Just prior to Christmas we passed along news from the Nanaimo and District Lacrosse Association’s annual general meeting and awards night. Awards from the various teams were covered, but space didn’t allow mention of some other major honours.
Among those, awards for the top players from each division of boys and girls were handed out. For the boys, top peewee named as Josh Zary, top bantam was Adam Fulton and best midget player was Jake Mickleson. From the female division, top players recognized were Sarah Ferguson from the peewees, Celine Theberge from bantams, Elise Angelucci from the midget division and Zoe Battie from the junior age level.
Association awards present by the NDLA included the Defensive Player of the Year trophy, won by Matt Bishop. Honoured as the association’s Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year was Graden Soucy. Aidan Cateaux was chosen as Most Improved Player, while Roland Churchill got recognition as Goalie of the Year. Selected as last season’s NDLA Lacrosse Boy was Colton Merner.
Other major awards saw Darren Angell named as Coach of the Year and Dave Young as Manager of the Year. The Referee of the Year award went to long-time lacrosse volunteer Jim Turley.
Now, preparations are already well underway for the coming minor lacrosse season. That planning is being led by Brian Boas, who was re-elected to continue in his role as president. Also returning on the executive are vice-president Brande Terris, secretary Tracey Lassam and treasurer Natalie Cashmore. Continuing in his role as head coach is Steve Bishop, while Shane Terris returns as equipment manager and Deb Young as the minor lacrosse registrar.
Also on the executive is arena and referee allocator Tara May. Billy Schmidt heads up fundraising, while Trina Wilcox is tournament coordinator and Joanna Bowman is the association’s head manager. Coordinator for the girls’ division is Farren Ferguson, with Damien Joly a member at large.
With the new executive in place, registration for the upcoming minor lacrosse season is already happening. One sign-up session was held last Sunday and another is set for this coming Sunday (Jan. 19), from 1-4 p.m. at the Beban Park Social Centre. Registration can also be done online.
Players are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The deadline is March 15 and there is no guarantee that players registering late can be placed on a team. The policy is first come, first play. All players, including past and new players, must provide their birth certificate number and B.C. Care Card number for registration to be complete. Potential minor lacrosse players should note that full gear is required to play. Most teams practice twice a week and all teams travel in and out of Nanaimo to play games during the season.
Registration fees for the various boys’ divisions of box lacrosse start at $110 for the mini-tyke age group (born 2008-09). Tykes (born 2006-07) pay $165, novices (born 2004-05) pay $185 and peewee players (born 2002-03) pay $215. Cost for bantams (born 2000-01) is $225 and for midgets (born 1998-99) is $235.
For the female divisions of minor lacrosse, fees are $130 for novices, $160 for peewees, $165 for bantams, $175 for midgets and $185 for junior girls. For the third player in a family to register, the fee is just $60. For all divisions, a $100 jersey deposit cheque is also required.
More information regarding minor lacrosse registration, as well as on upcoming player evaluations and referee clinics, is available by checking the association’s website at www.nanaimominorlacrosse.ca.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.