Lacrosse Becoming More Popular in Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek and Roswell
categories: Stuff I like to talk about
When relocating to Alpharetta, clients ask me all the time about recreation programs for their children. Needless to say, this is suburbia and children’s sports opportunities abound. Baseball is probably still the most popular, but soccer, gymnastics, martial arts, tennis and increasingly lacrosse are becoming recreational staples.
Lacrosse is not hurt by the fact that many families have relocated to Alpharetta from other places where lacrosse established. Interestingly, lacrosse and the local area have a long history. The City of Ball Ground, in Cherokee County just north of Alpharetta and Milton, is said to be so named because there were large fields there where Cherokee and Creek Indians settled territorial disputes by playing "stick ball games." That game is broadly believed to have evolved into modern day lacrosse. It is only fitting that lacrosse become a fixture on the local athletic scene.
Non-existent before 1996, the first lacrosse programs were started at some of the area private schools; in 1999 the first club high school programs were started at Roswell, Chattahoochee and Centennial High Schools in North Fulton County and Pope High School in East Cobb County.
Lacrosse has been growing quickly ever sense and became an officially sanctioned high school sport in Georgia in 2002 for both boys and girls. In fact, the Milton High School girls lacrosse team has won the state championship the last three years running. Along with the growth at the high school level, lacrosse has also expanded to the youth ranks where kids can start to develop skills earlier. These days, high school teams have enough players that they now must conduct tryouts and it is as competitive as baseball.
The reason I mention all this is because spring sports season is about to begin and for the second year, I’m going to be involved coaching lacrosse at Stars Lacrosse in Milton. I’m one of the parents who relocated here (14 years ago now) from a lacrosse-playing state (Colorado) and I’m fortunate that my career as a local realtor in Alpharetta allows me the flexibility in my schedule to coach.
Stars in predominantly a soccer facility, but last year started a lacrosse program to fill a need in the market. Whereas Roswell, Alpharetta and Johns Creek all offer lacrosse - and other youth programs - through their parks and recreation departments, Milton offers no such youth sports programs. Milton essentially has only one functioning park, Bell Memorial Park, near the intersection of Thompson Road and Hopewell Road, and it is completely dedicated to baseball. There are four lighted fields there, and a new playground, and the baseball program is run by the Hopewell Youth Association. Until Milton develops Birmingham Park, a dedicated 200-acre track at the northeast quadrant of Birmingham Road and Birmingham Highway, there are no other ball fields (soccer, lacrosse, football) in the Milton area.
It is a bit ironic that the lease densely populated portion of Fulton County, the area now incorporated as the City of Milton, has the largest dearth of athletic fields. Lots of horse pastures, but not many athletic fields. Hopefully that will change soon. In the meantime, Stars (and Hopewell) offer great alternatives. You can also register your children in
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Stars Lacrosse is located on Birmingham Highway between the Triple Crown and Richmond Glen Neighborhoods, about 4 miles north of Crabapple. |
Roswell, Johns Creek or Alpharetta’s programs, but preference (and a small price break) go to city residents. Also, an advantage Stars has over Alpharetta is that due to field availability (Alpharetta practices at North Park), Stars is able to practice twice a week and have one game on the weekend, whereas Alpharetta is only able to practice once a week.
Additionally, Stars Lacrosse has formed a fantastic partnership with XPE Sports this season to conduct weekly speed and agility training for the players. After all, unlike other sports, all shapes and sizes of kids can excel at lacrosse everyone has to run ;->. Speed is the name of the game.
The long, warm springtime is one of the greatest things about living in Alpharetta. As a boy, I remember playing lacrosse in Colorado and we played with an orange ball for obvious reasons: we could find the ball in the snow!. The combination of Georgia’s spring weather and a great game where everyone gets a workout is unbeatable. Let’s hope the Star teams are unbeatable, too! I promise we’ll be running ;->.
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I’m trying to research where the best place to go might be to engage my son in lacross. He is almost 11 and has never played, but is interested.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you!
Jeanna
770-360-2989