This Is Sparta
Written and Designed by Kevin Huang
Acknowledgements I would like to thank Freestyle Academy for giving me the tools, instruction, and resources to create this book, and to all the players and coaches of the Mountain View High School lacrosse for creating a community worthy of documentation. I would especially like to thank Joe Juter, Nolan Rudolph, Nick Butters, and Jose Morales for taking the time to assist me with the documentary.
Table of Contents Acknowledgements - Page 3 Table of Contents - Page 5 Preface - Page 9 Introduction - Page 13 Chapter 1 - Page 15 Chapter 2 - Page 19 Chapter 3 - Page 21 Conclusion - Page 25 Works Cited - Page 29
“Intelligence outweighs strength. I can’t tell you how many times someone has made an easy dodge on me because I was attempting to execute a “hit”. The game of lacrosse all comes down to physics and strategy.” -Nolan Rudolph Spartan LSM
“The most special experience I had working at Mountain View High School is not one moment but basically the overall picture of enjoying working with the guys and preparing them for games. You can’t pull out one moment in something like this.” -Joe Juter Spartan Head Coach
Preface
When we were first assigned this Documentary project, I had no idea what location or even topic I would want to research. As I sat and brainstormed, I decided to document a community instead of a more physical location. I chose Mountain View High School lacrosse not only because I find it fun and interesting but because I have experienced it and have a real connection with the community. I have been a member for three years now and it has definitely been a highlight of my high school experience. The most difficult part of this project was synthesizing all the different elements, from the interviews, to the photography, to the website making, and audio recording and engineering. The greatest challenge for me was the interview process because I had never interviewed anyone before, so it was difficult to plan questions and conduct interviews that would give me interesting stories and useful information I could use in my writing. Learning how to use InDesign to create the book was frustrating but also fun because I never realized all the different elements that go into making a book that integrates text and visual images. This project was really challenging but a lot of fun. I hope by reading my book, you can learn a little bit about lacrosse and help it grow.
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Introduction The Mountain View High School lacrosse community is a lot like a sandwich. A sandwich is rough and crunchy on the outside but soft and delicious on the inside. The attitude of the Mountain View High School lacrosse community is very similar. There is a good amount of fun and joking around in the locker rooms as well as on the field but when the whistle blows at the start of a game, everyone is serious and ready to go. We compete at our very hardest, striving for a win against even the weakest teams. You may be asking, “why is this important?” or “don’t all teams consider themselves this way?” But the real question is how the Mountain View High School lacrosse team creates this kind of atmosphere while also working to solve the major issues of lacrosse, like whether or not the growth of lacrosse with ever reach the size of sports like basketball and soccer and will the demographic of lacrosse players become more diverse as the population increases? Th e main topicsView that IHigh have School been researching is the lacrosse demographic and the growth of is therough sport.and The Mountain lacrosse community is a lot like a sandwich. A sandwich Th e gameonofthe lacrosse is but a sport overwhelmingly whiteThe and attitude the diversity players remains largely uncrunchy outside softthat andisdelicious on the inside. of theofMountain View High School changed. With an estimated 750,000There players in organized lacrosse the diversity lacrosse community is very similar. is acompeting good amount of fun and joking teams aroundinin2013, the locker rooms as remains imbalanced butwhen has been improving over time. “Half teameveryone is black,”issays Kyleand Harrison, a black well as on the field but the whistle blows at the start of amy game, serious ready to go. We lacrosse player who plays for Team STX and is regarded by many as the greatest midfi elder in lacrosse history. compete at our very hardest, striving for a win against even the weakest teams. You may be asking, “why is this Th e large imbalance in diversity is not a result of racism as many would assume. Chazz Woodson, one of important?” or “don’t all teams consider themselves this way?” But the real question is how the Mountainthe View most prominent black players of the last decade, has said, “he regularly [receives] emails from children, teenagHigh School lacrosse team creates this kind of atmosphere while also working to solve the major issues of ers, and parents askingthe forplayer advicepopulation or simply thanking him of forplayers. being a role model.” Hakeem Lecky, another black lacrosse, like growing and diversity player,Although who is a midfi elderhas for come the Syracuse Orangethe hasdiversity said, “heof[has] never experienced any situathe sport so far already, those whopersonally play has remained virtually the tions in which he felt ostracized or uncomfortable because of his race. ” same. According to the annual US Lacrosse Participation Report, a record total of 746,859 players competed Lacrosse is a diamond the rough will one day become one ofbut thehas biggest in theover world. It in organized lacrosse teams inin2013, yet thethat diversity remains imbalanced beensports improving time. combines elements from all the player big sports today, fastand pace basketball, the play of soccer, Kyle Harrison, a black lacrosse whoofplays forfusing Teamthe STX is of renowned as one of thestyle greatest midand the physicality of football all together. field players in the history of lacrosse, explains, “when you start getting in those situations where you’re not the only one... you start to feel more comfortable [because] half [his] team is black.” (qtd. in Cohen) Lacrosse is an obscure and inconspicuous sport that will one day become one of the biggest sports in the world. It combines elements from all the big sports of today, fusing the fast pace of basketball, the playstyle of soccer, and the physicality of football all together. With the help of communities like Mountain View High School, lacrosse can grow exponentially and gain influence around the world.
