast-paced, fun to watch, and exciting to play.”

As an Ohio native and Indiana University graduate, Angelotta moved to Chicago in 2009 after a year of playing in a senior lacrosse premier league in the north of England for the Manchester Waconians. The former early childhood educator and athletic director at Saint Malachy School founded OWLS Lacrosse as he was completing his master’s degree at DePaul University; Angelotta noticed during this time how African American children were facing some extreme disparities in Chicago. His goals are to confront childhood obesity and lack of enrichment opportunities.

“The ultimate goal is not only to provide access to the game but access to a high-quality college prep education and beyond,” says Angelotta. “We track our academy scholars through attainment of high-quality postsecondary credentials and/or valuable careers.”

Angelotta, 37, makes sure all of his scholars will obtain full support from his organization, which includes academic and career workshops, lacrosse clinics, and 12-month mentorships.

Since there are only two fully Black teams in the city, many coaches, players, and administrators would love to see more primarily Black schools add more lacrosse teams to their athletic programs. Black teenagers can view lacrosse as a healthy outlet and a new gateway to seek athletic or academic scholarships. It’s very understandable that Chicago wants to send a clear message that this sport is for everyone.

“I would absolutely love to see other Black schools start lacrosse teams,” says Hannett. “Diversity is needed in the sport, and all are welcome to play.”

As for Farmer, Kenwood’s sensational star has ambitions to enroll at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign next fall and join their club team.

“I’ve always just been someone who loves feeling progress in the things I do,” says Farmer. “Lacrosse provides me with some very tangible feelings of progress, and it just feels good to get better. In addition to wanting to get better just because I like being good at things, lacrosse has also become a very meditative practice for me. It helps me clear my head and feel more clear overall, and I love that.”