Sharing the field: women join men’s lacrosse team

Sweat, skill and determination don’t care about gender. On Cal Poly Humboldt’s men’s lacrosse team, women are stepping onto the field and off the sidelines.

Leaving the sidelines

Alisa Keawprasert transferred to CPH this semester, already having been in contact with the men’s lacrosse coach and team. Watching practices turned into Keawprasert joining the league, becoming the men’s lacrosse team’s first woman goalie since it was founded in 1983.

“I think it was a shock to them that a woman wanted to play, but they were excited,” Keawprasert said.

Although facing backlash and outside opinions, Keawprasert remained focused on her purpose. Supported by her coaches and teammates, she leaned into self-care, a practice stemming from past injuries that forced her to reflect on balance.

“I think that that’s really important, to give yourself a break,” Keawprasert said. “If you’re hurt, don’t push yourself, and you can rely on others, remembering that people are in your corner.”

Her larger goal is to eventually help build enough interest to reestablish a women’s lacrosse program that hasn’t been active since the 2020-2021 school year. For now, she believes change starts with showing up.

Freshman fire science major Fallon Johnson’s lacrosse journey began during her sophomore year in high school. After hearing about CPH’s men’s team, she spoke with the coach and was cleared to join. Hesitation lingered at first, but it faded when she received encouragement.

“They’ve been super welcoming and super sweet about it,” Johnson said. “The coaches were just stoked to have another player, regardless of who it is.”

The adjustment for Johnson has been physical, as men’s lacrosse allows more contact than the women’s games she’s been accustomed to. Despite that, Johnson embraces the challenge. She compares her life in lacrosse to her time firefighting, both physically intense and requiring resilience. For other female athletes considering the leap, her message is simple: reach out anyway.

“Every practice is just me pushing as hard as I can,” Johnson said. “Trying to keep up and make my spot on the team improve, not only to myself, but to everyone else there. That I’m worthy of being here.”

Unlike her teammates, freshman business major Molly McFarland had never played lacrosse before joining the men’s team. Originally, McFarland entered college with another sport in mind, but soon found out it wasn’t for her anymore.

“I definitely hesitated just because I’ve never played lacrosse before,” McFarland said. “I didn’t want to be embarrassing and terrible, and it is difficult being on a men’s team just because there’s a lot of physical disadvantages as a girl, but I can work my way around it.”

McFarland was surprised by the team’s support. Without her own equipment, teammates offered their gear, while coaches took extra time to explain mechanics and drills. For McFarland, this experience represents possibility.

“It’s good to understand that nothing can limit you based on gender. If you want to do a man’s sport, you can do it,”

McFarland said. “There’s nothing holding you back.”

“Why not?”

Head coach Augustus Johnson, who began coaching the team in 2021, refers to the league as the “CPH co-ed lacrosse team.” When Keawprasert transferred and expressed interest in playing, Johnson spoke to the league about her joining the team.

“You know, largely, all my players and everybody else in the league has been super supportive and excited for the opportunity to be more inclusive,” Johnson said.

Coaching a mixed gender roster requires awareness of rule differences between men’s and women’s lacrosse, but Johnson says the core of the sport remains the same.

“I just said, ‘Hey, these women are going to be playing with us. That’s how it is,’” Johnson said. “They’re your teammate, have their back, just like you would anybody else on this field.”

If enough interest builds, he sees potential for coaching a women’s team in the future. Until then, his priority is maintaining a welcoming environment.

“I think it’s really valuable to have a place where folks of all genders and identities can share a field together,” Johnson said.

For junior Alec Vargas and sophomore Tonton Drobny, the shift felt natural.

Vargas, having played lacrosse since high school, explained that team dynamics have not changed; another teammate has simply joined.

“I think welcoming people of all skill levels or gender is great,” Vargas said.

Drobny, who has played lacrosse since he was five, shared a similar attitude. As more women joined, he noticed a sense of community forming.

“I think it’s good to incorporate and teach people about the sport,” Drobny said. “When you have a sport that you can mix genders, I mean, why not?”