Since 2002, dominance and winning have been synonymous with boys’ high school lacrosse in the North County region of San Diego. You can’t argue with success, as a North County Conference representative has won seven of the last eight CIF championships in the San Diego Section, with Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon (LCC) each capturing three titles apiece. But the gap is slowly closing in San Diego. Case in point last May — when Coronado defeated LCC in the finals to become the first City Conference school to ever win a CIF lacrosse title. And in this year’s playoffs, local teams from The Bishop’s School and La Jolla High are both poised to make a significant run. The key to local lacrosse success has been maintaining a high level of play. It starts with creating a youth lacrosse program that develops the skills to compete at the next level. It has to become a feeder program that allows a high school team to stay ahead of the competition. Glenn Bourgeoise is spear-heading one such program in La Jolla. Bourgeoise is the president of the La Jolla Lacrosse Foundation and for the last two years he has been educating the community about the fast-paced sport, as the popularity of lacrosse has been growing throughout the country. “It’s a thrill to see the growth of a great sport in our community. The foundation’s goal is simple in that we sponsor clinics to teach the basic skills of lacrosse to all of the elementary schools in our area,” Bourgeoise said. He said that once you grab the attention of the youngsters, their parents become more involved in the sport. La Jolla High School head coach Matt Rosenberg is looking forward to the upcoming freshman class heading into the Vikings’ program next season. “They will be the first group that has consistently played with one another since the third grade,” Rosenberg said. “Our middle school program is very competitive, as the games offer a great blend of offensive and defensive skills. The passing is crisp and the defenders are very active on the field.” Rosenberg praises the work done by his assistant coach Garret Stanwick, who is also the director of the La Jolla Lacrosse Foundation and co-founder of the La Jolla Riptide, a local club lacrosse team. Rosenberg took notice of how he pushes the middle school players into becoming better athletes and that breeds loyalty to the sport. Stanwick understands that the ultimate goal is all about winning, but he hopes his players learn other life lessons along the way. He added that a young player’s success would depend heavily on how they understand the strategy of lacrosse and their dedication to the skills that can make them a better player.