After a long decision process in efforts by the athletic department, the school board decided it is in the best interest of the Park community to make boys’ lacrosse an official school sport.

A school board meeting to address new ways of making the athletics program more successful centered around a discussion on whether boys’ lacrosse should become a high school sport.

Park’s athletic director, Andy Ewald, gave a presentation to the school board showing his favor for the switch and how it would benefit Park athletics.

“I think families of the participants have felt like they want to fall under the Minnesota State High School League. A big part of this transition is that the families are ready and want to become a high school sport,” Ewald said.

Ensuring boys lacrosse becomes a sport this spring is important to Ewald and the athletic department because of a bylaw passed last spring.

“Scheduling is going to get even tougher this spring for any team left as a club program because the state high school league’s representative assembly, last spring, passed a bylaw that high school sponsored programs in any sport can no longer play non-high school league programs,” Ewald said.

The lack of competition was one of the main reasons the athletic office wanted the switch to happen this spring.

Because the decision was finalized, many things must now be done to prepare for the addition of the sport.

Ewald’s responsibilities with the transition include interviewing and hiring coaches, letting the high school league know that lacrosse is being officially added as a sponsored sport, and educating the club on what is going to be different now that the sport is a part of the Minnesota State High School League.

The idea of a high school lacrosse team was supported by all the board members and was looked at as a great way to create more opportunities for a student involvement, according to school board member Karen Waters.

“I think our purpose as a school board is about finding what a kid’s spark is and doing all in our power to make it happen,” Waters said.

The athletics program expects to offer two teams this spring, a varsity and a junior varsity team, but depending on the amount of players that sign up, freshman and sophomore teams would be added.

Park students involved in boys lacrosse are excited about the switch, according to senior captain Colin Monicotti.

“The amount of teams playing club lacrosse has dwindled, so having new teams to play will be great. The increase in competition is huge for us,” Monicotti said.