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Goal-oriented coach nets results

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Photo by Dan Lassiter

John Haney

JANESVILLE — Parents will do almost anything for their children. But how many parents, at the request of a child, will start a sports program from scratch?

John Haney, coach of Janesville's two-year-old lacrosse club, is that parent.

"I introduced my son to lacrosse," Haney said. "He thought it looked exciting and fresh. I sent him to a summer lacrosse camp where he could improve his skills."

One day after camp, Taylor dropped a bombshell on his father.

"Dad, we got to get a lacrosse team," the sweat-drenched youngster said during the ride home.

And so began John Haney's quest to bring the sport to Janesville.

"Imagine starting any sport from the ground up," Haney said.

Haney had to become an organizer, equipment expert, recruiter and coach of the fledgling club, which played its first games in spring 2007.

Lacrosse is considered the oldest team sport in North America, developed by Native Americans more than 900 years ago. An amalgamation of soccer, football, basketball and hockey, lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Participation has increased by at least 11 percent a year every year since 2000.

The sport is quickly shedding its image that it's an elitist, East Coast pastime.

"The growth rate is phenomenal," Haney said.

And he has been directly responsible for the sport's growth spurt in Janesville and Rock County.

The Janesville club had 35 players in is first year. That grew to 45 last season. Statewide, lacrosse is beginning to grow at a rapid pace.

"John seems to be a guy who is trying to do good things for kids," said Kevin Porter, athletic director for the Janesville school district. "I knew it was a sport kids would gravitate toward. John has done a nice job."

The Janesville team, which plays its home games at Optimist Park, is part of the Madison Area Lacrosse Association, which includes 10 high school boys teams. Including youth and girls teams, the MALA—of which Haney is now president—has 42 teams and 1,000 players. Ten-team high school boys leagues exist in the Milwaukee area and Green Bay/Fox Valley area.

In fact, Middleton and Hartland Arrowhead have reached the point where they field self-funded varsity boys lacrosse programs.

The WIAA has no specific minimum numbers before it will sanction a state tournament for a varsity sport. Girls hockey had just six teams when Hudson won the first WIAA title in 2002. That sport now boasts 29 varsity programs statewide.

Porter said lacrosse is definitely on the radar of the state's athletic directors.

That's good news for Haney.

"My goal is to somehow pull off an Arrowhead," Haney said of that school's varsity lacrosse program. "I want to be able to make it a lettering sport in Janesville. I will continue to march forward. I believe (lacrosse) is headed toward varsity status in Wisconsin."