Springfield, Ohio — The sport of lacrosse is rapidly gaining popularity across the country, and Springfield-area youth now have an opportunity to gain exposure to the sport. The National Trail Parks and Recreation District is collaborating with Wittenberg University’s men’s and women’s lacrosse programs to host a clinic at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in the HPER Center. 

The clinic will provide basic skills instruction for boys and girls in second through fourth grades. All equipment will be provided. The one-hour session is offered at a cost of $15 per participant. 

Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Jay Owen is eager to engage the community with this event. 

“I am still assessing how far the game can go in Springfield, but I think the possibilities are huge,” said Owen, who guided the Tigers to a 10-5 overall record in his first season at Wittenberg. “Some of the bigger school systems certainly have the chance to introduce competitive high school teams in the future.” 

Often deemed “too expensive to play,” Owen said that Wittenberg and National Trails are offering the clinic as a way to eliminate the cost barrier and introduce young athletes to a game that is exploding at the collegiate level, with dozens of new programs being introduced in the last decade alone. 

“National Trails reached out to start the program,” Owen said. “I have prior experience and success with start-up lacrosse programs, and I hope to see similar results in Springfield.”