A club lacrosse team made up of athletes from Redmond and beyond is returning to the field next week. The Ravens will begin work to improve off last season’s campaign that was the best in team history.

Not yet an OSAA-sanctioned sport, the lacrosse team plays in Ridgeview uniforms but also includes athletes from Redmond High, Redmond Proficiency Academy, and as far away as Sisters and Culver. The team competes in the OHSLA High Desert Conference against league foes mostly from Bend.

Coach Austin Ryan said he is looking to increase the number of participants this year and build on last year’s success, which included a trip to the Cascade Cup finals.

“We’re in a growth mindset,” said Ryan. “It’s still a new sport to Central Oregon, most kids aren’t super familiar with it. But most kids, once they understand it — understand the physicality and the strategy — they really get into it.”

Ryan said Ridgeview lacrosse has grown in popularity. Although the Ridgeview team has existed for about a decade, until recently there were barely enough participants to form a team. Now, tryouts and JV-type squads are de rigueur. And the team that used to win just a few games a year is now competing for tournament titles.

Ryan said recent Ridgeview players have gone on to play in college and earn athletic scholarships. The sport is booming at many schools in Portland, Ryan said, and Oregon athletes are now competing in the top Division I schools back East.

“It’s a really good way to get noticed and improve college prospects,” he said.

Last year, seven Ridgeview lacrosse players were voted to all-conference teams. Ryan was named the OHSLA High Desert Conference Coach of the Year and goalie Preston Garibay made the all-state honorable mention list. The longterm goal, Ryan said, is for lacrosse to become a sanctioned sport by the Oregon School Activities Association, which would reduce the financial burden currently put on players and their families.

“It can be an expensive sport to get outfitted,” said Ryan. “It would be great to have the schools help with that.”

Ryan said the Ridgeview club team does charge dues of about $300 per player, though they make allowances for financial hardship. Often, players buy their own helmets, gloves and sticks — adding hundreds of dollars more to the cost. He said the Central Oregon Lacrosse Foundation, based in Bend, is working to introduce the support to youth and elementary age athletes and try to identify ways to get donated equipment.

For more information, visit www.ridgeviewlax.com.