After just three seasons at the varsity level, the Johnson State College women’s lacrosse program has been suspended indefinitely, effective June 2017.

“As an athletic director, you never want to have to suspend a sport,” said Director of Athletics Jamey Ventura. “But it is my job to evaluate all of our programs and their status, making sure our student-athletes are having a positive experience.”

After already offering men’s lacrosse for years, Ventura and his staff decided to add a women’s team before the 2013-2014 academic year. “We did our research and women’s lacrosse was one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and at the time, 32 high schools in our state had teams,” he said. “Also, our admissions counselors were getting asked if we had a team and at the same time, our conference was looking to add more members.”

For its inaugural season, the women’s lacrosse team had a solid group of 17 players, but an unfortunate trend began when their head coach left before the season and without finishing the recruitment cycle. He was replaced by his assistant coach, who then left after the season. Over the next two years, Ventura had to hire two more head coaches.

“We’ve really struggled to find and retain a coach in this area with experience in women’s lacrosse,” said Ventura. “Being a rural area, there’s a limited pool to draw from.”

Heading into what would end up being their final season, the JSC women’s lacrosse team knew it would be a difficult year due to the thin roster. “Twelve players start for a women’s lacrosse team,” Ventura said. “We averaged nine players per game, and even played one game with only seven. Plus, our opponents all had a bench, which we never did.”

The team’s constant lack of players forced everyone involved into desperate resourcefulness. “The players, the coach, and my staff tried really hard to find student-athletes from other sports, as well as other students on campus, to build the roster up,” said Ventura. “Two days before a game we would be calling around and even going to the dining hall to track down more players.”

Although there were times they could find a few extra teammates, it was very problematic trying to incorporate players who hadn’t been practicing with the team and hadn’t played the sport in years, if at all. The team finished the season with zero wins and 11 losses, while only playing with a full starting lineup in one game.

“To be honest, I think it was depressing for the coach and players who were on the team all the time and dedicated to the sport,” Ventura said. “I have so much respect for the core of seven or eight who stuck it out for the whole season.”

Once the season was completed, it was time for the athletic department to assess the women’s lacrosse program and how they should proceed. “We brought the challenges and options to the President’s Council and got feedback from that group,” said Ventura. “In the end, President Elaine Collins and I made the final decision of suspension.”

The conclusion had to be made relatively quickly, as JSC had to notify their conference in June so that they could know whether or not to include them in the upcoming season’s schedule. They also had to break the news to the team. “When we suspended the program, I spoke to the coach and some of my staff reached out to all the returning and potential incoming players to let them know,” Ventura said. “It was hard, but I honestly think that some of the players were relieved after what they had just gone through all season.”

JSC senior Shannon Rooney, who had been with the team since its debut, echoed Ventura’s sentiments. “I wasn’t very surprised at all considering the lack of interest from both players and coaches,” she said. “I can honestly say I am beyond relieved to not have to go through what happened last season again. I was probably not going to play this next season, specifically due to everything that took place last year.”

Despite her frustration, Rooney acknowledges that she will miss getting the opportunity to play a sport she enjoys for a final season. “I am saddened over the fact that a program that I watched grow from its first-ever season until now has to be shut down after all of the hard work everyone had put into it,” she said.

Kait Boucher, another JSC senior, had been playing women’s lacrosse for the Badgers since the 2014 fall semester. “I wasn’t too shocked to find out the program was suspended, but I am upset at the fact that I won’t have a senior lacrosse season,” she said. “This is a whole new year and I wish we had the chance to see what numbers we would have gotten with the incoming freshmen and transfers.”

Ventura does not rule out the potential reinstatement of the team in the future, but it would take significant changes and improvements. “In order for us to be able to bring the sport back, we would obviously need to see an increase in interest,” he said. “Then we could start the program back up at the club level if we get consistent numbers.”

Another obstacle, which affects many of JSC’s sports as well as lacrosse, is the lack of a facility to compensate for the long and harsh Johnson winters. “At some point, we need to find a way to raise enough money for an outdoor turf field with lighting and a track around it,” said Ventura. “It would take around two million dollars, but we need to make that leap to be able to sponsor some of our sports the way we want to.”

Meanwhile, the men’s lacrosse team has been facing similar issues, and is currently operating on a year-to-year basis. “The numbers for the men’s team have also been dwindling, and we are also looking to hire a new coach,” said Ventura. “Last year they started out with 17 or 18 players and finished with 13, but we’re committed to the upcoming season.”