Chico Rebels Lacrosse Club
Rebuilding youth lacrosse in Northern California
The Chico Rebels Lacrosse club has been a staple in youth sports in the city of Chico for over twenty years. The sport of lacrosse has been able to provide athletes with a chance to be a part of a team that isn't directly involved with their respective schools.
The club itself has seen many of its alumni go on to play the sport at the collegiate level, however this is not the Rebels main goal. The mission of the Chico Rebels is to allow athletes from any range of skill and age to have a chance to learn what it means to be a part of a team, and what the benefits of hard work are.
"I decided to join the Rebels because all of my friends play for the Rebels"
Henry Hockenberger, Junior Midfielder
A Brief History of Lacrosse
T he sport of lacrosse is rooted in Native American culture, specifically on the eastern side of North America. Various indigenous tribes took part in the sport, however it was not named until the 1600s when French missionaries witnessed the sport being played and named it Lacrosse.
Since the early days of lacrosse, it has primarily been played in the north east part of the United States. As the sport continued to grow, it gained traction on the west coast, with California turning into a mecca of lacrosse in the 2000s. While all of the division one lacrosse schools are still spread out through the eastern states like New York, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas, Lacrosse as a club sport has been booming on the west coast.
Jim Brown, a legendary football player for the Cleveland Browns and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was one of lacrosse's biggest advocates, as he played in both high school and college. He was a star for the Syracuse lacrosse team, and after he finished his career he continued to help the lacrosse community grow the game through mentoring the youth. He worked on making sure there were opportunities for inner city kids to play the game, in hopes of helping diversify the sport.
"Once considered a niche sport, lacrosse has now firmly established itself as a thriving and rapidly growing presence in the Pacific Northwest"
Why is Lacrosse Important in Chico?
Lacrosse has been a great outlet for young athletes in chico for over two decades now. Since lacrosse in Chico is played at a club level, the players are not at risk of being cut, so as long as they sign up, they are going to be a part of the team. Being a part of a team teaches players so much more than simply the skills of the game. While the sport itself requires perseverance, strength and skill, those are not the most valuable traits that are gained through playing lacrosse in Chico. The coaches in the Chico lacrosse program teach their players the importance of learning, adapting, and most importantly, looking out for others.
As a former player and coach for the Chico Rebels Lacrosse Club, there are traits and skills that I learned from being a part of these teams that I could not have gained through a class in school. Being a part of this club taught me and many others the importance of working as a team and not as an individual. When playing a game, one player can change certain outcomes of a game, but without the involvements of their teammates, excellence cannot be achieved. Through hard work and continued growth, the members of the lacrosse club can grow into the adults that they wish to be in the future.
Coach Nick has been a part of the Chico Rebels for almost ten years, and his impact on the players and other coaches has played a significant role in why the club is still alive today. Through his continued mentorship of both coaches and players, he has seen the club grow, with the hopes of getting a team for both of the High Schools in Chico, Pleasant Valley and Chico High.
"I think everyone should join the Rebels. Being on the team has taught me lots of good skills like motivation, perseverance, and how to be a good leader"
Jeriko Bertagna, Senior Defender
What's Next for Lacrosse in Chico?
Moving on and Moving Up
Lacrosse in Chico has been at the club level since its foundation, but now there is a big push to take it to the next level, into the high schools.
"I am able to join travel teams and go to tournaments and do super cool stuff because of the Rebels"
During the last ten years, lacrosse has been moving into the high schools and becoming a part of the CIF, the California Interscholastic Federation. This is the governing body that runs all of the other high school sports in California. As most schools south of Sacramento have moved teams into their schools, the next step for Chico Lacrosse and the Rebels is to have their teams adopted into the two high schools in Chico. In April of 2025, a survey was sent out to all high school students in which they will vote on what sport will be introduced into the schools. The result of this survey will have the most significant impact on the future of lacrosse in Chico. If you have any ways to help, please email the President of the Rebels, Brooke Wells, at brookeswells@gmail.com.
Lacrosse Positions
Lacrosse is played with ten men on the field at a time. There are three attack on the offensive side, three midfielders, three defenders, and a keeper guarding the goal.
"Lacrosse is often referred to as the fastest sport on two feet, and for good reason. With its combination of speed, agility, and physicality, lacrosse offers a thrilling and fast-paced experience for both players and spectators."
The attack stay on the opposite side of the field as their teams goalie. They are in charge of facilitating the offense for the team. They are spaced out in a triangle formation, with one attacker on the left and right sides of the goal, and the last one located directly behind the goal. In an ideal world, the left side attacker would be left handed and the right side would be right handed. This creates the best angles for shooting and passing opportunities. The player behind the goal is the team's best passer, as most plays will run through him.
Midfielders, more commonly referred to as "middies", are the heart of the lacrosse team. They are tasked with playing both offense and defense. They are the only players on the field that can go on either side of the half field line, with a few exceptions. Middies are the only position in lacrosse to have different variations. There are offensive middies that specialize in scoring and passing, defensive middies that focus on guarding other middies, and long stick middies who have the same long stick as a normal defender, but are technically considered a middie. An LSM is often tasked with guarding the other team's best player.
Defenders are the players that are tasked with guarding the other team's attackers. This position is given a special extended stick that is used to give them a slight advantage over the opposing offense. Like the attack, they are designated to the side of the field that their keeper is on, and their main job is to make sure that the keeper sees as few shots as possible.
