COHASSET— The 16th Annual Grand Rapids Area Lacrosse Association (GRALA) lacrosse shootout tournament, renamed the Kirk Watson Memorial Lacrosse Tournament this year, held its two-day event this past weekend featuring nearly 60 boys and girls high school lacrosse teams from around the entire state and North Dakota.
Eight classes of boys and girls 8U-14U featured 57 teams at beautiful Sugarbrooke Golf Course in Cohasset, where nine full-sized lacrosse fields were drawn in the fairways - perhaps the only green space in the area large enough to comfortably accommodate the thousands of spectators, dozens of tents, and hundreds of games held at the incredible event - and comfortable it was, tucked away in the spring weather on a 300-acre, 18-hole golf course offering a spectacular and serene backdrop for the growing and physical sport to hold its state-wide competition.
Local vendors lined the fairways and families from all over had enough room to spread-out and claim their piece of land while cheering on their local teams as everyone was guaranteed four games over two days, with the top teams advancing to their respective class championships, and the winner was awarded a trophy at the end.
The Grand Rapids-Greenway area teams played well as the host of the tournament, and had one team win their age group; the 14 U Grand Rapids-Greenway girls team went 4-0 to hoist the trophy, but ultimately, this tournament was about highlighting and growing the game right here in the area, and the GRALA coordinators delivered a spectacle.
“It’s impressive, I love it,” a Moorhead father said about the golf course setting for the tournament.
“We had great, we had a lot of fun,” said a mother from St. Louis Park, who also added that she “loved” the tournament layout.
Nina Oven, one of the coordinators on the GRALA board, said the event “exceeded expectations” this year.
“It was beautiful. A great tournament, every face you looked at was smiling,” said Oven.
Kirk Watson, for whom the tournament was named after, was a lacrosse enthusiast in Grand Rapids that played as well as coached area youth, helping to establish the growing LAX culture in the Grand Rapids.
According to the GRALA website:
“Kirk started playing lacrosse in High School through the city. He loved the sport. At the time lacrosse was fairly new in the Grand Rapids area. He started by teaching lacrosse at college for kids to get younger kids interested in the sport. He then started coaching the 12U boys - the 1st organized youth team. Kirk loved kids - loved coaching - loved the sport. College took Kirk away from Grand Rapids - but not the love for the sport. When he moved back to Grand Rapids he started coaching lacrosse again, at the high school level as assistant varsity coach, with his original 12U B team. Kirk was a very passionate person in all aspects of life. His large hugs, huge smile, and constant laughter. He loved the game and shared his passion by helping to grow it and share that passion with the next generation.”
Watson would be proud of the state of lacrosse in the Grand Rapids area and throughout the Arrowhead Region, had he seen the thousands of lacrosse supporters fill an 18-hole golf course in Cohasset for two days.
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