Professionals ignite interest in lacrosse for kids

A pair of professional players are teaming up with the Grande Prairie Lacrosse Association as well as the provincial and national governing bodies to promote the sport in First Nation communities.

Andrew McBride, the captain of the Calgary Roughnecks, who competed in the National Lacrosse League, and Jeremy Thompson, a member of the NLL’s Edmonton Rush, visited five schools in mid-April raising awareness of the sport.

Thompson, who is in his fourth NLL season, is Aboriginal; he grew up in Akwesasne, Ont.

As well as being a pro lacrosse player, McBride is the technical director of the Alberta Lacrosse Association. 

The April visits to schools in Horse Lake, Sturgeon Lake and Grande Prairie were organized by Ron Regnier. Regnier, who is the vice-president of the Grande Prairie Lacrosse Association, is also manager of the Canadian Tire store in Grande Prairie. 

Regnier’s lacrosse involvement with First Nation communities began last year. He was contacted by a Horse Lake hockey official, who believed lacrosse would be a good off-season fit for some of the community’s hockey players.

“We took some of our minor players (from the Grande Prairie association) there,” Regnier said of his ventures to Horse Lake last year. “We gave them some coaching and worked on some drills with them. And we had some scrimmages with them.”

Similar sessions followed in Sturgeon Lake last year. The contact there was made through a Grande Prairie resident, who teaches in the community.

Thanks to Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program, which helps outfit youth with sporting equipment, players from both Horse Lake and Sturgeon Lake received lacrosse sticks and equipment last year.

Regnier was able to expand lacrosse awareness in First Nations communities this year thanks to funding from the Canadian Lacrosse Association. Some of these funds were passed down to the Alberta association.

During the lacrosse visits to the First Nation schools this year, Thompson and McBride took part in school-wide assemblies. Afterwards they visited physical education classes at the schools where they worked with smaller groups, showing them lacrosse basics and eventually having scrimmages.

Thompson was able to connect with youth in part because he is Native. He also does not hesitate to talk about his past, which included alcohol abuse. Lacrosse has helped turn his life around.

“He talks about how lacrosse allowed him to travel the world and graduate from university,” Regnier said of Thompson, who played at New York’s Syracuse University, a perennial national power before turning pro.

Thanks to the CLA funding, the pros were also able to leave behind plenty of lacrosse sticks, balls and pinnies in the hopes the schools will continue to offer lacrosse to its students.

Regnier said the relationship between the First Nations schools and the pros and those with the Grande Prairie association will continue.

“We’re hoping if not this season then next season to bring Jeremy and Andrew back out,” he said.

Regnier added Grande Prairie lacrosse officials will be inviting both Horse Lake and Sturgeon Lake players to their city this year. Reciprocal visits are expected to also take place. 

A year ago more than a couple dozen players from Horse Lake registered with the Grande Prairie association.

Regnier said a goal is to have First Nation communities eventually launch their own lacrosse organizations. He added while there is lacrosse interest among youths in these communities it is imperative to get more adults involved so they can organize and run teams.

“The hope for us doing (these clinics) is to get more support and to get more parents interested in this,” he said.

Photo Caption: Andrew McBride and Jeremy Thompson took their love and talent for lacrosse to First Nations communities in northern Alberta.