Last summer was a special one for lacrosse in Nanaimo, the sort of summer that could help to grow the game.
Nanaimo District Lacrosse Association 2019 registration has been open for some time, but vice-president Lonny Sullivan said there are still opportunities for young people in all age divisions to sign up.
“We’re trying to kind of put it out there that we are another option in town,” Sullivan said. “We were at 435 kids last year; we’d love to continue to grow… it’s a great family sport.”
He said the time is ripe for growth after the excitement Nanaimo’s senior A, senior B and midget A2 teams created in 2018. The senior A Timbermen reached the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the senior B T-men made it all the way to the Presidents Cup national final on their home floor and the midget A2 boys won provincials.
“What happened here last summer was unreal,” said Sullivan, recalling the Presidents Cup. “I literally lived at the rink all week with my kids and they loved it; how could you not?”
There’s more to look forward to in 2019, he said. Nanaimo will host B.C. Lacrosse Association provincials for peewee, bantam and midget girls and junior women. Mini-tyke on the Island has switched to a three-on-three, cross-floor format to keep the players more involved in the action, the new Harewood Centennial Park outdoor covered lacrosse box is already hosting weekly scrimmages, and a new adaptive lacrosse program is in the works.
Boys and girls born 2002-2013 or women up to age 21 can register with the NDLA. For information, visit www.nanaimominorlacrosse.ca.
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