The new translation of the Native American game lacrosse is a popular sport at many predominately white and affluent, suburban private schools in the United States. But it too has taken root at a predominantly African American, public high school in Washington, plagued by poverty, violence and low academic achievement. Girls are now playing lacrosse at Ballou High School, where educators and students there hope to profit from it.
It is the final use of the temper for the girl's lacrosse team at Ballou, and the militant spirit is still running high. This is the 1st year Ballou has had a lacrosse team, and the first time these girls have played the sport. They lost every game, but their coach, Holly McGarvie, still considers the season a success.
"I believe the end each class is passing to change," she said. "This year, I think, just start and construction a creation that we can make from and make a custom of women`s lacrosse here at Ballou."
Building a basis in one of the poorest and about violent neighborhoods in Washington is not easy. Eighty-five percent of Ballou students participate in the interior liberal and reduced school lunch program, an index of poverty. In the preceding six years, more than 40 Ballou students have died violent deaths, many of them victims of drug violence.
Rahman Branch, the schools' principal, said, "One of the components is the drug culture kind of came into our cities. It really shattered a lot of poor communities and a lot of families. And our children fall from those broken homes. Our children fall from those splintered communities."
Ballou`s low point came in 2006, when less than 60 percent of the older class graduated. School administrators decided they required to induce changes. Foremost was creating an environment where students could provide their street-hardened survival skills at the schoolhouse door.
Another - expanding after school activities like girl's lacrosse.
"We decided to have some more approaches to add on to them being comfortable being a kid, to now making certain they are a kid who knows what they want, what it takes to get there, and then has the stamina to go through," said Branch.
Branch said Holly McGarvie, a first-year teacher out of Princeton University, was a perfect fit for Ballou. A champion collegiate player and member of the U.S. National Lacrosse Team, she wanted to integrate lessons she learned from sports into teaching biology.
"In coaching, it is always great when you give an athlete, you know, understand a conception or establish a large fun with a teammate," said McGarvie. "And, I thought, you know, maybe in teaching you could do the like thing."
McGarvie's lessons in the schoolroom and on the discipline are not lost on the girls. The first practices were frustrating, with angry exchanges among some players. McGarvie quickly let them know that would not be tolerated, and coached them on how to run through problems.
"On our way home from our first game, we are all talk about it and the girls are extremely excited," said McGarvie. "Despite the release of, I reckon maybe 11 to 1, they were already in the mindset of what can we do better."
Sophomore Tylashia Joyner said lacrosse has kept her out from negative things, and more focussed on her future. "I will need to run in college because it will preserve me in form and it will help me stay focussed and need to do something. Because if you need to bring a sport, you get to take your grades up."
If you are counting wins, it was a bad season for Ballou. But you wouldn`t love that from the face on the girls` faces. Diane Jones said she will definitely play again next year.
"We had good times even though we lost all our games," said Jones. "We played well for it to be our first season of play."
Ballou has already improved its graduation rate by 10 to 15 percent since 2006. Administrators expect that to keep to improve, and for lacrosse to be a piece of it.
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