CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – A women’s lacrosse coach at Coastal Carolina University is trying to grow her sport throughout the Grand Strand.

Coastal Carolina started its seventh season of women’s lacrosse a few weeks ago. CCU defeated Campbell 16-4 at Brooks Stadium for the Chanticleers’ second win of the season Wednesday.

As the Chants score on the field, head coach Kristen Selvage has a goal of her own: Having more Horry County children grab a stick and headgear to play the game.

“When it’s third graders, fourth graders, fifth graders, it’s all about helping them learn how to have fun and learn how to fall in love with the sport,” Selvage said.

Selvage says she’ll host free clinics for elementary and middle school kids, with the help of some of her players, after their season ends. Selvage says she posts information about clinics in the 843lacrosse Facebook group. Selvage also has groups of youth lacrosse players come to some of CCU’s home games.

Selvage’s players have already trained kids in Myrtle Beach.

“They’ve been helping out with our fall ball program,” said Kelly Suarez, the youth lacrosse coordinator for the city of Myrtle Beach. “She’ll send about four or five of her players and the girls take away so much from that. They really look up to these young women who are out here, getting an education and playing a sport as well.”

Suarez, who’s a coach for the Dune Warriors youth lacrosse team, says lax allows kids to stay active and become versatile athletes.

“A lot of the technique that you see on the lacrosse field, you’re going to see on the basketball court,” she said. “You’re going to see in softball, throwing and catching, all of the mechanics that are used in this sport are used in every other sport that you can imagine.”

Selvage says she hopes lacrosse, which isn’t historically popular in the South, keeps growing on the Grand Strand, as more families move from the Northeast.

“It’s kind of an exciting time right now,” said Selvage. “All of us are super excited to see who’s the first kid that’s going to be recruited to play Coastal lacrosse out of middle school at Myrtle Beach or at Socastee.”

Five high schools in Horry County offer boys and girls lacrosse. Those high schools are Carolina Forest, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee and St. James.

Selvage says some middle schools, like her daughter’s Myrtle Beach Middle School, are also adding lacrosse.