The First in Line - Lacrosse in Owasso
By Jackson Nester
Photo of Trey Goins by Cambry Shields
In a sport that is picking up speed across the country, lacrosse just became popular in Oklahoma seven or eight years ago. One of the players that took advantage of this sport was Senior Trey Goins. He picked up lacrosse when he was in fifth grade when the sport was first introduced here in Tulsa. Goins has played since then and has excelled in the sport ever since he picked up the stick. Goins has gotten the opportunity to play around the country on various travel teams and has visited several universities including Jacksonville University, the University of Denver and played on Towson’s field. I had the opportunity to talk to Goins about being the first Owasso Ram to play division one (D1) Lacrosse and the stress that might come with it.
“No, I have a pretty laid back personality and don’t feel the need to get stressed, it’s what I’ve been playing since I was a kid,” Goins stated.
This was a surprising answer because most players, no matter what sport, feel quite a bit of stress when going to a D1 school, or even just going to play in college in general. However, one thing that Goins remarked on that might bring a bit of stress and pressure was the skill gap between playing here and playing in the northeast.
“I would say the skill out here on the high school field is about a three out of ten, compared to the skill up there being about a nine out of ten. This is due to the fast-paced style, and a lot more physicality compared to down here.” Goins explained.
The difference in the skill gap between the two is largely due to one being high school and one being college, but also due to how long the sport has been around Owasso versus the north. The sport has been played for decades in the north compared to the measly one decade it’s been around here.
Not only will the skill be a lot different, but the atmosphere will also be vastly different going to Albany, New York from Owasso, Oklahoma.
“It will definitely be a whole lot colder up there than down here, but I’ve been to Manhattan a couple of times, and [I’ve] been to other big cities around the U.S, so it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. However, living there full time will definitely be a new and exciting experience,” Goins said.
Moving away from your hometown takes a lot, and one of the biggest factors pulling Goins to Albany is his love and respect for the sport native to North America.
“It’s such a unique and different sport. There’s not many sports where you can go outside with only a stick and a ball and use a wall to get yourself better. This is one of the big reasons why I didn’t pursue going and playing football in college,” Goins remarked.
Goins has one more semester and season of lacrosse here at Owasso before he moves on to go play at the University of Albany, so make sure to support Trey Goins and the lacrosse team this season. Their first game is March 4 at Owasso.