CARSTAIRS - More than 80 players are registered to play lacrosse with teams ranging from U-7 to U-17 this season, a marked increase over numbers in 2022, says Dean Nielsen, president of the Carstairs Chargers Lacrosse Association.
“We have doubled our numbers coming out of COVID,” said Nielsen, who is also the new principal at Hugh Sutherland school in Carstairs. “For the first time ever we have two teams at one level, the U-11 Green and the U-11 Black.
“Last year we didn’t have a U-17 team but this year our numbers are strong enough that we have one of every team that we can have and two U-11 teams.”
Part of the Central Alberta Lacrosse League (CALL), the Chargers have U-7, U-9, U-11 Green, U-11 Black, U-13, U-15 and U-17 teams this season.
Lacrosse is a team sport with five players on the floor and one goalie, the same as hockey.
The Chargers were formerly called the Didsbury Chargers, but the association has now moved to Carstairs.
“The program started in Didsbury and was there for a number of years,” he said. “Most of our association (members) were in Carstairs over the years, about 80 per cent, so we decided to make the move to Carstairs.
“We still include players from Didsbury, but we just play out of Carstairs.”
CALL includes teams in Olds, Sylvan Lake, Innisfail, Lacombe, Ponoka, Stettler, Blackfalds and Red Deer.
Practices got underway in March, with Carstairss teams using the Hugh Sutherland gymnasium until the ice was taken out of the Carstairs Memorial Complex.
The 2023 season runs from April to June. Nielsen explained that playing in the spring has some advantages, particularly when it comes to road trips.
“The nice thing is you come out of hockey and go into lacrosse and by summer time, when everyone wants to go camping, we are done by that point,” he said.
“A great thing about lacrosse is when you go away for a lacrosse tournament, you can get a hotel but you can also pull trailers up and everyone can camp in campgrounds. That adds fun to it."
The having more youngsters and families interested in lacrosse is good for Carstairs, he said.
“For me what is exciting is just more options in options in Carstairs as a growing community, that’s what I’m most excited about. We have lots of options now,” he said.
The association itself is hoping to grow the sport of lacrosse in the community and district, with organizers still accepting registrations, he said.
“We are trying to get people who have never played before to get into the sport,” he said. “We went pretty hard after hockey players this year, sending out a lot of information on how the skills translate from lacrosse to hockey. It’s paid off.
“It’s a great little sport and we want to continue building the program.”
