The MICDS Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams invited their Beasley friends to a free clinic on McCreery Field after school last Friday. The defending State Champions (both teams!) shared their love of the game with a new generation of players. Lower School students didn’t even need equipment, just a desire for a fun time learning a new sport while interacting with older schoolmates.
“The clinic was a hit for both the Beasley students and the varsity players alike! A bit of organized chaos is always fun, right?!” laughed Kate Haffenreffer, Varsity Girls Lacrosse Head Coach.
The fledgling lacrosse players rotated through stations to learn stickwork, ground balls, and shooting. At the end of the skills session, everyone united for a game of Sharks and Minnows, which brought a lot of smiles and giggles to everyone.
“I thought it was really fun to get to interact with the Beasley kids and spark their interest in the sport,” said Kendall Curry ’23, Girls Lacrosse Goalie and Co-Captain. “For most of them, this was their first time playing lacrosse so we tried to make the drills really fast-paced and entertaining to help them find a similar love and passion for the sport that we have.”
Varsity Girls Co-Captain and Defender Erica Engelhardt ’23 said, “Playing with the younger kids was super fun because we got to share our love for lacrosse with them and connect the upper and lower schools.”
“It’s really awesome to see the kids get so excited about a new sport and see them light up when they catch their first ball or score their first goal,” said Varsity Boys Captain and Goalie George Herron ’23. “The kids make giving back a really unique experience and I hope to continue sharing the tradition with these students and inspire them to do the same.”
“For me, the continued growth of lacrosse in St. Louis and even more so at MICDS is incredibly important,” said Haffenreffer. “My goal has always been to grow the girls’ game in Missouri to the level that it is in other parts of the country like the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. As a non-traditional St. Louis sport, many families have never seen the game or know how to get their child involved in playing. This clinic was a small opportunity to do just that.
“I love to see the joy that picking up a stick for the first time can bring so many kids. As a coach, there’s nothing more fulfilling than watching the growth of a second grader as they play through the high school level and sometimes beyond.
“This clinic also allowed two parts of our MICDS community to come together. The Beasley students see the high school athletes as role models and this was a great hands-on opportunity for everyone. Andy and I share a passion for the sport and the school, and we look forward to any time we can combine those two entities on the lacrosse field.”
Boys Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Andy Kay agreed. “Our high school athletes are the absolute best versions of themselves when they are surrounded by the vibrancy and energy of our Beasley school students,” he said. “The lacrosse clinic is as much about bringing childhood back to our athletes as it is about bringing joy to our little brothers and sisters from the lower school.”
Go Rams, of all ages!