[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t has been called the fastest game on two feet. It’s a combination of football, hockey and soccer. The game is lacrosse and over the last few years, it has seen a spike in popularity and exposure through mediums such as social media networking sites. This season, the team is looking to re-establish themselves and set new standards. Head coach Justin Wetterer is planning to do just that.

“Coaching this team will allow me to change the bad reputation that has plagued this team for many years and to bring it back to its glory,” Wetterer said.

The Shawnee Mission South “LAX” team is the oldest program in the Kansas league. The boys have gained a reputation for being a dirty team that everyone can defeat with minimal effort. Coach Wetterer sees past the stereotype and believes that he can change it. He played lacrosse at the University of Rockhurst and ended up being asked to coach a team from St. Thomas Aquinas.

“I never coached before, but I thought it would be a lot of fun and give me a chance to give back to the sport I love so much,” Wetterer said.

After coaching at Aquinas, Wetterer started coaching the Olathe High School Lacrosse team where he stayed for six years. The University of Rockhurst contacted him to become their head coach and he accepted, but his love of the high school atmosphere brought him to the Shawnee Mission South lacrosse team.

To be successful, the team must be built from the ground up. That starts with practice. No, not the game, we’re talking about practice. Lacrosse practices are from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Indian Woods Middle School, Monday through Friday. The practices are structured much like football, starting out with a warmup, then breaking into individual skills followed by team skills. Conditioning concludes the practice. The team works hard to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities.

“The team has bonded pretty well. Everyone knows his role,” senior Jake Soltys said.

With spring not only comes the beginning of lacrosse season, but the annual spring sports assembly. Each sport is introduced and gives a summary of their season so far. The student body hears about baseball, girls swimming, track, golf, girls soccer, and boys tennis. But where is lacrosse? Lacrosse is a club sport, which greatly differs from a school sponsored sport. The main difference between the two is that there are no playoffs or a State Championship for lacrosse.

Coach Wetterer thinks that as time progresses, the lacrosse culture will spread.

“Lacrosse as a school sponsored sport is a while away. There are over 30 club teams in St. Louis that aren’t sponsored by a school, and lacrosse has been in St. Louis much longer than Kansas City. We are probably talking between five to 10 years for more schools to start sponsoring their club teams,” Wetterer said.

Lacrosse has seemingly developed a “cult like” following. On the East Coast, lacrosse is more popular than football and soccer. Young kids like seeing a combination of many different sports into one. They may see the sport as being unique and may develop an interest in it.

“Kids see the pros and NCAA teams on ESPN and want to learn more about the game,” Wetterer said.

Coach Wetterer is getting his opportunity to transform the perception of the Raider lacrosse team in his first year as the head coach. Although the situation appears to be that of a diamond in the rough, the talent is there, leaving nothing but expectations for future lacrosse players to raise the bar and play to their potential.

“The team has a handful of talented players that work pretty well together,” senior captain Peter Litzler said.