Introduction
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Chapter One: The History of Lacrosse First and foremost, I will explain the
crosse is a lot like “soccer with sticks” (Juter). game of lacrosse. As a result of the The form of lacrosse that I just issues I am addressing, the majority described is the way lacrosse is played of people have little-to-no knowledge in the modern day. Originally “when on the game. Lacrosse is “fast paced, the Native Americans played, it was a physical, and has a lot of strategy to pure war game,” (Juter) used to settle it” (Juter). It is a contact sport that is differences between tribes. Over time, played on grass fields that are a little the game has evolved to become more bit bigger than the size of a football rule based and safety driven as it is field. A lacrosse game is made up of four 15 minute quarters. Each team has now played for recreational purposes and not for life and death situations. 10 players on the field at a time. One goalie, three attackmen, three midfield- About four hundred years ago, French Jesuit missionaries working in the St. ers, and three defensemen. Lacrosse Lawrence Valley stumbled upon “The is played using sticks made up of two parts: a shaft usually made out of metal Creators Game” being played by the Native Americans. It was then that and a plastic head strung with mesh Jean de Brébeuf gave the game the and strings. In the game of lacrosse, name of “lacrosse”. It was not until the the sticks that are used can be differ1800s that lacrosse began to spread to ent lengths. A short pole has a 30-inch people outside of the Native Amerishaft, a defense pole has a 60-inch cans. In 1834, the Caughnawaga Indishaft, and a goalie has a 40-inch shaft. Only four defense poles are allowed to ans gave a demonstration of the game in Montreal and as a result the game be on the field at a time. Attackmen began to develop in Canada, eventually and defensemen have to stay on their becoming the country’s national game sides of the field. Only midfielders are allowed to freely cross between the two in 1860. By the turn of the century, lacrosse was becoming more and more sides of the field. The game starts off popular and was played in the Summer with a face-off, and each team tries to Olympics of 1904 and 1908. Since then score as many goals as they can. Facemultiple countries have participated in offs take place after every goal. Lathe World Lacrosse Championships.
Even with such growth, lacrosse used to be a sport primarily played on the East coast of the United States but in the recent years, it has spread West. In fact, lacrosse has become very developed in California and the rest of the west coast. The Mountain View High School lacrosse program was founded in 2009 by Joe Juter, who is currently the head coach. In the first year of the program, the Mountain View team was able to finish the season with a winning record and make the playoffs. Since then, the sport of lacrosse has grown and so has the Mountain View lacrosse program, both in size and skill. Since the inception of the program, the Mountain View High School lacrosse team has never lost to their crosstown rivals, the Los Altos Eagles, as well as a few other teams that they have competed against for many years. Although, fun facts and maintaining bragging rights are fun, the primary goal of the Mountain View lacrosse program has never been on winning games but, “to help young athletes grow, mature, and evolve as young men off the field through the lessons that they learn via lacrosse” (Juter).
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Chapter Two: The Growth of Lacrosse The main issue of lacrosse is the
amount of people that play the sport. The United States is where lacrosse originated from and even with the largest lacrosse player population in comparison to other nations, the majority of people don’t know how the game is played or more simply what it is. This issue is gradually being solved as the sport continues to grow in all parts of the nation. Currently, there are numerous lacrosse organizations and high school teams in California. Some of the biggest lacrosse organizations in the Bay Area include Team NorCal, Encore, and the Tomahawks. There are
many high schools that compete in lacrosse as well like Burlingame High School, Los Gatos High School, Palo Alto High School, and many more. This is true in many other states as well. Organizations like the Mountain View High School Lacrosse Community are helping the sport grow in a big way by recruiting new players, teaching them the sport, and allowing them to compete. My first time playing lacrosse was in my freshman year for the Mountain View lacrosse team. At a time when my love for basketball was declining, my friends encouraged me to give lacrosse a try and
although I was reluctant at first, I am glad I gave it a try. If it wasn’t for the Mountain View High School team, I probably would have never played lacrosse and found a sport I really enjoy playing. The Mountain View High School lacrosse community has truly affected my life in a positive manner. There are many other Spartans that have a similar story, both current players and alumni. Each year, the Mountain View lacrosse team sees many brand new players and welcomes them with open arms.
