Lacrosse is known as “the fastest game on two feet” – a type of contact team sport in which two teams of players use long-handled lacrosse sticks to catch, carry, or throw a ball down the field or into the opponent's goal. It is the oldest sport in North America, known to have originated in a sport that has traditionally been played among native peoples in the 16th century, in what is now Canada. Compared to more mainstream sports like football or basketball, lacrosse has a smaller audience within Korea compared to Western countries, but it is just as fun and dynamic as the others. The Korea University Women’s Lacrosse Team (KULAX) was created in 2013, yet it is a relatively less well-known school sports club that many female students at Korea University (KU) could very well enjoy and take advantage of participating in.
KULAX is a club that offers a chance for all KU students to exercise and maintain their health in a fun way, helping them get hooked on lacrosse, exercise, and team camaraderie. Members all have different levels of sports experience, from those who have never even heard of lacrosse to those who have played the sport for many years or have always enjoyed team sports prior to joining. In an interview with the president of KULAX, Yang Dayeon (‘21, Korean Language and Literature), Yang mentioned that she would often get very sweaty after a match of lacrosse, as it requires agility, physical strength, and skill.
The main activity of KULAX involves a regular practice that takes place twice a week: once on a weekday evening, and once on the weekend in the early morning, usually on Monday and Saturday. On the weekend, the members practice at the Han River from 8:00 A.M.
While the structure of a club is quite loose, as no such penalty points are leveraged for missing the regular practices, attending the practices is recommended so that the members can build sufficient physical strength and stamina to be able to improve their lacrosse skills. Simple exercises that help train the most fundamental skills in lacrosse, like “pass and catch” or “creasing” – catching the ball and holding it – are done during their practice sessions.
Irregular activities include friendly matches with Yonsei University (YU), and while there is no fixed lacrosse coach assigned to their team, a coach from Gyeonggi Foreign Language High School comes to aid their practices. Yang also mentioned that KULAX participates in matches held by the Korean Lacrosse Association, in games where college students and adults come together and play in an indoor league tournament. The various types of matches give members great opportunities to practice as well as flaunt the skills they have honed. The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed the president of KULAX to learn more about the activities members can partake in throughout the semester and get hooked on the charm and appeal of playing lacrosse in KULAX.
GT: Who can apply to become part of KULAX? Are there any special requirements students should be aware of?
Yang: Anyone can apply. We are open to everyone regardless of nationality, so we don’t have any qualifications. When you think about ice hockey, you bump into each other a lot, and get pushed and slip; lacrosse is not rough to that extent, but it’s similar. We play without equipment. In the beginning, those who lack core strength or general strength get hurt more. It might be tough at first, but since we practice regularly, you will be okay if you come to the practices and get the knack of it. Even if you lack physical stamina, you have no athletic ability, and you don’t even know what lacrosse is, you don’t have to worry about it. If you want to try it just for fun, feel free to apply.
GT: What can students gain from becoming a member of KULAX?
Yang: I’ve tried a few other sports, but compared to swimming, skiing, or bicycling, I’ve found that it takes a lot longer to learn lacrosse. I’ve been doing it for a year, but I still can’t do it that well. Also, just coming to practice means that you have to wake up early at 6:30 A.M. to go to Han River, so it is time- and energy-consuming, but I feel proud of myself when I work out in the morning and sweat. There are a lot of people around us who are also exercising at that time; you get to learn how hardworking everyone is. Even if it’s really cold in the evening, we practice and go eat something warm together afterwards. Playing lacrosse is fun, but I think other experiences [outside of simply playing] also add to the fun! Because of KULAX, I moved my body, fell down, scratched my knees, and even got hurt. Those [new experiences] were more fun.
GT: Although the club is not run in English , would you say that international students could join KULAX and still feel included?
Yang: This might sound unexpected, but there are lots of foreigners. There are also a lot of people who are good at foreign languages and speak both English and Korean fluently, so they interpret for us, which is really nice. Since lacrosse is played more commonly abroad, foreign students join KULAX every semester. Even though they can’t speak Korean well, there are people in the middle who are able to translate, so if you look at the members who come to practice, there are actually more foreigners than Koreans. On days like that, we tend to only speak in English. I’ve even seen some people join us because they wanted to play lacrosse abroad as an exchange student.
Although one may argue that KULAX is just one of the ordinary team sports clubs, there is something more to be gained. KULAX opens up new doors, such as meeting foreign friends or being able to practice multiple areas of physical strength with a lower risk of injury than other team sports.