Lehman lacrosse team seeks permanent home

Lehman High School’s lacrosse team has been searching for a new field for its home games for some time, and may have found it in their own backyard.

However, according to a parent in the league, the fate of the team’s permanent field still remains in question.

The Department of Education recently acknowledged that home games for many of Lehman High School’s sports teams will one day be played on the rehabilitated Lehman field that is currently used by the school’s football and baseball teams. There are plans in the works to renovate the field, which is located next to the school building, for home games.

“The capital plan includes $3.5 million to cover the cost of rehabilitation of the [Lehman High School] field,” said DOE spokeswoman Margie Feinberg.

This may one day benefit the lacrosse team, which is looking to make the field on school grounds a permanent home. The team found other nearby fields unsuitable because of safety concerns for both players and bystanders.

According to parent Denise Summo whose twin 16-year-old sons play on the school’s lacrosse team, home games had been played during the start of this season on the Calandra-Velella Soccer Field located on the campus of Bronx Psychiatric Center at 1500 Waters Place. Summo was concerned because the field lack a grass cover and had a lot of rocks that could potentially hurt young players.

“My son came home with his knee and leg all bruised after playing on [the PSC] field,” Summo said. “If they were playing on grass, I could understand, but this field is dirt and rocks. No one will help the team get onto the turf soccer and football field in Pelham Bay Park. They have been told that the field surrounding the running track cannot be used for lacrosse because if a shot went wild, it could injure someone on the jogging track, located near Middletown Road.”

Lacrosse is a sport akin to ice hockey , but is normally played on a turf or grass field, with a hard rubber ball instead of a puck. The only other alternatives offered to her sons and the rest of the team was to go play on Randall’s Island, a long trip.

“Now the Public School Athletic League has said that they are looking into playing lacrosse at the field at Lehman High School,” Summo said. “The lacrosse team has gone 3 and 0 in their first three games. If they don’t provide the lacrosse team a field, why have a team at all.”

Summo said that after talking with school officials, a deal was reached in which the lacrosse team would play some home games on the same field. If the field proved suitable, the team could remain there, Summo said.

Reach reporter Patrick Rocchio at (718) 742-3393 or procchio@cnglocal.com.