North Springs Junior Spartans Lacrosse Team Making Strides in Third Season

Lacrosse is in full swing at North Springs High School. Earlier this week, the Spartans beat Powder Springs’ McEachern High School 5-4. 

The sport has been a part of the athletics program at North Springs for the past 12 years. When the first practices were held, North Springs was only the 10th school in the state with a lacrosse team.

Ed Smith, who started the lacrosse program at North Springs, has turned the sport into a family business in Sandy Springs. His son Rob now carries the torch as coach of the Junior Spartans team.

“This season marks the Junior Spartans’ third in existence,” said Rob Smith. “The North Springs feeder program welcomes sixth, seventh and eighth graders from all over the metro area, not just kids that will qualify to play for North Springs.”

He added, “We take everybody and anybody, but we still fly under the North Springs colors and play other feeder programs in the area. It’s a way to get everybody to play and give everyone in the Sandy Springs area an option.”

After the elder Smith left North Springs, the program fell by the wayside. Mark Baker, the school’s booster president, wanted to get people interested in the sport, so he posted street signs inviting people to attend a lacrosse clinic.

The signs caught the attention of Rob Smith, a North Springs graduate and lacrosse player. He signed on as a volunteer coach with two former high school teammates, Adam Smith [no relation] and Brett Sanders.

 “What it comes down to is getting a kid some gloves, a helmet and a stick and throwing him out in the mix and let him go nuts the first day he’s out there,” Smith said. “It’s kind of what we do. We throw you into the water and you’ll end up loving it right after.”

 The Junior Spartans have come a long way in three seasons. In the first year, there was a largely inexperienced group of boys that claimed just one victory. However, despite the struggles, the team and Smith enjoyed bonding on the field while going through their growing pains.

Soon afterwards, they started an Under-13 and Under-15 team and saw the number of wins double in their second season. Entering their third season in 2011, Smith believes they’re on the right track. Each day, he sees his player’s love for the game continue to grow and the progression of the program headed in the right direction.

Baker believes Smith is the perfect coach because of his community roots and how he interacts with the children.

“Junior Spartans has made me three times the player I used to be,” said 13-year-old Chandler Arney. “Thanks to the coaches and experiences, I now have a much better grasp of the game.”

The Junior Spartans practice on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at North Springs High School.