Keepers play perhaps the most difficult position in lacrosse in terms of skill. Their job is to try and stop a ball slightly smaller than a baseball from entering a goal that is six feet by six feet. At the high school level, players are shooting close to 80 miles per hour, so tracking the ball is incredibly difficult. Keepers are also in charge of facilitating a change of possession, so when he or his defense takes the ball away from the other team, the keeper directs his team on how they should advance.
Gear Needed to Play
Lacrosse requires gear that is similar to hockey, with upper body padding to protect the player from the fast moving lacrosse ball and other players. The game also requires a stick, perhaps the most important piece of equipment.
The lacrosse helmet is not all that dissimilar to a hockey helmet, although it is certainly unique in its own ways. The lacrosse helmet has a hard plastic cover around the outside, with a facemask that a player is able to see through. The bars on the facemask are designed so that a lacrosse ball or another player's stick cannot fit through. The inside of the helmet has a light yet durable padding system, designed to absorb contact that may be received during the course of a lacrosse game.
The lacrosse stick is the most important piece of equipment to any player. This stick is the only way a player is allowed to interact with the play while playing. The stick is made up five key components, the head, metal shaft, mesh, strings, and end cap. All of these components come together to make a lacrosse stick, which players use to pass, shoot, and check others.
Elbow pads are exactly what they sound like they are. They slide on to players arms and serve as a protective layer for their elbows. During the course of a lacrosse game, players will be hit, or checked, by opposing players throughout the game, mainly on their arms. These elbow pads are what give players protection from various bumps and bruises.
The lacrosse glove is identical to a hockey glove, it's only difference is that it is lighter and more flexible. There is a string of padding along each finger, especially the thumb. The key part of a lacrosse glove is the wrist guard. As players are involved in the game, their hands are at use continuously, so making sure that their fingers, palms, and wrists are protected is vitally important.
The chest pad is one of the more debated pieces of lacrosse equipment. Many high level players believe that they do not need to wear one as they are often not hit in the chest. However, a chest protector with protruding center pad is required in youth lacrosse, as players have incurred substantial chest injuries due to lack of protection surrounding their ribs and upper chest area.
Cleats are perhaps the most easily accessible part of the lacrosse gear ensemble to obtain. While there are designated lacrosse cleats that are designed specifically for lacrosse performance, players are not limited to this style. Athletes may also wear soccer or football cleats while playing lacrosse, however baseball cleats are not permitted.
Much of this equipment is hard to find in Chico or its surrounding cities. Dicks Sporting Goods and Big 5 have gear sparingly. In Sacramento, there is a store called Lacrosse Fanatic, which is family owned and operated. They offer top quality gear for all ages and skill levels. The store is located at 9500 Micron Ave #122 their online shop can be found HERE
Since a lot of lacrosse gear can be expensive, the Chico Rebels offer gear donations for all sorts of equipment, excluding cleats. If you want to learn more about gear donation, reach out to one of the board members listed below.
Contact Information
Board Members
Brooke Wells
President
(530) 680-2412
brookeswells@gmail.com
Chris Bush
Vice President
(617) 910-6291
Alex Robins
Treasurer/ Scheduler
(530) 941-7165
Tara Towne-Robins
Secretary/ Scheduler
(530) 598-8684
The lacrosse season begins in February and runs in May. If you are interested in signing up, please contact the president of the board Brooke wells through her email or phone number listed above.
Go Rebels!
About Me
My name is Cole Vickery and I am a senior at Grand Canyon University set to graduate in April of 2025. My degree will be a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a focus in broadcasting and new media. After graduation, I plan on continuing my education at Chico State University as I work towards becoming a high school English teacher. My time with the Chico Rebels has been extensive, as I played for the club for seven years, coached for two, and had an internship with the club this spring. My time with the Rebels helped me realize my career goal of becoming an educator, as helping others achieve their goals is something I take great pride in. Playing for the Rebels helped me grow as a leader, and gave me perspective on the importance of hard work. Coaching for the club taught me how to interact with a younger generation in a way that helps them learn and grow. My internship with the club gave me an opportunity to advance my technological skills that I obtained while studying at GCU. I hope to take all these learned skills and use them in my future career as a high school teacher, and potentially as the high school lacrosse coach.
My Contact Information
(530) 230-8888
cole.vickery15@gmail.com
About Me
My name is Cole Vickery and I am a senior at Grand Canyon University set to graduate in April of 2025. My degree will be a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a focus in broadcasting and new media. After graduation, I plan on continuing my education at Chico State University as I work towards becoming a high school English teacher. My time with the Chico Rebels has been extensive, as I played for the club for seven years, coached for two, and had an internship with the club this spring. My time with the Rebels helped me realize my career goal of becoming an educator, as helping others achieve their goals is something I take great pride in. Playing for the Rebels helped me grow as a leader, and gave me perspective on the importance of hard work. Coaching for the club taught me how to interact with a younger generation in a way that helps them learn and grow. My internship with the club gave me an opportunity to advance my technological skills that I obtained while studying at GCU. I hope to take all these learned skills and use them in my future career as a high school teacher, and potentially as the high school lacrosse coach.
My Contact Information
(530) 230-8888
cole.vickery15@gmail.com
