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Boys lacrosse must stay a club sport for now

By Lindsay Jones

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

JUPITER — Dan Gervasio and his Dwyer High lacrosse teammates had been waiting for years for their sport to finally be recognized by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Gervasio, a senior, and his buddies drooled at the thought of taking on the top teams — Miami-Gulliver Prep, St. Andrew's, Vero Beach-St. Edward's — for a state title.

And, thanks to the FHSAA's decision, that dream was coming true this spring.

So imagine Gervasio's displeasure when the athletic directors of Palm Beach County's public schools decided to keep boys lacrosse a club sport. The team still will get to play, but games will be against other club teams and there will be no post-season. Private schools in the county, such as traditional power St. Andrew's, are not affected.

Gervasio was so upset he made up T-shirts with "Free Dwyer Lacrosse" printed across the chest for his teammates to wear to school this week. The players also wrote letters to the school board and met with Dwyer's principal and athletic director.

"It felt like we were robbed," Gervasio said.

But the decision to keep boys lacrosse at the club level this year was a necessity, district athletic officials said, because of a lack of money provided to pay coaches and the need to maintain equality between boys and girls sports.

Girls lacrosse — which was recognized by FHSAA last season — will remain a varsity sport.

"We're not saying it's a forever decision but, for right now, it was the best decision for everyone involved," said Yetta Greene, administrator for the Palm Beach Athletic Conference.

Greene said Palm Beach County added girls lacrosse several years ago (as well as flag football) to help the district reach gender equity — a complicated formula that measures the number of sports, participants and the amount of money spent to make sure the numbers are equal for both sexes. Adding boys lacrosse, without taking away another boys sport, would disrupt that balance, she said.

The school district currently offers all 14 girls sports that are recognized by the FHSAA. Lacrosse will be the only boys varsity sport not offered.

"In our case, if we added lacrosse, we would have to eliminate something else," Greene said. "We can't just keep adding and adding."

The school district does not provide money to pay for lacrosse coaches, but athletic directors can use money set aside for gender equity to pay the girls coaches. That option is not available for the boys programs, said Rob Long, athletic director at Jupiter High, where last year 42 boys played on a club team.