Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States at the youth, high school, and collegiate level. It is a unique sport in that it combines elements from a lot of other sports because it has the physicality of football, the speed and use of sticks like ice hockey, and the coordination skills of basketball.
 
What set lacrosse apart from other sports are the players. It’s not just a sport but also a culture. Lacrosse players are visual creatures; a major part of their demeanor is based on their field appearance. This is why “flow” is so significant in the game today.
 
Flow is the essence of the lacrosse player—it’s his hair, equipment coordination and overall swagger on the turf.

The lacrosse player’s hair is the first part of flow critiqued during the game. Every man has different hair, but usually one with legit flow has long locks that come out the back of the helmet. The hair can be shaggy, wavy or straight. Some players even rock gnarly curls.
 
Equipment coordination is key to reach full flowocity. Helmet tilt is an absolute requirement to play at the higher echelon of lacrosse. This is when the helmet is fixed on the head so the visor comes almost below the eyes and the eyes are above the top bar on the facemask. If the eyes are below that bar, players are diagnosed with ‘second bar syndrome’ and lack good looks on the field.

Another important aspect is the socks and cleats. The cleats, preferably Nike, must be white to be respected in the world of lacrosse. Socks are the same way. The socks also have to be mid-calves. Kids with low-cuts are labeled to have “cold ankles”.

Small shoulder pads and elbows with fresh gloves are also recommended to compete with the best.
 
First team all-area junior attacker Zack Hansell of Middletown High School is known for his impeccable flow and encourages his teammates to get at his level by flowing hard.

“You got to win with swagger,” said Hansell, “My flow is always on point, never less than a 10 out of 10; I keep it ripe.”

When asked if flow helps lacrosse players attract girls he said, “We are very affluent.”

It turns out that a large amount of girls at MHS do appreciate a lacrosse player with some sweet flow.

“I love lacrosse players, they have nice hair,” said senior Christine Lopez.

It seems flow helps a player’s game on and off the field.

As the snow finally melts and the turf is revealed, the Middletown Knights boy’s lacrosse team is ready to begin their season once again. With high expectations for the upcoming year, the promising squad is looking forward to a season of tough competition and hopeful success.

After finishing last season with a winning 8-6 record, the team only lost two senior starters. The squad was celebrated last year for their underclassman talent, most notably first team all-area players Johnny Gallaway and Conor Duckett. Last year’s junior class also shows promise, including second team all-area players Simon Kinderknecht, Thomas Pitsenbarger, and Matt Wein. Another first teamer, Zack Hansell, transferred this year to Middletown, adding another player to the already talented roster.

Junior midfielder Conor Duckett believes the team will be better than last year and able to replace the talent lost from the last senior class. “Since we have a lot of potential as a team to succeed, all the boys are willing to give what they’ve got,” said Duckett.

With another year of practice and experience under their belt, the team of athletes feels confident about the competition to be faced this season.

“I feel like our preparation in the offseason is going to help us tremendously this year,” said sophomore attack Johnny Gallaway.

Because of the February snow storms, conditioning and preparation has been somewhat interrupted for the lacrosse squads. However the players are not worried; a few days of rest has never hurt anybody.

“During the two weeks of school we missed, we didn’t have any workouts,” said senior goalkeeper Simon Kinderknecht. “But as soon as we were back, we hit the weights and conditioned, so it only had a small affect. Now that we’ve gotten back into it, I think we have the ability to do really well, but like any team there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Since half of this year’s roster is made up of seniors, the Knights boy’s lacrosse team hopes this is the season for a successful run into the playoffs. Both Duckett and Gallaway agree that if all players “keep practicing like a team and get all the fundamentals down,” there is a chance at bringing home the state championship.

The fans can expect a season full of hard work and exciting games. Come help support the team led by senior captains Evan Clough and Simon Kinderknecht in their first game on March 23 as they challenge South Carroll at home at 6:30.

A beautiful turf, 100 yards of manmade grass, painted the perfect shade of green.  Freshly painted yard numbers lead to the bright yellow field goal posts that sit on both ends of the field.  The smooth, clean, black track, covered.  The flawless field, covered. The chance of having a regular start to the spring sports season, demolished by not inches but feet of snow. 

Though the sky is blue and the sun is shining now, Middletown High School was hit by a snow storm just days before the start of the season, leaving the administration, coaches and athletes with no choice but to give up or be creative and start the season in a unique way, different than any other year in the past.

The blizzard of February 2010 was to put the start of spring sports to a halt… until the clever ideas of the MHS students and staff found a way to make it happen.

Because the Frederick County Board of Education banned the use of heavy machinery and even snow blowers to remove the snow, the MHS administration and team coaches were left with almost nothing but their bare hands, but their hands are exactly what they used.

Original and very out of the ordinary, the lacrosse coaches decided the field would be cleaned by having a Snowman building competition. Not only would this provide a team bonding experience between the boys and girls lacrosse team, it would also create a safe (and fun) way to remove the snow from the field without breaking any rules.

Though some schools may have seen the blizzard as a setback to spring sports, girls varsity lacrosse coach Dawn Rothenhoefer believes otherwise.

“I think it’s only negative if you make it negative.  With every disappointment in life, there’s usually an opportunity.  Our job is to find the opportunity.  I see this as not only a girls’ lacrosse team building opportunity, but a multi-sport team building opportunity. What a great way to kick off the season,” said Coach Rothenhoefer.

In reality, not enough snowmen can be built to clear off the entire field and track.  Being aware of this, the teams, coaches, and administration plan to let the sun do the rest of the work. For the first few weeks of practice, snow on the ground can still be expected.

“Practices will not be cancelled, but I think the snow will limit the teams’ ability to run specific plays, but teams will still be able to work on drills and endurance in the parking lots after school,” said assistant principal Mike Watson.

In addition to getting used to having snow on the ground at the start of the spring sports season, the athletes will also be adjusting to a rotating practice schedule. The boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams will share practice times, as well as with the boys’ and girls’ track teams. Because of the dangers of loose lacrosse balls making their way out to the track, the teams cannot practice together.

It would be ideal for the lacrosse teams to run agility drills and practice conditioning in the gym, but because the MHS gym floors have recently been resurfaced, this is not an option. The hard lacrosse sticks can scratch and damage the gym floor.

“Even though getting used to the snow will be weird, I’m excited to see how our new practices will go. We may even get pool time for aerobics,” said MHS junior lacrosse player Kati Rothenhoefer.

By looking at a bad situation through positive eyes, the MHS coaches, athletes, and administration have managed to start a regular spring sports season in a very offbeat way. Many other teams in Frederick County may suffer from the blizzard, but Middletown will reap the benefits.