The West Hills High School boys’ lacrosse program, like many other recent start-ups in California, is on the fast track. Launched in 2022, West Hills became a full CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) member the following year and has advanced to the Division III championship in each of the past two seasons.
Now fielding both a JV and varsity team, the participation numbers have climbed each year, with 68 boys on the two squads this spring. While those numbers are encouraging, they also present a conundrum since the teams get no state funding. Most expenses are met from fundraising.
“Last season, we ran out of equipment for the boys to use and had to resort to lending out personal equipment and loaners to the ones who couldn’t afford to purchase their own,” said JV coach Joseph Maniscalco, who has been with the program since its inception. “We are growing the game here in Southern California and hate to turn kids away due to a lack of gear.”
Located in the community of Santee, a northeast suburb of San Diego, West Hills serves students and families from a diverse socio-economic background. Maniscalco says that lacrosse serves as a great unifier.
“We have a very diverse group of young men that come from totally different backgrounds, but they all work together as one unit on the field,” Maniscalco said. “We win games due to our cohesiveness.”
Last year, to help alleviate the equipment shortage faced by the growing West Hills program, Maniscalco applied for and received a USA Lacrosse Equipment Grant. New helmets arrived during this past offseason and are being used to outfit boys this spring.
“Due to the USA Lacrosse grant we did not have to turn away any players,” Maniscalco said. “We were able to outfit every player, which helps us tremendously with player retention. We’re now able to teach every boy who wants to learn the sport of lacrosse.”
While teaching the game is a priority for the coaching staff, Maniscalco notes that there are many other benefits to the boys who choose to participate.
“We are helping them to learn life lessons such as teamwork, leadership, honesty, integrity and the importance of being strong students,” he said. “We’re making it fun and also challenging these young men to be great players and exceptional individuals.”
The equipment option is one of four offerings available through the USA Lacrosse National Grant Program, which seeks to help reduce barriers, increase inclusivity, and fuel lacrosse growth in communities throughout the country.
Last year, USA Lacrosse awarded 184 grants to organizations across 44 states with a total retail value of almost $370,000.
“This grant made it possible for us to properly outfit everyone who wants to play but may not have the financial ability to purchase gear,” Maniscalco said. “This grant was great.”
USA Lacrosse will begin accepting online applications for its 2025 grant cycle on June 1, but the organization is currently accepting interest form submissions from potential applicants. USA Lacrosse will provide email updates and reminders to those who complete the online interest form.
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The USA Lacrosse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Lacrosse. The Foundation helps drive the three main pillars of the USA Lacrosse mission: 1) Fuel the growth; 2) Enrich the experience; 3) Field the best national teams. Supporting the foundation provides thousands of children across the country with the opportunity to experience the gift of lacrosse. To learn more and donate, please visit www.usalacrosse.com/donate.
