LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT WHO WE REALLY ARE

 By Pierre Filion  pierrefilion@bell.net

 

GROW THE GAME

You’ve all heard the expression here and there as if the game was really growing. Let’s have a look at the last four years in terms of registered players:

Year           Number of registered players in Canada

2022                41,390

2023                46,959

2024                51,131

2025                52,782

That is a gain of 11,392 over a four-year period. If objectives had been established at the start it might have helped everyone determine if ‘’we’’ were successful or if things ‘’simply happened’’ here and there.

Three provinces have significantly grown in numbers:

 

Province                from 2022 to 2025      gain in numbers

Ontario                  14,245            19,313           5,068

BC                           12,137            14,020           1,883

Alberta                     7,907            9,312             1,405

8,356 of the 11,392 gains (73.3%) have emerged in 3 provinces. 

 

Let’s have a look at the other provinces:

 

Province                 from 2022 to 2025       gain in numbers

Nova Scotia            1,897             2,635              738

Saskatchewan        2,900             2,275             -625

 

Manitoba                1,121             1,675              554

New Brunswick       288                891                 603

Québec                     630                801                 171

FNLA                          130                345                 215

PEI                              131                153                 22

NFLD                           0                     53                  53

Net gain of 1,731 players; three provinces have shown significant growth; NS, NB and Manitoba. The others are non-significant. What is unknown is whether there was an objective established or if things ‘’simply happened’’ here and there.

What is outstandingly clear is that Lacrosse Canada wishes to ‘’support long term growth’’ but simply abandons that responsibility to the provinces. And we see that many provinces are not equipped to act in the area of significant development. Efforts vary from one year to another; resources vary from one year to another; volunteers come and go and the bottom line is that ‘’things happen sometimes’’ but also do not happen sometimes.

Until Lacrosse Canada and the provinces recognize that provincial development is a national concern the game will wander along, sometimes grow and sometimes fall; for everyone to see. It is highly irresponsible for a National Association not to address the issue of numerical growth and to leave everything to the provinces. ‘’Go, work hard and keep the faith’’.

 

It is highly irresponsible for a National Association not to have any form of investment towards the increase of new players within the game. Lacrosse Canada expresses its developmentalstrategies towards coaches, officials and the National Teams but nothing towards those who don’t actually play the game. This inbreeding process will most probably produce better coaches, officials and National Teams but will not grow the game. Medals don’t grow a game; investments do.

 

A look at the functions of Lacrosse Canada’s staff clearly reflects where the human investments are made; three staff members operate the High-Performance portfolio; two are involved in administration and finances; one in the technical aspect of the game; one in partnerships and one in communication. No one, absolutely no one, is tasked with the challenge of increasing the number of players within the game. And eventually an Executive Director will be selected to lead this dedicated staff!

 

Lacrosse still remains a ‘’one version sport’’ with box lacrosse dominating the registration numbers. Here is the evolution of the different versions of the sport since 2022:

 

Version of the game                     2022                       2025

Box lacrosse                                   31,330                    39,466    74.7%

Men’s field lacrosse                       7,445                      8,448      16%

Women’s field lacrosse                 2,615                      3,451       6.5%

Sixes lacrosse                                  0                              1,417       2.6%

 

What we have is one version if the game dominating ‘numbers’’ and influencing the culture of the game while Lacrosse Canada tries to promote its National Teams in men’s field, women’s field and sixes lacrosse. And the version of the game to be showcased in the 2028 Olympic Games (Sixes lacrosse) is now played by 2.6% of the registered players across the country!

The status quo (or just about) in men and women’s field lacrosse is troubling as clearly growth is not there since 2022. The 2026 registrations might have an effect on the number of players who will still play men’ and women’s field as there could be a move towards Sixes lacrosse! We’ll wait until November to see how good a year 2026 will have been.

It is finally very troubling to see that only 6.5 % of Lacrosse Canada’s membership plays women’s field lacrosse. With all that is happening to promote women in sports it is discouraging to see that lacrosse has not reacted more positively towards the inclusion of women within its ranks. Yet, curiously, under pressure from Sport Canada, five of the ten Board members are females!

 

It is finally imperative to note that the game is mostly played by minors in Canada; very few adults play the game.

76% of the membership is made up of players under 17 years of age; 13% are in the ‘’junior’’ category while only 9% are adults (seniors). There is also no recreational component to the game as players drop out once they stop competing. This, along with the limited number of registered players, obviously, has an effect on the relationships that Lacrosse Canada will endeavor to build with partners or sponsors; a huge challenge to sell the game that so very few do play!

 

Yet, we have a great game that rests on the passion of the volunteers who manage the game and think it will have a future. Facts seem to say otherwise until Lacrosse Canada (along with the provinces) decides to get involved in the development of the game towards those who don’t actually play the game! Until then marginality will be our future!