OLDS — The 2022 Olds Minor Lacrosse Association (OMLA) season came to an official end with a barbecue and awards night June 23 at the Sportsplex.
In an email before the event, OMLA president Joe Berreth indicated there were good and challenging aspects to the season.
“It was a great season for our kids as we haven't played in the past two years,” he wrote.
However, numbers were down. Berreth thinks that’s due to perhaps some parents and kids being leery of sports due to lingering concerns over COVID.
Another issue might be cost, he said.
Due to the lower numbers, the association was unable to create a 14U or 16U team.
“But the few kids we did get in those age groups, we were able to move them to other towns, so they didn't miss playing, or we moved them to a lower age group for the year,” he wrote.
“This year our kids played awesome, with our 8U winning nine games and losing only three.”
It was a busy season for the 10U team. They played in three tournaments: one in Red Deer, one in Calgary where they won gold and one in Medicine Hat where they won bronze.
They ended up with a third place finish in the league with a 6-5-1 record.
The 12U team also placed third in their league with a 7-5 record.
The 10U and 12U teams made it to the playoffs but unfortunately didn't win any medals.
During the windup, a total of 20 awards were handed out to outstanding players in various age groups.
Olds hosted the 14U playoffs from June 24 to 26. However, it featured all out-of-town teams because, as noted earlier, Olds was unable to create a 14U team this year.
