When Russell Bartle was thrown into a lacrosse goal at age 9, to block his older brother’s shots, little did he know it was the beginning of a sports career taking him to college on a lacrosse scholarship.
Lacrosse is a fast growing sport here in Arizona. It is popular on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Lacrosse, or lax, is a combination of hockey, soccer and some football. The players have a long handled stick with a triangular head, which has a mesh pouch to catch, carry and throw the ball. The object is to move a hard rubber ball up and down the field by throwing it to your teammates while running, without losing it or dropping it, and then scoring in a tiny net blocked by a goalie.
Russell has been playing this sport since the fourth grade. He has been the star goalie for the Mesa Heat Lacrosse team for the past four years. His quick hands, fast moves and exceptional skills caught the attention of many coaches recruiting at the college level. Russell ultimately committed to High Point University, in High Point, North Carolina, where he will be studying accounting.
Come Aug. 16, he is going to be a Panther, and he couldn’t be more excited. It will be thrilling to watch him as one of five goalies. High Point is in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and plays teams, such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina. “It is an adrenaline rush to have that lacrosse ball, made of hard rubber, coming at me at 95 mph or more,” said Russell. As a goalie, he wears a chest pad, helmet and gloves. In addition, his attire usually includes a pair of shorts.
Russell would not be where he is today without the support of many people. Most important are his parents who drove him everywhere, allowing him to take advantage of the opportunities to travel, play year round and benefit from incredible coaching.
He attributes his lacrosse success to his Mesa Heat coach, Geoff Larsen, who guided him, taught him and gave him the confidence to become the goalie he is today. Aside from coach Larsen, Russell credits his growth as a lacrosse player to Chris Malone, the coach at Arizona State University. In addition to Mesa Heat, Russell played for The Burn, West Coast Stars and The Tropics.
Look for Russell and the High Point Panthers when the lacrosse season begins in spring 2014.