Adrian College Adds Varsity Lacrosse Program
Adrian College’s developed athletic program is one of the important characteristics differentiating it from all other colleges and universities in Michigan. The new NCAA varsity lacrosse program came into existence during the 2007–2008 academic year to rank among the most successful college innovations.
Both men and women’s lacrosse opportunities have been added to the Adrian College NCAA Division II athletic program. To maximize the quality of this athletic experience, the college has gotten a 5.5 million dollar performance stadium—the infrastructure needed for quality sports training.
Adrian College president Jeffrey Docking said that the lacrosse program will help the college “capitalize on the great history of the sport.” The interest in lacrosse is growing across the nation, which is one of the reasons for the creation of the college program. The lacrosse program is “an excellent opportunity for us to build enrollment,” Docking said.
The popularity of lacrosse is confirmed by high school statistics. Lacrosse has grown in popularity as a high school sport over the past 10 years to reach growth rate of 188.6 percent, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHSA) statistics showed.
Michigan’s High School Athletic Association recognized the importance of lacrosse as well. It launched a statewide lacrosse championship after it adopted lacrosse as a fully endorsed sport.
Adrian College is constantly investing in the improvement of its lacrosse program. The college has already selected some popular lacrosse coaches to guide both the men’s and women’s teams. The college hired Donald Lasala as the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team in 2011. Lasala worked as assistant coach at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. He was involved with the team’s offensive strategy, and he worked on goalie training.
The head coach of the women’s team is John Sung, who used to work as assistant lacrosse coach in the University of Michigan. Four of the five teams he coached managed to appear in the United States Lacrosse–Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates (USL–WDIA) final tour.
The program has already proven its success. In 2011, the Adrian College men’s lacrosse team won the first-ever Midwest Lacrosse Conference Tournament.
Adrian College, the private residential institution, is located in the southeast part of Michigan. It was founded in 1859. According to the latest statistics, the college has 1,670 enrolled students. The school’s mission is to challenge students to achieve academic, personal, and professional excellence.
The athletic program of Adrian College is part of its strategy to increase enrolment. Other sports that Adrian College students can enroll in include field hockey, soccer, and football. Students are also given a chance to participate in various extracurricular activities, as well as in internships and study abroad programs.
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