One step at a time

By Nick Cammuso
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT May 17, 2008 02:04 am

— While first memories remain fresh for some teammates, Hannah Nagowski’s mind races back to another time, another place, when lacrosse became one of her passions.
It began in grandma’s front yard, watching family, including a few talented cousins from Baltimore, play. To her, the sport never seemed foreign or different, just a fun alternative to playing catch or flinging around a ratty football.
“It was a family thing, something to do when we were all together,” Nagowski said. “It’s huge there. Absolutely huge. I mean, every high school there is a team; every high school team has a club team.”
The same couldn’t be said for West Virginia.
Aside from established programs at Morgantown and University high schools, the state — Marion County included — lacked opportunities for those wanting to get involved.
Given the prosperity lacrosse had reached just 200-some miles away and the growth potential of the sport, Nagowski’s mother, Melissa, set out to start boys’ and girls’ programs at West Fairmont.
“We were all a little nervous when we started this thing,” Nagowski said. “But we videotaped some of my cousin’s games, brought them up and had everyone (who was interested) watch. People just fell in love with the sport.
“It was amazing. Going from summer leagues and camp with my cousins to actually having a team at my high school was a dream come true. (Lacrosse) is something I’ve always admired my cousins for being able to do so well. I don’t like them being able to do something I can’t.”
Fast forward four years, and it’s become clear the Polar Bears “can.”
Last weekend, the boys wrapped up their first winning season. The girls, meanwhile, look to end their year with a state title — the first such game in West Virginia history — this afternoon against University.
Game time is noon at East-West Stadium.
For the latter, its been quite a ride.
Starting out
It’s a fact. And something coach Jon Cain doesn’t shy away from when talking West girls’ lacrosse.
When the sport was first introduced in 2005, everyone was a little green.
Players didn’t know how to hold the stick. Others had trouble putting on goggles. Parents questioned — many still do — basic rules of the game such as offsides and out of bounds.
They all learned on the fly, Cain included, who came from a youth soccer background and received most of his early lacrosse knowledge from how-to books and videos.
“All these girls, the first game they ever saw, they played in,” Cain said. “It was my first game coaching, too. During that year, we were just trying to teach the rules.”
For first-year players such as freshman Lauren Sansalone, the initial dive into competitive lacrosse carries a range of emotions — anything from excitement to embarrassment — not typical in other sports.
“It’s a different experience,” Sansalone said. “With soccer, I’ve played it since I was little and knew more about what was going on. (In my first lacrosse game), I was terrible and thought I wasn’t going to be able to pick up everything.”
While there’s bound to be some growing pains along the way, the situation begs — almost requires — teammates to work together, communicate and set common goals.
The Polar Bears, even in that inaugural season, set goals; the first vowing to score in each game. They did just that and haven’t been shut out in four years.
“Everybody has a first year in a new sport. Nobody’s been playing this since they were 5 or 6,” junior Morgan Cain said. “It takes a lot of patience to be on the field with girls who aren’t as experienced. You just have to take a deep breath and tell them to keep going.”
In West’s first season, it finished 1-5, the lone victory over a junior varsity team. The Polar Bears followed with three consecutive winning seasons, including a 9-7-1 mark this year.
“You’d think they would (play lacrosse) just to have something to do. But these kids have never been that way,” Jon Cain said. “They came out from the get-go thinking, ‘We want to play here and compete. We don’t want to just run around.’
“The girls who played here the first few years, they took the beatings, the punishment, to pave the way for these girls to succeed. We knew the first few years were going to be a tough road, but we’ve competed. Teams don’t take us for granted anymore.”
Moving forward
Earning respect in girls’ lacrosse requires more than a will to win. Like deep pockets, loads of patience and hours on a school bus.
The sport is not currently sanctioned by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. As a result, parents and team boosters have to cobble together money from fundraisers to pay for items such as equipment and transportation costs.
Further complicating the issue is a small pool of teams, at least in the state. West Virginia has just five girls’ teams — West, University, Morgantown, Buckhannon-Upshur and Wheeling Park — making road trips to face better competition more necessity than luxury.
But the Polar Bears have made inroads in 2008. They split the season series with University and beat a strong Latrobe (Pa.) squad at East-West Stadium earlier in the year.
Individuals have turned heads, too. Morgan Cain is leading scorer in the state with 81 goals. Senior Michelle Wilson, a prep basketball standout, is third with more than 40, while Hannah Nagowski, the team’s distributor on the offensive end, resides in the top 10.
Several West players have gotten interest from college recruiters, not usually the norm for a fourth-year high school program.
But spend a minute with anyone on the Polar Bears’ roster, and the focus is not on the future but the opportunity today brings.
For the Nagowskis and Jon Cain, it’s the culmination of years of hard work; Morgan Cain hopes a West Fairmont championship can expedite the state’s sanctioning process.
“Saturday is huge,” Hannah Nagowski said, her eyes lighting up just upon the mention of the subject.
As are the possibilities.
“It means a lot to me,” she continued. “We had some girls who graduated last year that were at practice (earlier in the week). They got teary-eyed talking about us being the first team to play for a state championship. But they’re doing it too ... they’re part of the team and will forever be part of it. Their skills are instilled in every one of us.”
E-mail Nick Cammuso at ncammuso@timeswv.com.

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