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Chapter Three: The Diversity of Lacrosse Another issue related to lacrosse
which he felt ostracized or uncomfortable because of his race” (qtd. in that has not seen as much progress Cohen). is the player population diversity of This lack in diversity origithe sport. The lacrosse community’s population as a whole is overwhelm- nates from a low level of awareness ingly white. In the last few years, we when it comes to lacrosse. As said have caught a glimpse of what many previously, many people around the world or more simply in the United hope to be the future of lacrosse. A States have little-to-no knowledge racial balance in the lacrosse community that will eliminate the uneas- about the game of lacrosse and what it is about. Therefore, many people iness that minority players have to deal with like racism, exclusion, and don’t even consider lacrosse when isolation. “Lacrosse has a race prob- deciding what sports to play. On top of this, most of the youth today lem; the fact that MLL has eight play sports that were played by their teams but only three black player makes that pretty clear” (Gartland). parents, so in places around the world where lacrosse is something The large imbalance in diversity is not a result of racism as many would new, the youth are not exposed to assume. Chazz Woodson, one of the the game. Personally, the only sport most prominent black players of the I was really exposed to was basketball because my uncle was a coach last decade, has said, “he regularly [receives] emails from children, teen- and my cousins played. Before I quit agers, and parents asking for advice playing basketball, I had never really considered playing a different sport. or simply thanking him for being When I did, I did not even think a role model” (qtd. in Cohen). Haabout lacrosse even though I had keem Lecky, another black player, who is a midfielder for the Syracuse been introduced to it at a young age Orange, has said, “he [has] never per- by my cousins that lived in New Jersonally experienced any situations in sey. As an Asian-American lacrosse player, I can definitely say it was
discouraging at first to start playing lacrosse, because I didn’t feel like I fitted in on top of obvious reasons like differences in skill level. The issues of growth and diversity are very interconnected. With growing numbers of people participating in lacrosse, the chances of diverse groups of people participating in lacrosse also increase. It is evident that lacrosse is growing on the international level. In 1986, four nations participated in the World Lacrosse Championship. Since then, lacrosse has grown immensely, reaching countries like England, China, and even Uganda. In the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships, a total of thirty-eight nations came to compete in Denver, Colorado. In fact, last year, the head coach of the Mountain View lacrosse team, Joe Juter, traveled to Colombia to assist and prepare their national team for the World Championships in Denver, but also to grow the sport in Colombia. The international growth of lacrosse directly increases the racial diversity of the player population.
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Conclusion
The Mountain View High School lacrosse community is signiďŹ cant because of the role it plays in guiding young men in the right direction through the game of lacrosse. By playing lacrosse at Mountain View, we learn how to overcome obstacles, how to work together, how to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat, and most importantly how to treat others with respect and dignity. The Mountain View High School lacrosse community is a group of fun, lighthearted people that love to compete. Through this community, we help lacrosse grow by spreading knowledge of the game to others and teaching them how to play the game. The Mountain View High School lacrosse community continues to grow each year as new faces are added to the roster.
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Works Cited Butters, Nick. Personal Interview. 16 March. 2015. Cohen, Michael. “As Lacrosse Grows, the Diversity of Players Remains Largely Unchanged.” The New York Times. 24 May. 2013. Web. 16 March. 2015. DaSilva, Matt. “Onen Scores One for Uganda, Makes History Again” LaxMagazine.com. US Lacrosse. 11 July. 2014. Web. 16 March. 2015. Gartland, Dan. “Professional Lacrosse Player Jovan Miller Ends His Boycott Of Racist Apparel Company.” Deadspin. Web. 18 March. 2015 “How Much Does It Cost To Play Lacrosse?” Lax World. Lax World. 31 July. 2014. Web. 16 March. 2015. Juter, Joe. Personal Interview. 16 March. 2015. Juter, Joe. “Winning lacrosse games does not matter.” Laxplaybook.com. Web. 18 March. 2015. Morales, Jose. Personal Interview. 16 March. 2015. “National Lacrosse Participation Nears 750,000” US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse. Web. 16 March. 2015. “Preface to ‘What Is the Role of Professional Athletes in Society?’.” Professional Athletes. Ed. Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. Rudolph, Nolan. Personal Interview. 5 March. 2015. Vennum, Thomas. “History of Lacrosse” US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse. Web. 16 March. 2015.
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What does the lacrosse program mean to you? “Commitment and dedication. When you enroll to play lacrosse, not only are you dedicating an abundant amount of time to the program but also a lot of hard work, blood, tears, and sweat. Lacrosse is not one of those sports you can get by with a half hearted attitude� -Nolan Rudolph Spartan LSM
Author Biography Kevin Huang is currently a Junior attending Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy. He lives in Los Altos with his mom and dad. He also has an older sister living in Southern California. Kevin has been playing lacrosse for three years and is a close defenseman. Kevin’s hobbies include producing music, playing video games, and hanging out with friends.
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