A shot at staying fit

By Angelo J. Nicholes

Hofstra University graduate student Garrik Woodhouse plays midfield for the men’s club lacrosse team. But he wasn’t always trying to set up plays leading to goals. Coming from Idaho, Garrik helped his high school team win a state championship as goalie in 2019. In 2022 he was the third highest scorer on the club team, which seemed inconceivable in the preseason.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, play was suddenly halted, and team membership dropped. That was when Garrik decided to get in better physical shape and leave the goalie’s cage for the field.

“Recruiting has been really difficult, and we had people telling us we weren’t going to have a team,” Woodhouse said. So, he decided to train harder in preparation for playing the field. In particular, he focused on gaining muscle mass. What he quickly realized is that lacrosse is an excellent way to stay in shape, as the sport combines both anaerobic and aerobic exercise.

Garrik will graduate next semester and is focused on helping recruit members to the club team.

Staying competitive

Every winter there is a men’s box ULAX lacrosse league at Skate Safe America that spans six to seven games. Box lacrosse is played on a hard surface with a solid floor, or on artificial turf, while field lacrosse is played on grass.

At the end of the season, the top four teams play for a shot at the championship. Physical play followed with tremendous stick work leads to highlight reel goals that any sports fan would enjoy. This is because many, if not most, players have prior experience with the sport.

“Every team is competitive because there’s only six teams in the league, and every game matters to make playoffs,” said 22-year-old Tyler Poelker, who played in the ULAX league.

“These leagues have a lot of D1 to D3 players, a couple of ex-pros and then some guys like me that never played after high school but continue to stay in touch with the game,” said Joe Scavone III, 36, who has played lacrosse for 25 years. D1 players competed in Division I athletics, the highest division of college play, and D3 players in Division III, the lowest. Scavone works as a tradesman, and lacrosse has played an important role in helping him to stay physically fit.

What about age?

How old you are isn’t what defines you or your team, because experience can beat all other skillsetsThere are also different leagues for age groups across Long Island that keep the playing field level. Because of this, there really is no age limit when you must stop playing.

“At my age, I'm proud to still play a game I loved as a kid,” said 55-yearold Ed Calvet, a goalie. “I think as long as I am physically capable to play, I will always be part of this game. The camaraderie of our team motivates and supports us in a way that is truly indescribable. It's like going to war and you would do anything to support your brothers in arms.”

Physically demanding play

Bumps and bruises are part of lacrosse, but in the ULAX league, there are more people getting marks of passage. But more than just being able to handle the physical nature of the game is the necessity to stay in shape to keep up with the other people you are playing with and against. “Being able to play lacrosse in my mid 30s with a bunch of kids 18 and up is pretty fun. I definitely work out to be able to maintain the ability to play, so it keeps me in shape,” Scavone said.

Making the game more accessible ULAX is trying to make the game accessible for as many people as possible. “ULAX is dedicated to growing the game of lacrosse by providing a safe, fun and affordable experience for players of all ages and abilities. We offer a variety of programs, including leagues, tournaments and clinics,” reads the ULAX mission statement.

For the love of the game

Players in the ULAX league continue competing on weekends because they want to continue playing at a high level. “Box lacrosse is a more intense and even more mentally and physically demanding version of the original game,” Calvet noted.

Every game is a new challenge, and the nervous anticipation and excitement are evident.

“To say I look forward to playing this on game day would be an understatement. I still get butterflies before games,” Scavone said.

Changing seasons

As seasons change, so does the type of lacrosse that is played. Once ULAX box lacrosse ends, there are many spring, summer and fall leagues that pop up that people can join. One of these spring leagues is played at the Field of Dreams sports complex in Massapequa, and a popular summer league is played at Cantiague Park in Hicksville.

Whatever time of year it is, there is most likely to be a league for you to play in. And depending on the season, players compete with different levels of intensity. “Box and field are so different,” Scavone said. “I would almost compare box to hockey more than field lacrosse … Field is more open space than the tight quarters of box.”

When summer rolls around, everyone is home from college, which means the top players in the nation are still looking for competition to stay in shape for school play. Everyone wants to be competitive, and everyone shows up to win.