Sault parents interested in enrolling their children in a sport may want to consider lacrosse.
“Lacrosse is good for a lot of parents who want their kids to have a team experience if they don't play hockey. Hockey's super expensive but lacrosse is probably the most affordable sport in town. The kids have a team experience and it's really good fitness,” said Brady Irwin, Sault Ste. Marie Lacrosse Association board member in an interview with SooToday.
Lacrosse is a team sport where players use long-handled sticks with mesh on the end to catch, carry and throw a ball - at high speed - into the opposing team’s net.
The sport is not played on ice but, similar to hockey, there is a high level of body contact and players wear helmets, gloves, shoulder and knee pads.
The outdoor version of the sport is called field lacrosse while the indoor version of the sport is called box lacrosse.
The Sault Ste. Marie Lacrosse Association has a house league with teams at the U9, U11, U13 and U15 levels. There is also a program for three- and four-year-olds.
The teams have male and female players on their rosters.
The Soo Spartans are the Association’s U13 travelling rep team.
Some members of the Spartans squad spoke to SooToday at a recent practice held at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
“It’s harder than hockey because you’ve got to cradle the ball up with your stick and throw it. It’s not like shooting a puck and you’ve got to shoot faster. It's fun. I like playing with my team. If you play hockey, lacrosse will help you with your speed, stamina, and your shooting” said 12-year-old Elijah Day.
Day plays with a traditional Indigenous lacrosse stick made by an Indigenous Elder.
Recognized as Canada's national summer sport, the game has been played by Indigenous people for centuries. Europeans first reported seeing lacrosse being played in Bawaating in the 1660s.
Quinn Ash-Wright, 11, is one of the Spartan goaltenders.
“I love playing the game. I love meeting new people and I like playing in goal. The last tournament that I played in was in Sudbury. I blocked 100 shots in just one game,” she said.
Ash-Wright added that she’s grown accustomed to carrying a heavy goaltender stick and extra protective padding after playing goal for the last two-and-a-half years.
“It feels different from hockey because I’m running instead of skating and I’m cradling the ball with my stick. It feels different from hockey by a long shot but I like it a lot. It didn’t take long for me to get used to the lacrosse stick. I like playing it, having fun with my friends and making new friends,” said 12-year-old Tomas Peltonen-Boisvert.
House league play begins in early May and lasts for 10 weeks. The season - much shorter than a hockey season - allows families to enjoy a summer holiday.
Games are played at the John Rhodes Community Centre and the YNCU Soo Pee Wee Arena.
The U13 Spartans team has a longer season and its players are currently looking forward to competing in the Ontario Lacrosse Festival to be held in August in Whitby.
“Lacrosse is super popular in southern Ontario. You go to those provincials and it is by far the biggest tournament I've ever seen. There'll be 600 teams there. It's enormous,” board member Irwin said.
Irwin said the Sault Ste. Marie Lacrosse Association wants to see the currently enrolled kids eventually reach older age brackets such as the U18 category, noting that lacrosse opportunities are also available at the post-secondary school level.
“Lacrosse is like taking the best of hockey and mixing it with a bit of basketball,” said Tyler Stewart, Soo Spartans coach.
“We're aggressive. It's physical. The game has a quick pace too. There are no stoppages really, except for goals and penalties. The game's always flowing.”
Parents wanting to know more about lacrosse locally can visit the Soo Spartans website and contact the organization by email or through its Facebook page.