Strathmore lacrosse prepares for upcoming season

Times Reporter 

 

As hockey begins to windup athletes are switching gears and preparing for spring and summer sports. The lacrosse season is right around the corner, set to begin in just a few weeks, and this year there is a new team being added to the roster. The junior ladies program for girls ages 16 -21 will be added to the list, allowing older girls a chance to stay in their home area and keep playing. In the past there had been a girls junior team, but interest seemed to wane and it has been a few years since Strathmore has been able to field a team.  

“The last two years we have had a girls team in bantam and a girls team in midget, a lot of those girls now are at the junior age and so there was just more interest at that age group, and then we had a coach step up…and we submitted a team,” said Strathmore Lacrosse President Todd Betterton.

“The real success story is the number of registrations that we’ve had. When I have talked to other presidents around the Calgary and area districts they’re seeing flat population growth or even some decline. “We’ve got a 30 per cent increase in our registrations this year. So we’ve gone from about 150 kids to over 200 kids, which really just speaks to all the hard work that all the volunteers put in, that it’s really starting to pay off.

“I always talk about, and want to thank, all of the volunteers over the years who have helped lacrosse grow, and it’s just a testament to their passion for the game on where our registration numbers are at this year.”

Word of mouth and quality game play are reasons Betterton thinks the numbers are growing. Lacrosse is also a natural crossover sport for hockey players, and provides them with a way to keep busy through the spring. 

As soon as the ice starts coming out of the local rinks in April there will be practices and evaluations taking place. Because the Alberta Cup is coming to Strathmore at the end of April, Betterton said it will be tough for lacrosse, who will have to find facilities for their kids to run evaluations and get in some conditioning before the season starts. 

Betterton has been the president of Strathmore Lacrosse for the past few years, and is looking to move on in the lacrosse community. His daughter will be playing in the junior level, so he suspects he will remain involved in lacrosse for years to come. 

“I am looking to hand the reins off to a new fresh leader who can do great things for the club. My legacy will be to hopefully leave the club with registration growth, with fiscal responsibility which we do have and just more interest,” said Betterton.