Photos: Woodbury Youth Lacrosse

Four Woodbury youth lacrosse squads met for a contest at the Thursday.

Woodbury resident Pat Donaghy, an assistant coach at Woodbury High School and the East District director for the Youth Lacrosse of Minnesota, said the league actually had to turn away some players this year.

The sport, he said, “is obviously just exploding.”

“It’s getting more and more popular every year,” Donaghy said.

Why the growth?

“It’s a summer sport that’s fast-paced and it takes a lot of practice—but every time a kid pocks up a stick they get better and better,” Donaghy said. “It’s almost like a cult; you see kids carrying their sticks everywhere.”

Donaghy said he’s seen steady improvements in the league’s quality of play over recent years. And it’s a good off-season sport for hockey players, he said. “They transition to it so well.”