Ahead of Feb. 9’s Saskatchewan Rush game at the SaskTel Centre, young players were given a chance to run drills on the same floor as their idols.
Kids had the opportunity to meet a pair of National Lacrosse Leaguer (NLL) players, Jeff Shattler and Zach Gould, who were both happy to come and talk to the youth, helping to grow the sport at the grassroots level.
“I grew up idolizing some of these guys, and it’s unbelievable to now be in this position. To influence these kids, to know that you can do it in Saskatchewan, you can become a pro lacrosse player if you just put your head down and work at it,’” Gould said.
Events like these could ultimately help lead some kids to follow in Gould’s footsteps as a homegrown professional lacrosse player. He hails from Warman, Sask.
“Our participation has increased about 25 per cent each year for the past couple years,” Bridget Pottle, executive director with the Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association, said.
“It’s great. I’ll drive home and I’ll see kids in the streets throwing the ball around with lacrosse sticks now.”
Besides getting to meet Rush mascot Bruiser and touring the locker room, the event allowed the participating kids to socialize and build bonds of friendship.
“I like meeting new people and getting to meet all kinds of age groups, and I like that all girls get a chance to try out for lacrosse,” novice player Alyssa Auchstaetter said on lacrosse day in Saskatchewan.
After erasing an early deficit, the Calgary Roughnecks defeated the Rush 17-12 in Saskatoon on Feb. 9.
WATCH BELOW: Saskatchewan Rush lose 17-12 to Calgary Roughnecks