SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND ENDEAVOR TO SHOW TRUST

 By Pierre Filion pierrefilion@bell.net

Clearly the ball is in Lacrosse Canada’s court; and it will need to play a short game but also a long game.

Huge challenge is an understatement!

Clearly Lacrosse Canada will have to review some of its past decisions and actions and determine if it wishes to remain a closed autocratic, centralized and authoritarian ‘’regime’’ or if it is willing to look beyond bellybutton orientations and open itself to ‘’a brave new world’’. Not a world of medals but of people, real people who are called ‘’members’’ in democratic associations.

The important decisions of the coming days and weeks will probably not concern 75% of the playing membership who is under the age of 17, but it will concern their parents and the older members who are the volunteers who really operate the game; it will concern the provincial and local associations’ unpaid ‘’managers’’ who, with their limited funds and resources, administer the game and send in monies to Lacrosse Canada to govern it from above.

Lacrosse Canada has seen numerous departures (staff, Executive Director and Board members) and this has set the stage for a real housecleaning and mostly for an opportunity to change course and consider the members for who they are: adults and responsible people.

Let’s look into some of the areas where Lacrosse Canada should act on a short-term basis if it wishes not to isolate itself within a despisal ivory tower.

IF THE MEMBERS TELL US TO GO JUMP IN THE LAKE WILL WE, REALLY, JUMP IN THE LAKE’’ (Marshall Spence)

This is a true quote from Marshall Spence when he was a CLA vice president and presidential hopeful. It illustrates a lighthearted despisal for the members as if all they could suggest was to go jump in the lake! But it also illustrates the fact that some ‘’know it’’ and some don’t. Some understand the issues and some don’t. And in Spence’s case the members clearly had no idea what was going on!

This same attitude is prevalent at Lacrosse Canada. Leaders need to recognize it and change attitude and behaviors. Members know what is going on and, mostly, they care about their game. The ball is in Lacrosse Canada’s court; here is what could be done rather quickly and without major upheavals.

1. Appreciate and understand the limits of federal powers and responsibilities. Lacrosse Canada is an area of governance, not a level of government. When the provinces created a federal government they wanted to have a body which would administer the matters that they could not, together, administer (National defense, international affairs, criminal law, currency, frontiers, transport and communications, etc) The same goes for Lacrosse Canada (Canadian Lacrosse Association) which was created to manage matters and areas in which the provinces, together, could not intervene (International affairs, international competitions, national championships, rules of play, national development, coaching and referees’ certification, etc) The provinces did not create a ‘’senior’’ government; they did not condemn themselves to a secondary role as junior governments. They created ‘’an area of governance’’ not ‘’a level of government’’; and they allowed themselves to oversee, fund and evaluate their newly created ‘’partner’’. This is something Lacrose Canada needs to appreciate in order to properly position itself with its members and to avoid stomping on provincial responsibilities, while at the same time remembering that the members are the major investors who support the national association ‘’within its mandates’’ and who have, because the members are members, the responsibility to supervise its actions.

2.Bring the ‘’ICE’’ paid volunteers back home. The Imposed Convenors’ Expedition (ICE) is a blatant invasion of provincial responsibilities; the provinces have commissioners who manage the leagues and teams who have elected them to do so. Many have a long experience with their leagues and teams and are trusted by their teams. They do not need an imposed supervision and, mostly, they democratically report to their teams. If they have a problem, here and there, they will solve it within the league and move on. Their model of governance is their own and might differ from one league to another. And at the end of the day each league declares a champion who then attends the national championship who comes under the governance and responsibility of the National Association. Then, but not before. And the game goes on. At this time Lacrosse Canada should simply bring their imposed commissioners back home. It will create a first and important visual step in respect of the members. It will indicate that Lacrosse Canada has understood the limits of its responsibilities and will work ‘’within its own garden’’ to improve the quality of its endeavors. This ICE ‘’project’’ is a waste of time, of resources and mostly an embarrassment to everyone. Correct the situation now.

3. Have a serious look at the National Team Development Program

This program reminds us of Soviet Russia or even East Germany many years ago. They would recruit prospects at a very young age and breed them year in and year out to become medal winners. Lacrosse Canada is doing just about the same thing with its U15 and U17 camps.

Hey, U15 means boys and girls 13 and 14 years old, whose parents believe that they might be the second coming of Bobby Orr or even of Gail Cummings. And they are willing to pay large sums of monies to see their kid, eventually, make the National U20 team…way down the road.

The 2026-27 budget tells us that the NTDP will raise 403,200$ and spend 384,000$ to ‘’identify’’ prospects for the future National Teams. The largest part of the costs does not appear in the budget and will be paid for by daddy so his ‘’precious one’’ may travel across the country, be accommodated and fed during different camps or competitions. And shine as a hopeful National Team athlete…way down the road.

Why not let the provinces manage these kids’ development within provincial leagues and camps and concentrate on the U19 age group (17 and 18 years old). Less money to be spent by dreaming parents and maybe a project ‘’with the provinces’’ that could lead to the National Team. Lacrosse Canada needs to review this program and make it viable at a far lesser cost for the parents. The latest ID camp was in Regina and there were kids from BC and Alberta who traveled to the camp; imagine the cost to the parents!

Lacrosse Canada…withdraw from the U15 and U17 programs and talk to the provinces about setting up something less ridiculous.

And keep in mind that world competitions are really a two-country affair; one year we win gold; one year we win silver; and that’s the way it is and has been for a long time. Let’s not get carried away now!

4.And finally, set the stage for the big question

Do we need that many National Teams? He,y we are not soccer; we are not hockey; we are not tennis, yet we have, at this time, eight National Teams. You read right; EIGHT. For a total membership of 52,782 registered players. Luge has less!!! And we yearly spend 1,226,707$ for those National Teams. No one questions the greatness of the National Teams members but it might be time to have a serious look at our priorities and position our National Teams’ expenses against our ‘’development programs’’’ expenses.

Who do we think we are?

We are a great marginal fragile sport; let’s at least acknowledge that.

We simply don’t have enough players to become ‘’main street’’.

And the worse part is that we do nothing about it.

The Board might want to have look at its priorities if it wishes for the game to survive decently.

Hey; no major upheavals, just ideas that the ‘’new’’ Board of Directors could look at!!!