MILWAUKEE — Bryant & Stratton College is making history with the launch of its first-ever men's lacrosse team, marking a new chapter for the school's athletic program.
The Bobcats are led by head coach BJ Bargas, who faced significant challenges in building the program from scratch. Despite initial setbacks, the team has assembled 17 dedicated players ready to compete at the highest level.
"It started off on a rocky foot, I would say. I sent out over a thousand messages to a bunch of high school guys this last year. Right now, we have 17 guys out here," Bargas said. "If I had everything from the start, it'd probably be somewhere near 40 guys out here. But I think we have a strong 17 guys out here that are gonna perform at the highest level."
The team's roster reflects a truly national recruitment effort, drawing players from across the country who were willing to relocate for the opportunity to be part of something new.
The Bobcats practice six days a week as they prepare for their inaugural season.
Watch: Bryant & Stratton College launches first-ever men's lacrosse team
"It's pretty good. It's a fresh new team. I'm really excited to get this team going. Everyone is from everywhere. I'm from Colorado, and some of my other teammates are," said Juju Smith, a midfielder. "We've got kids from Arizona, we've got some California kids, some New York kids, we've got a mix of everybody, and it's a great team to be part of."
Parker Jones, a midfielder who moved from Arizona specifically to join the team, described how the players have bonded despite their diverse backgrounds.
"It started off slow, but as we learned to hang out with each other and open up to each other, hang out outside of practice, we start banging heads, it starts getting intense, and I love it," Jones said. "After practice, it's all love, but when we're on our field, it's intense."
The program faces financial constraints typical of a startup athletic program, requiring strategic decisions about equipment and resources.
"We are only limited to a certain amount, so I really had to be strategic on what we did with the money that was given to us in our first year," Bargas said. "We were able to provide the helmets that we have on today, and the pennies that they have on right now. We're trying to fund-raise to provide gloves and other things."
Despite the budget limitations, the team remains focused on building a competitive program that can establish Bryant & Stratton College as a presence in collegiate lacrosse.
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