Southampton Lacrosse stick it to the opposition!

On Sunday, Southampton University became champions of the East England Mixed Lacrosse League for the first time. The final match of the season, against Cambridge, could not have been more important, given that whichever team won would be crowned champions.

The match was a fantastic spectacle, with both teams playing hard from the first whistle, but Southampton triumphed with a very impressive 11 – 5 victory. Southampton’s victory is even more impressive when you consider that the team has been made from a combination of beginners and experienced players who gel so well together. The majority of the team had never played lacrosse before university and many only had their first experience in September. Even so, they have become accustomed to brushing aside the vastly experienced teams like Oxford and Reading all season long.

Team spirit has been a major factor in this year’s successes

This success tops what has been a breakthrough year for the club, who have recently become the pride of the Athletic Union. The Awards Ball on Friday saw the club take home two awards, a rare feat for a club of any stature. The Most Improved Award recognised where they have come from a club starting with only 8 members two years ago to more than 80 now, doubling in size this year alone. It also recognised the performance of the club’s strong 1st team and brand new 2nd team in their domestic league, and their placing quarter finalists at the last national championships. The Sport and Wellbeing Award in memory of James Atherton recognised the clubs excellence, not only on the pitch, but in finding new and innovative ways to engage more people in sport. Innovation has been a key main driver in the way that the club coach new members, train their captains and engage with suppliers to create value of money. The creativity and dedication of the committee and other members have truly pushed the club to new heights.

Very few people come to university planning to play Mixed Lacrosse, but for all the members of Southampton Mixed Lacrosse Club, this has changed. The club is to capture people who would otherwise have completely disengaged, be it from sports, the athletic union or the entirety of SUSU, by being very open to beginners. The ethos of balancing successful performance with full participation and a bit of mischief, has worked wonders for the club. The next chapter of the club’s history is sure to be an exciting one. If you don’t believe the hype, give it a try!

You can join the Lacrosse Facebook group here, or follow their fortunes here.

Credit to Michael Sanni, Club President for writing this article. If you would like your club to feature on The Tab, email [email protected]!