While lacrosse is gaining widespread popularity nationwide, the sport may finally be hitting a participation plateau at the Colorado high school level.

According to statistics provided by the Colorado High School Activities Association, boys’ high school lacrosse participation has increased only 2.3 percent in Colorado since 2010 – 86 more male athletes played in 2015 than five years prior.

Girls’ participation shows a similar increase of 2.4 percent over that span.

The largest participation increase in a five-year-span was from 2004-09, when players flocked to lacrosse fields and produced a 63.33 percent increase in participation. In 2004, exactly 2,100 high school boys played lacrosse in Colorado. By 2009, over 3,500 signed up for the spring sport.

“The numbers have somewhat leveled off,” said Mike Stears, president of Colorado Youth Lacrosse Association. “We’re not out putting advertisements in the paper. It’s organic growth.”

While participation numbers at the high school level have remained largely stagnant in the past five years, the number of schools fielding lacrosse programs has risen by 59 percent since 2010.

Harry Waterman, CHSAA’s lacrosse administrator, said this is because some schools are opting to pool together players to compete in a single, districtwide program rather than struggling to support their own team.

Last year, Denver won the men’s lacrosse national championship – the first Division I title for a lacrosse team west of the Mississippi.

The sport reached a milestone in 2015 when national participation on organized teams topped 800,000 for the first time. Air Force fields a Division I men’s team and Colorado College has varsity men’s and women’s at the Division III level. Over 110 high schools field boys’ lacrosse programs in Colorado. Ten years ago, that number was at 43.

“One of the things we’re seeing is lacrosse being used for cross-training,” Stears said. “In the past, football coaches may just want them to play that year round. Sports like hockey and football – they’re seeing lacrosse as a great second sport.”

Stears said one of the best things to happen for the sport in Colorado was the University of Denver’s hiring of coach Bill Tierney. In addition to leading the school to its first lacrosse national championship, the coach has raised awareness by bringing top-tier NCAA teams to Denver and exposing young players to high-level lacrosse.

Some Colorado natives continue to the college level. Of the Pioneers’ 48-man roster, 13 are from Colorado.

“You have high level of players sticking around the Denver area,” Stears said. “Colorado is a good place to go to school and play afterward.”

In Colorado Springs, the sport’s growth is thriving at the youth level. The four CYLA programs in Colorado Springs have combined to create 11 more teams throughout seven age levels in the past six years.

The largest participation increase has been at the under-8 level, where six Colorado Springs teams have been created since 2010.

Eric Tanner, president of Ranger Lacrosse Club in Colorado Springs, said programs are making a bigger emphasis on introducing the sport to kids at a younger age. To keep growing at the youth level, the main objectives for CYLA are finding experienced coaches and field space, and training officials.

“You have to work for those three,” Stears said. “As you get more teams, you need more fields and coaches and officials. I fully expect five years from now, we’ll have 30-50 percent more teams.”

Dawson defeated Cheyenne Mountain 15-6 in their boys’ lacrosse semi-final game Wednesday, May 18,2016 in Lafayette, Colorado. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette

MARK REIS