At just 12-years-old, Olivia Millar has done some spectacular things in the world of lacrosse, and the Mitchell sensation is showing no signs of slowing down as her star continues to rise.
Lacrosse skills started in ringette
"I got into the sport when I played ringette," Millar explains with a chuckle. "I went to a ringette camp and my instructor said I should try lacrosse, they need more girls in the sport. Ringette goalie and lacrosse goalie have very similar skills.
Different crease, same passion
Finding her footing in the crease as a goalie came pretty naturally to the Mitchell star. "I wanted to be a goalie because I went to a lacrosse game, and I thought it just looked so cool. I played with the U13 Team Manitoba girls team last year, which was the first ever U13 team they had for girls last year."
Finding likeminded teammates turned friends
Being a part of that team was great for her development as a player, but also meeting girls Millar’s age who also loved the sport, was huge. "It was so fun, I made so many good friendships."
Finding gold for the first time
As a part of the U15 girls team, Millar and the team found success. "We won gold and it was the first time U15 girls ever went to a gold medal game. We were just so excited, we couldn't believe how far we made it. We practiced so much, and it was just an incredible feeling."
No guarantee, but also no quit
It's never been a sure thing for Millar and girls her age that love lacrosse that they'd have a team to play on, but it's not something Millar has worried about, she's always believed. "It makes it feel so much better that I've made it, with all the people saying you can't play here, this and that, it made it feel so much better winning."
Start of something special with the Saints
Joining up with the Southman Saints is the highlight of her short career, according to Millar. "This was my very first time every playing club. I had an amazing coach, coach Matt (Girardin), who worked hard to help me become a better goalie. He believed in me, and shared the passion of the game with me. He's just the best coach ever. Winning with the Saints was so exciting. We had an undefeated season.
Hoisting a trophy is great... and hard in all that padding
The Saints did a lot of winning this year, including the Jim Hunt Memorial Championship, as well as the Prairie Cup, and Millar jokes it's harder to lift a trophy than some might think. "It's a little bit hard, I can barely even clap in my equipment," Millar says with a laugh.
Team Manitoba girls and boys teams
Millar suited up for a pair of teams that represented the province, the U15 girls and U13 boys. "The skill level is about the same," the 12-year-old goalie details. "The U15 girls team did really well, and so did the U13 team. The skill level is about the same, that's why I went to U13 and U15, not U13 and U13, because the skill levels are the same."
Youth Athlete Of The Year
A huge opportunity is waiting for Millar as she's up for a special award. "I've been nominated for Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated for a chance to win money for a scholarship, and featured in their magazine," Millar says with a big smile. "Voting is on now and anyone can find it Olivia | Youth Athlete of the Year"
Family forever her biggest fans
Lacrosse has given Millar the opportunity to travel all over, and she says that she's never alone, she's always got her family cheering her on. "It's so amazing, seeing my family come to games and cheer me on. In our bronze medal game with the U13 boys, my dad was by net cheering me on. The game was so close. He had to go to the bathroom, and we scored, so he stayed out on the waiting room area, so we could get more goals because, you know, we scored when he wasn't there. My mom means the world to me, she always brings her cowbell, and she drove me to all my practices. She'd sit there and put the time in so I could be the best goalie I could be. She's a big reason for my success."
The future remains bright
"I'm going to play with the Saints again," Millar says with an excited smile. "I'm also going to try out for the U15 Terriers, which is an A program, it's also all boys. I want to make that. I want to keep doing well, keep improving, and I want to try out for U15 boys and U15 girls for Team Manitoba.