Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States, and Hawai'i's isolation from the Mainland hasn't stopped the surge from getting here.

The Aloha Youth Lacrosse Association had eight members when it started four years ago. This season, the league has nearly 300 members from first grade through high school.

"We encourage kids to come out even if they haven't played a sport before and give lacrosse a try," said AYLA board member/coach John Keogh.

Lacrosse was invented by the Native Americans, named by the French (lacrosse means "hooked stick") and has been popular on the East Coast.

It's no surprise that a couple of East Coasters helped start AYLA.

President/coach Rudie Schaefer is from Providence, R.I., and played in high school in New York and Connecticut.

Stephanie Jones, a former player at Maryland, also helped start the youth league. She also is a part of Wahine Lacrosse, which has been around for five years.

"We've grown about 40 percent per year, so it's pretty popular," Schaefer said of AYLA.

The stick skills in lacrosse are difficult to master. Players must throw, catch and scoop a hard rubber ball with a netted stick usually on the run.

They also must "cradle" the ball while running so it won't fall out or get knocked out.

It all adds up to a good workout.

"It's a real active sport, a lot of running," said AYLA vice president/coach Jeff Overton. "It's a good cross-training sport for kids that play other sports in the fall."

To prevent injuries, he said coaches teach players "from a very young age to treat to stick with respect."

Many of AYLA's coaches play for the Hawaii Lacrosse Club, which has hosted an international tournament here the past 17 years.

Some AYLA members started in lacrosse because family members played it; others got involved through word of mouth. One player is even continuing a sport he played on the Mainland.

Helena Schaefer, a Punahou School fifth-grader, was born in Providence, R.I., and moved to Hawai'i with her family five years ago.

"I saw my brother when I was younger and he played and I really liked the stick," said Helena, the daughter of the AYLA president.

She added she carried around a mini stick when she was younger.

Leilani Etherton, a fifth-grader at Nu'uanu Elementary, is a first-year lacrosse player. Her father played the sport while living in Kansas.

"My dad was looking on the Internet and he looked up lacrosse for some strange reason and he wanted me to try and ever since then I've really enjoyed lacrosse," Etherton said.

Adam Simon is a fifth-grader at Mid-Pacific Institute and a classmate of Grant Overton, the son Jeff Overton.

"Grant is one of our players and I'm his classmate, and his dad is a lacrosse player, so they got me into it," Simon said. "I never really knew about (lacrosse)."

The AYLA coaches hold free clinics throughout the year, and that's how 'Iolani eighth grader Joe Baker got into lacrosse.

"I went to one of their clinics and I liked it so I signed up," he said.

Kyle Delcarmen, a junior at Punahou, played lacrosse for his school in San Diego and is pursuing the sport in AYLA.

"I used to play on the Mainland, so when I moved to Hawai'i I felt like I wanted to continue playing," Delcarmen said.

A regulation outdoor lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide, and the goals are six feet-by-six feet and 80 yards apart from each other.

The men have 10 players per side. Checking is not allowed until the high school level. Players wear helmets, and pads on the shoulders, arms and hands. The full gear can cost about $200, according to Keogh.

The women have 12 players per side. Checking is limited so the field players only wear protective goggles. The goalies wear heavy paddling.

AYLA uses different field sizes per age division — 1st grade through 3rd, 4th through 6th, 7th through 8th, and 9th through 12th.

Asa Berg, a Punahou junior, has been with AYLA since its inception.

"I like lacrosse because it's constantly moving and it's like soccer but you get to use your hands and the stick," he said. "Football is kind of slow, it's stop and go, stop and go. This is constantly moving and you get to hit people and it's fun. You get to meet a lot of new people because it's just not a school sport, it's a club sport."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.