THINK LACROSSE / FAUT Y PENSER

  A symbolic description of Coach Dan’s Game 7 By Pierre Filion There it was; that was going to be it. Game 7. Make or break; win or lose; just one game left. Coach Dan had been in numerous Games 7 though he always said that each game was a Game 7; each game was an opportunity to give your all, to go out of yourself, to play it with pride as if it was really… the final game. The stands were packed with Green and White fans supporting Coach Dan’s team as they always had for every home game. But everyone in the arena knew that the Downunder Devils were a tough opposition. They were a good team, all dressed in their Black jerseys, black shorts and long black socks; they were dressed for the kill; they sensed that they were generating fear and wanted to capitalize on it. When you are an unwanted and unfriendly visitor you have to create fear and disorganization within the other team. They knew their strengths; they thought they knew Coach Dan’s fears…You could sense their disdain; they...

            The summer of 2022 saw plenty of momentum for the dream of having lacrosse in the Olympics. A new discipline – Sixes (a hybrid of box and field) – was created and put on display. Sixes is fast and high scoring; an ideal combination for spectators and television viewers who may not have much exposure to lacrosse. In addition, with fewer players, team sizes are smaller, which makes it a better fit for the Athletes’ village. Sixths was on full display in Birmingham, Alabama at the World Games. The World Games are a large multi-sport event for sports that are not currently in the Olympics, but offer a pathway to inclusion. 29 teams participated at the Senior Women’s field lacrosse world championships in Maryland and 23 teams participated at U20 Men’s Field lacrosse worlds in Ireland. Both events saw large increases in the number of participating countries. Domestically, box lacrosse was reinstated at the Canada Games for boys for the first time sinc...

By Ross Ste-Croix I am greatly humbled to have been asked to pen this article about the challenges that lie ahead for the game of lacrosse. Let me begin by reframing “challenges” as “opportunities.” The first thing that needs to be done when considering change is to view the change as positive movement forward. It is not, therefore, that lacrosse is threatened, but that there are opportunities available to be seized that will determine how the game grows and evolves over the next decade. I will outline four such opportunities below. Opportunity number one: The game needs a brand Lacrosse needs to determine what its brand is because, quite frankly, it doesn’t have one. I don’t make this comment lightly, and it isn’t meant to offend. It’s simply true. Don’t believe me? Walk down any street in Canada and ask 10 people what the Minto Cup is. The game of lacrosse has a deep and rich history that intertwines with the history of our country, but it lacks a brand. In 2022, if you want to stand...