Lacrosse succeeds despite pain, lack of school funds

By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

For two dedicated students, their coach and 25-some odd
comrades, lacrosse at UCLA is so good it hurts.

“I got out for my first contact drill and one of the
senior defenders takes his stick and poke checks me right in the
stomach,” Alan Kurpiewski said. “I lost all my breath.
I turned around and I was like, “˜You can do that to
someone?'”

Roll call:

“¢bull; Kurpiewski (midfielder) ““ Captain of the UCLA
lacrosse club team; fourth-year biology student; has played
organized lacrosse for the past 10 years.

“¢bull; Mike Tobey (midfielder) ““ Second year on squad;
fourth-year history student; has played one season of organized
lacrosse.

“¢bull; Mike Allan (coach) ““ Played lacrosse at Princeton;
graduated in 1998; decided to drop desk job at a law firm to coach
lacrosse.

These are the names of those who struggle through bureaucracy,
poor facilities, daily practices from January to mid-April, not to
mention fund raising.

They receive insufficient funding, unable to pay for even half
of the league dues and referees, forced to finance most of the
season out of their own pockets.

They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Part of the U.S. Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates, the UCLA
club team finished the 2001 season barely out of the top 25 poll.
The Bruins have reached the playoffs in back-to-back years, only to
fall to Division I South rival UC Santa Barbara both years.

“It’s a club sport, but the demands placed on these
guys are pretty close to what the varsity athletes go
through,” Allan said. “It’s definitely not a
hobby-type sport.”

The glory on the field, though, can only be achieved through
sacrifices made off it.

Financing is trickiest of all. Kurpiewski reluctantly admits
that several members once made almost $1,000 offering credit cards.
Every little bit counts.

This year’s projects include offering space in lacrosse
team program and the sale of T-shirts.

Described by the trio as a combination of hockey, soccer and
basketball, the passion regarding lacrosse pours out.

They talk about attacking and defensive concepts, trying to keep
the opponent outside and force your way underneath. They describe
the need to spread out the defense and the continuous action.

The need to learn to utilize both hands is stressed. The level
of hand-eye coordination is classified as “incredible”
by their coach.

The physical demands are almost second nature. Rain or shine,
Kurpiewski said they will be there as long as the field is
open.

Allan himself once played in three inches of snow, falsely told
that it would at one point be plowed. Tobey has one long lasting
impression of his first season playing organized lacrosse.

“I was just mostly always dirty,” Tobey said.
“It seemed to rain like every day. So I defined my season as
muddy.”

Rules state that you’re allowed to hit someone above the
waist, below the shoulder and from the front as long as
you’re within five feet of the ball and no one on your team
has possession ““ much like a football tackle according to
Tobey.

The game on the field is fast and physical, with decisions made
in fractions of a second. You must handle the stick while running
full speed, looking at the entire field, while people try to check
the ball away from you.

“You know when someone is going to come and try to hit
you,” Tobey said. “You can feel their presence around
and adjust accordingly. Step out of the way ““ or maybe hit
them back.”

As long as it hurts.