With Saskatchewan Rush games now set to air on Golden West Radio, excitement around lacrosse is building across the province. Locally, the Estevan Lacrosse Club is eager to capitalize on this momentum by growing participation in the sport.
“We are a looking to expand our numbers into a little bit older age groups. Last year we had 19 U7 players, and around 12 U9 players. We want to get everything from U11, U13, U15 and hopefully get back into U18 and eventually back into Junior League too,” said Lucas Smythe, vice-president of the Estevan Lacrosse Club.
Smythe, now in his second year as vice-president, is familiar with Estevan’s lacrosse community, having coached in previous years. Reflecting on the sport’s history in the region, he noted that in the past the sport was quite popular in the southeast, and they are hoping to get back up to pre-pandemic levels.
According to Smythe, lacrosse stands out for its fast-paced and engaging nature.
“Excitement as a spectator is, you know something different. Music is playing all the time. There’s constant action, like say if the ball goes out of bound, the ref will throw the ball back in play. There’s not a two-minute delay for a faceoff or coming up with different plays. Just constant action,” he said.
At younger age levels, lacrosse is a non-contact sport, which makes it accessible for kids.
“There’s no contact at all, just like comparable to hockey. As soon as they get older then there’s more stick contact, body contact. It can be a very physical game,” Smythe explained.
Another appeal of lacrosse in Estevan is its affordability, with startup costs significantly lower than other sports in the area.
“It starts around $80 for the U7 teams and works up to $200 for the older teams. Somewhere around the $200 mark for the older age groups, which is very cheap compared to other sports in this city,” said Smythe.
Players can also save money by using hockey equipment, as Smythe pointed out: “If you’re a hockey player, you can save some money on shoulder pads, and gloves and helmet. All you need extra would be say kidney guards and stick.”
Estevan has seen some of its athletes make their mark in lacrosse. Smythe highlighted one particular milestone: “One of the most notable Lacrosse highlights for the city was when Wyat Haux made it to the practice roster for the Saskatchewan Rush. We’ve seen other players go onto university ball which is pretty cool too.”
The Estevan Lacrosse Club has already opened registration for the upcoming season, with plans to hold early practices at Trinity Lutheran Church until the Power Dodge Ice Centre becomes available. They hope to transition to Affinity Place for the remainder of the season. Teams also travel for tournaments, including last year’s U7 participation in Weyburn and hosting a home event.
As a fan of professional lacrosse, Smythe described the entertainment value of Saskatchewan Rush games: “It’s out of this world, everything is top-notch, like nonstop action. And there’s always something going on during the games even during TV timeouts. Cheerleaders on the floor, there are mini games the host puts on so it’s always something to do.”
For those interested in giving Lacrosse, The Estevan Voltz has paired up with the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre for a try-it day this Sunday.