Lil Cranksters getting cranked up about lacrosse

  • By Brian Questel
  • May 29, 2010
  • 511
                        
Youth sports can be invaluable in learning about life’s lessons for any number of reasons. That is the case even when there are no organized games surrounding a sport. That probably wasn’t the first thought that came to mind for Chad Frederick, coach of the grade-school lacrosse team the Lil Cranksters. When a small roster forced the elimination of games, he followed some sage advice: make lemonade when life presents you with lemons. A former player on the very first Wooster lacrosse team, Frederick has found himself working hard teaching the game and not concerning himself with scores if for no other reason than the make-up of the team. “We have some first- and second-graders who are just learning skills and who wouldn’t participate in games,” said Frederick, “and the rest are third-, fourth- fifth- and sixth-graders. Our numbers at the beginning of the year were way down from previous years so we were not able to field a team to schedule games. We’re in an instructional situation.” Things improved, though, when the roster grew. “After the season started a few extra players signed on and we were able to schedule one game, and the kids were excited to play that,” said Frederick. That coincided with a high-school boys’ game at Maurer Field, which served to give the Lil Cranksters some incentive for the future. “We’ve really progressed this season,” said Frederick. “I think we had 15-16 kids pre-register and then after the season started, another 7-8 signed up. That was good to see and I hope we can build on that next year.” Lacrosse is a numbers game even at that age. With 10 players on the field, 20-man rosters are a necessity, said Frederick. “Midfielders transition the ball up-and-down the field, so that line switches in and out,” he said. “You need two or three lines … because they get tired.” Frederick would like to see the team grow to permit more opportunities within the community. “I was on the first (Wooster) lacrosse team back in 1989,” said Frederick. “I played in college and I coached high school lacrosse at St. John’s High School in Toledo for five years before we moved back here six years ago. “My son is in third grade … and like any athletic program, the success of the (varsity) program depends on the feeder program. Wooster hit the pinnacle in 2002 when it won the State championship. Trying to get back on top begins with the feeder program. “We’re stressing sportsmanship and the skills of the game, so by the time they get to junior high or high school, they have that part of the game down. I’d like to field multiple teams in Wooster – my goal would be four to six teams within Wooster so we could play each other and not have to travel to Cleveland or Columbus to play games.” That may be a tall order, but if Frederick can help crank out one team, anything is possible.


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