OLDS — The Olds Minor Lacrosse Association (OMLA) wants to let people know they’re back again after two years of COVID-19 restrictions and looking forward to growing the sport.
To showcase the activity, the OMLA held Lacrosse Day in Olds on June 4, when teams in many age groups played games against each other at the Sportsplex.
For example a 6U mini tournament was held, featuring teams not only from Olds but also from Carstairs, Innisfail, Red Deer, Stettler, Sylvan Lake, Blackfalds and Stettler.
Kids at the U8 level took on Stettler, 10U kids squared off against the Red Deer Chiefs and near the end of the afternoon, kids in the 12U level battled the Lacombe Lacoka Locos.
Senior lacrosse players were on the auxiliary floor from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
In the evening, the Olds Mavericks took on the Saskatchewan Swat.
OMLA president Joe Berreth says the day was a success.
“We had pretty good games. The kids had a good time and I think everything went (well),” Berreth said during an interview.
The day was especially important because kids haven’t been able to play the game for two years, due to COVID-19 restrictions, he said.
“This was kind of our start to get our lacrosse out there again, let people know that we’re up and running again and go from there,” he said.
“It’ll be something that we’ll do every year. And we’ll try to get it more and more out there, so people know that lacrosse is in Olds and hopefully we’ll get more people involved.”
Lacrosse is great cross training for athletes playing other sports like football, baseball or hockey, he said.
“It’s the teamwork, the skills that you learn with your stick that you can use for your stickwork on the ice. And working as a team; get to know where your (fellow) players are. And the skating to running,” he said.
