Take I-95 North all the way to the end and you can enter another country. Get off one exit earlier and you can enter another time.

Houlton, Maine, is a throwback town. It’s the kind of multigenerational place where moving away means buying the house across the street from the one in which you grew up. At the end of November, they cover the fire trucks in Christmas lights. In August, there’s a big party celebrating the potato harvest. They hold a lot of parades.

But a recent Fourth of July Parade brought something this old town had never seen before. There, along the mile-long parade route, among the farm tractors, 4-H Club members and emergency vehicles, marched a group of youth lacrosse players handing out 400 DumDum lollipops with flyers advertising a clinic.

They ran out of candy after a quarter of a mile.

“It was like, ‘What do we now?”’ said Ken Ervin, the founder and coach of Northern Maine Lacrosse. “We just kind of walked and waved.”

That’s how it’s been at the beginning for the Northern Maine Moose. They find a way to make it work.

Lacrosse came to Houlton a familiar way — because a dad didn't want to break a promise to his kids. When Ervin’s family moved to his wife’s hometown near the Canadian border, he assured his sons and oldest daughter that they could still play the sport they learned to love back in New Hampshire. The only problem was lacrosse did not exist in Houlton. In fact, no one played lacrosse for 120 miles in any direction. So he started a program himself.

Houlton, the seat of Aroostook County, is a blue-collar town of potato farmers and government workers, customs agents and border patrol guards. The winters are long, cold and dark. The fields stay frozen. It’s the kind of place that makes you realize why the Canadians, just a few miles to the east, play so much of their spring lacrosse indoors. The local economy has struggled. The New York Times recently identified it as the 19th-poorest town in America.

Houlton needed a little help. First came a Soft Stick Grant from US Lacrosse, which allowed Ervin to hold a clinic and show the community exactly what lacrosse was. Then came a First Stick Grant, which provided equipment for the girls’ program. Then, after a brief delay due to the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl run, the boys got equipment via a grant from the Bill Belichick Foundation.

At first, Ervin wondered if they’d even have enough players. He figured his kids and a couple of their friends might come out. The girls said they’d play on the boys’ team if needed. They ended up with 18 boys and 16 girls, ranging from third to sixth grade. The team traveled hours to play games, driving as far as 139 miles one way. Ervin made sure the schedules were staggered so he could coach a boys’ game, then pivot and coach the girls. Game days were long. They’d come so far. They were willing to play as many games as they could.

“The first year is a trying year for anything, whether it’s opening a restaurant or starting a sport,” Ervin said. “I just never thought I’d have 34 players that wanted to come out and commit and families that were willing travel anywhere. It really surpassed my expectations.”

It was always fun. Sometimes it was funny. One time a group of players raced downfield after a ball that had actually been launched backward during a player’s windup. But they got better. By the time they were halfway through their schedule, every single player on the boys’ team had scored a goal.

The community chipped in. The native Maliseet tribe let them use their fields. Dick’s Sporting Goods donated balls to replace the ones they kept losing in the woods.

“There’s this sense of community here,” Ervin said. “If you’re a young family, this is the community you want to be at. The businesses are such good youth advocates. They all ask, ‘What do our young people need?’”

Houlton is a basketball town. Ervin’s father-in-law has had season tickets for the high school basketball team for 20 years. When the games starts, the whole crowd stands and claps and does not sit down until the team scores its first basket. The ideal winter vacation is to follow Houlton's basketball team throughout the state playoffs.

The long-term goal, years from now, is for Houlton lacrosse to compete at the varsity level as a high school sport — for lacrosse to give kids who don’t play baseball or softball another option in the spring. Maybe it will give the residents of this old school town another option for vacation, too.

Locally Grown

Adirondack

The chapter hosted one of its largest-attended annual Hall of Fame banquet on June 21.  Brothers Cort and Blake Kim joined Marylou Vosburgh as inductees. Dom Starsia was the keynote speaker.

Connecticut

Partnering with the NLL’s New England Black Wolves, the chapter hosted a coaches clinic at Mohegan Sun.

Eastern Massachusetts

The annual Eastern Mass Hall of Fame event was held in conjunction with MLL’s Boston Cannons and recognized the chapters’ high school All-Americans and Academic All-Americans.

Greater Rochester

The chapter’s fifth-annual youth clinic drew more than 100 boys and girls before the Herb Fitch Classic Senior All-Star Game.

Hudson Valley

The chapter is accepting nominations for its next Hall of Fame class.

Maine

President Joe Hezlep, a Lacrosse Athlete Development Model advocate, was among 73 attendees at the US Lacrosse Chapter Leadership Conference in September.

New Hampshire

The NHYLA has raised more than $3,000 for cancer research through its LaCrossing Out Cancer campaign.

Rhode Island

The chapter awarded the Ocean State Cup to the Brown men’s and women’s lacrosse teams this season after both Bears teams swept state rivals Bryant and Providence (men).

Upstate New York

The chapter participated in an adaptive lacrosse camp with Breaking Barriers on June 4.

Vermont

Local officials organizations have received funding for LAREDO clinics, observations, new officials training, trainer stipends and facility expenses.

Western Massachusetts

Thanks in part to chapter advocacy, Springfield Central High School will add boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams in 2018.

Western New York

The chapter helped promote the Wheelchair Lacrosse USA National Championship at Buffalo RiverWorks in August.

Picture This

That’s the Spirit

Riley Giordano, a seventh-grade student from Ellington, Conn., was recognized by the Connecticut Chapter of US Lacrosse for working with Ellington Youth Services and Ellington Parks and Rec to offer the inaugural “Spirit Lacrosse Day” — a clinic offered free of charge to any child with special needs. Giordano marketed the idea, designed the all-inclusive clinic day and sought out donations for t-shirts. Children with special needs were able to take the field and participate in lacrosse drills with several volunteers all while laughing, playing and having fun. 

My USL Rep

Ryan Larkum | Northeast Region

Ryan Larkum is from West Hartford, Conn. He played lacrosse at Conard High School and then one season at Springfield College. While working for New Britain Parks and Recreation, he coached at Farmington (Conn.) High School.  He joined US Lacrosse in 2014 is now in his third season as the junior varsity coach at his alma mater Conard.

How can US Lacrosse help grow the sport in your area? Contact Ryan at rlarkum@uslacrosse.org or 410-235-6882, extension 176.