San Benito High School plans to add boys’ lacrosse in the spring and girls’ field hockey next fall as a way to expand opportunities for student-athletes, Athletic Director Tod Thatcher announced this week. Word first came out in the school bulletin, which said that informational meetings for students interested in either sport would be “coming soon.”
On Wednesday, Thatcher told BenitoLink that the plans for the new sports — which will be the first added at SBHS since girls’ water polo in the late 1990s — started with discussions he had with new Superintendent John Perales, who previously worked at Christopher High, which offers both sports.
“After having our (athletics department) presentation to the Board of Trustees in May, we talked about ways to bolster participation and give kids another opportunity to participate in athletics,” Thatcher said, indicating that the school plans to offer varsity and junior varsity teams in both sports, potentially opening 60 or more opportunities for students to play a team sport. “Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in high school and we looked at field hockey because of the scholarship opportunities for kids.”
Lacrosse will “definitely” play at Andy Hardin Field on campus in the spring of 2015, Thatcher said, though field hockey “is a tough one because that’s not a great playing surface” for that sport. “It’s not a true playing surface for a ball to roll on; it’s got a crown, it’s not flat.” Field hockey may end up playing all or most of its games on the road, he said, though that is not finalized yet.
Putting the information about the new sports in the bulletin has already drummed up interest from some students, Thatcher said. “I had three girls come into my office today to inquire (about field hockey),” he said. “It’s generated a buzz on campus.”
The Monterey Bay League, in which all San Benito High School sports now play, does not offer lacrosse or field hockey, so Thatcher expects the Balers to join the Mission Trail Athletic League in those sports. Six teams are needed to form a league and the MBL is “not there yet” with only Christopher and Gilroy High offering those sports, said Thatcher, who has been meeting with Christopher’s Athletic Director Darren Yafai to work out the details of starting the new sports.
“We are moving on it; it’s kind of cool,” Thatcher said, noting that he expects to present details of the lacrosse team to the Board of Trustees by Oct. 1. “There are going to be challenges with our field and we are looking to play varsity right out of the gate. We’re at ground zero, but I think once the kids latch on, it’ll take off.”
Thatcher said that, ideally, San Benito will be able to hire alumni who may have played either lacrosse or field hockey in college, “but my gut feeling is that those people are going to be limited in our community. We may have to reach outside of Hollister.”
Thatcher encourages anyone with an interest in coaching either program to contact him at 637-5831, ext. 350 or via email at tthatcher@sbhsd.k12.ca.us.