VMI Club Lacrosse: the comeback

Records from the archives dating back to 1968 describe a growing interest in lacrosse at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and a desire to establish a club team. Cadet Thomas E. Hickman '69 fought tooth and nail to get the club established before the spring season of 1969. Hickman '69 found Major Stainton Smith to be the faculty advisor and in a handwritten letter to Smith Hall, wrote, "There seems to be a base of interest in the Corps. Despite the large problems of coaching and supervision, budgeting, time off, practice facilities, etc., it seems to me consistent with our overall purpose to encourage sporting activities." With the finding of a lacrosse equipment rental agency in Maryland, a club budget of five hundred dollars, and 31 cadets on the team, VMI lacrosse played its first game at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI). After this tense start to the club, years of good fortune fell upon the team, with participation staying relatively constant. That was until the pandemic, where, like most of the country, VMI suspended all clubs to avoid the spread of the coronavirus between Keydets. This led to the near collapse of the lacrosse club with a forced two years of inactivity, which saw the experienced leadership graduate. When the restrictions were finally relaxed, a new team had to be created from the bottom up. Having to fight against a lack of interest in playing and Smith Hall. Coach Smith, an instructor in the English department, stepped up to help train the new team, using his experience playing the University of Richmond's club lacrosse team. He dedicated his free time from teaching to developing a training schedule that he believed should raise VMI lacrosse from the ashes and have it shine as a glorious phoenix. Struggling with numbers, it's been hard for the team to make a roster that doesn't heavily rely on rats, who are at the whim of the Ratline's many requirements. So, when the team needs to travel off-post, they must maneuver around mandatory rat events to play. These impediments to the team's ability to play puts a strain on relationships between teammates and coaches, but it also allows them to take on the underdog mentality. It's VMI lacrosse against the world, and they are not backing down, no matter what. In October, the team marched down to Charleston, SC to play in a tournament over the Halloween weekend against the Citadel. VMI lost both games, but they took it on the chin and are chomping at the bit to play in the tournament again next year. With the hopes of knocking down the Knobs a peg or two. As Coach Smith believes, "There is nothing but a positive future for the team." When asked if he would want to host a game at VMI, Coach Smith said it was his goal to set up a tournament between the senior military colleges and the military academies. He mentioned that members of the West Point lacrosse club have reached out to VMI Keydets on the team, expressing a desire to come down to VMI and face off on the field. The team's future looks bright, and with the support of the Corps and Alumni, it could very well become a dominating force in intercollegiate sports like our conference-winning rugby club team. The team is looking for all cadets who've played or are interested in playing to join the team. For nothing better embodies VMI than learning new skills and developing yourself physically.