Dozens of female lacrosse players practicing during the summer and preparing for nationals is a new sight in Manitoba.
“We had maybe 25-35 girls playing in the province; now we have about 350-400 girls playing in the province,” Matt Mason, executive director of Manitoba Lacrosse Association, said.
Most of this growth is due to the launch of The Herd this past spring. Manitoba’s first girls-only lacrosse league offers year-round training opportunities for teenage girls of all levels in both box and field lacrosse.
“I’ve seen a lot of progress over the girls who this may have been their first year but you wouldn’t be able to tell because they are getting so much practice in and so much time on the floor so I’m really excited about what’s to come for girls’ lacrosse in Manitoba,” Tessa Zander, a player and coach, said.
Now, just a few months later, three local teams are competing at nationals — one at the U19 field lacrosse nationals in Quebec and this coming weekend, two teams off to box lacrosse nationals in Regina.
“I’m excited to have these girls on my team at nationals because I feel that we have a really strong team here and we all have different skills and that’s just what a team is,” player Izzy Graham said.
Graham’s teammate Hillary Grehan is also looking forward to the team coming together as one as it heads into the biggest test of the season.
“In the past, there’s been a lot of people trying to do it by themselves instead of using the team as an actual team and moving the ball,” Grehan said. “This team has been one of the better ones for everyone being super close and tight.”
Prior to this season, most girls had to play lacrosse with the boys. The Herd is giving them new opportunities while sharpening their skills as all-around athletes.
“Any kind of strength, like running, conditioning, endurance. It also helps with upper-body strength.” Graham said.
After this season, players and coaches want to keep growing lacrosse in Manitoba with the hope one day of having as many girls as boys playing in the province.
“Long-term goals we would like to see an all-girls league at all levels. We would like to be sending girls’ Team Manitoba programs to nationals at every level, every single year,” Mason said.