Lacrosse team enters season with new budget,skills

No apparel deals, tutors or scholarships. Less than desirable playing fields along with fundraisers and hefty dues just to break even. These are just a handful of obstacles that face the University of Kansas lacrosse team on a daily basis. Yet this young, upstart team, which began five years ago with only a handful of players, has evolved into the largest club program on campus and is ready to make a statement on the field this season.

Hoping to be ranked nationally in the United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates by the end of the season, the Jayhawks have been practicing since late August in anticipation for the spring season. After taking their licks over the years, the Jayhawks believe they have the right players and leadership to make a run at nationals.

"This year we were able to recruit a lot of good players who are willing to invest time in improving their individual skills and making this team better," senior captain Nate Macon said.

With three games under their belt, the Jayhawks boast a 2-1 record, with their lone loss coming in a heart breaking overtime loss to perennial power Missouri Tigers. Despite the loss, the score has turned heads across the country and given the youthful Jayhawks some respect.

The Jayhawks will have their work cut out for them as 10 of their 14 games are on the road and will need to finish in one of the top two spots in the division if they wish to make the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference Tournament. Despite the demanding schedule, the team is confident that they are ready to make their first appearance in the conference tournament.

"We've trained harder than any other year I've been here. We wake up at 6:30 in the morning two times a week for conditioning and practice four or five days a week," junior captain Matt Elder said.

Raising in number and budget

KU allocates funds to student sports clubs according to membership levels. Even with this help, some clubs find themselves in the red, failing to meet their projected budgets.

After spending years scraping for money to cover expenses, the program received a huge boost from the University by becoming a tier one program. With a large recruiting class, the Jayhawks were able to meet the minimum fifty-man roster, which enabled them to collect the largest sum of money delegated for club programs at the University of Kansas. The lacrosse team received $14,000 from the University this season. This doubled the team's previous years budget and gave the team some flexibility for scheduling.

With the additional money, the Jayhawks were able to schedule a trip to Vanderbilt University over the fall semester. In addition to the trip, the team was able to purchase new uniforms and plan a trip to Dallas for the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

After proving to be a solid program, officials from Arrowhead Stadium extended an invitation for the Jayhawks to play two of their games in the stadium.

"That was huge for us because it helps us get our name out to the Kansas City high school lacrosse players for recruiting purposes," head coach Eric Hethcoat said.

Former player volunteers coaching advice

On the field, the Jayhawks found some unexpected help in the form of coaching. Bert Hornyak, a former lacrosse player from Navy is volunteering his time and energy to the program. While Hethcoat is able to run the offense, Hornyak has used his expertise to build a swarming defense.

Along with his defensive knowledge, Hornyak has implemented a military feel to the young Jayhawks. Each practice consists of running, running, and more running. Practice begins and ends with sprints while the drills are run in a structured and timely manner.

Needless to say, the extra work and leadership has paid off as the Jayhawks most recently dished out a 22-0 beating to the University of Memphis. Having a roster filled with young talent and a solid coaching staff in place, the Kansas lacrosse team has good reason to be optimistic this spring season.

Key games to attend