It’s Saturday night and all the fields at the Reach 11 Sports Complex are filled with soccer teams – except one.

The Chaparral girls’ lacrosse team warmed up on Field 16, preparing for their 6 p.m. match against Germantown Academy, who came from Pennsylvania to play four games in Arizona.

“I have definitely noticed an increase in people playing lacrosse in general,” said Germantown coach Ginny Hofman, who has coached lacrosse for 32 years and played herself in college. “The number of teams on the west coast has risen, as well.”

According to the Arizona Girls Lacrosse Association website, national lacrosse participation increased 8.4 percent in 2009 and high school participation increased four-percent in 2009 with 227,624 players nationwide. Still, Chaparral coach Jessica Livingston feels that lacrosse hasn’t quite reached it’s potential.

“I know that we could get more teams and more girls interested if there were a good number of coaches, officials, and parents who knew what they were doing,” Livingston said. “More people need to be educated about lacrosse.”

There are now 12 Varsity teams that play in the AGLA league. Although the Chaparral lacrosse team is associated with Chaparral High School, they are a club, not a high school, team.

Carolyn Kinney, Chaparral team manager and the game’s EMT, said she is excited about the upcoming season and the direction in which lacrosse is going in general.

“I think there really is a difference in the way girls’ lacrosse is being received in the last few years,” Kinney said. “It’s really been getting some much deserved recognition.”

By the end of the game a sizeable crowd had gathered on the sidelines of Field 16, giving support to Kinney’s statement. They cheered loudly as the ending buzzer sounded, sealing a 17-15 Chaparral victory over Germantown.