Lacrosse fans hope to add girls’ lacrosse to the Paly sports program in the Spring 2007.

"Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport on the west coast," said Sherry Bijan, a mother of two girls’ lacrosse players, who has taken interest in pushing for a Paly team.

According to Bijan, the sport is popular on the East Coast. Here on the West Coast there is also already the Tomahawks Lacrosse Club, a club team for boys in grades 3-12 and girls in grades 3-8, who live in the San Francisco peninsula area according to http://www.tomahawkslacrosse.org.

"A lot of school’s are getting a program," said junior Addison Stern, a member of the Tomahawks team. "Gunn and Los Altos have a team."

According to Bijan if there seems to be enough interest in the sport, girls’ lacrosse will be added to the spring athletic season.

"The indication of interest so far has been very high," Bijan said. "I am even getting inquiries from Jordan students."

According to Bijan, a Paly girls’ lacrosse team would compete in the Peninsula Athletic League made up of both public and private high school teams.

Since Paly will not know whether it will have a girls’ lacrosse team until enough interest is shown, plans for things such as coaches have not been finalized, according to Bijan.

"The coaches have not been selected yet," Bijan said. "But I have been working with the coaches both at Gunn and Menlo high schools. There seems to be a big pool of skilled coaches to draw from. There is interest from Stanford students, who perhaps played in high school but not in college, these would make good candidates for assistant coaching."

As with other sports, equipment is also an issue that has to be thought over.

"The equipment is very personal with lacrosse," Bijan said. "The girls would have to purchase their own sticks, goggles, and cleats. We may have a few loaner sticks on hand. The Athletic Department would be responsible for providing the goals and uniforms."

Practice would consist mainly of skill learning such as stick work and shooting according to Bijan. The only problem with practices is determining open field space, since Paly’s is limited.

Because of the Title IX rules, Paly can only add girls’ lacrosse, and not boys’.

"Paly athletics is short one girls’ sport," Bijan said. "We [Paly] cannot add on any more boys’ sports but there is room for an additional girls’ sport."

Stern is optimistic that there will be a boys’ lacrosse team some day.

"I support the idea [of a girls’ lacrosse team]," he said. "That means eventually there is going to be a guys’ team. I understand the whole Title IX thing ? I understand a guys’ team can come from it."

Overall, whether it is a girls’ or boys’ team, lacrosse players are excited to see the new sport enrich Paly’s atheletics program.

"Should we [Paly] be able to launch this program, it would be an asset to the existing strong lineup of athletics at Paly," Bijan said.