Summer lacrosse camps a long city tradition
Canada’s longest running lacrosse youth camp continues this month in the Memorial Centre.
The Nationwide camp is currently run by two Lakers, Shawn Evans and Brad Self. Seventy years ago this summer, in 1948, the Peterborough senior B lacrosse team, then called Ostrander Jewelers, started a summer day program of lacrosse for kids. They hired one of their players, Jack Foote, who was training at the University of Toronto to be a teacher.
Outdoor Miller Bowl was just built that spring by the players. The demand on the floor time immediately became a problem. It was suggested during the months of July and August the younger players would be organized into house league teams and play their games during the day. That summer of 1948, 300 boys were playing on 20 different teams.
The senior and junior teams had to work their games and practices into the evenings.
From the school house league teams all-star teams were then chosen to compete at the provincial level.
This concept, unique to lacrosse at that time, has continued in some form or other for the next 70 years.
When Miller Bowl was closed in 1956, the school transferred over to Civic Arena. Players of the era added another practice bowl behind the Civic to allow expanded use of the limited floor time in the city.
The Civic Arena went through some major renovations in the early 1960’s. The lacrosse school continues outdoors while the Civic was under repair.
The school later moved to the Kinsman Civic Centre and most recently the Memorial Centre.
Looking back over the 70 years, it is obvious the continuing success of lacrosse in the city has its roots in the lacrosse school. There are few, if any, local players who went on in the game that were not part of the school in some form or other.
A few other communities tried summer camps but none had the long-lasting effect of the Peterborough model.
First, the senior teams ran the school in the early years and put qualified players in charge. The school day was always well organized; teaching was paramount and continuity essential. Every kid was essentially taught a certain way to play the game with its basic rules. As they moved up through the age groups, the same basic methods were reinforced. Watching the seniors and juniors play just reinforced their learning.
Individuality was not discouraged in any way. Those that had the skill to play with a little extra flair were encouraged but taught never to lose sight of the basic formation the game was built on.
Over the years the format has changed, coaches bring in different ideas, but always in the back of everyone’s mind is that Peterborough lacrosse is unique, something special that needs to be maintained.
When Lakers coach Bob Allan brought some basketball concepts into the game in the early 1960s, it became the standard throughout the system. The simple “pick and roll” play became common with most levels of teams. It became so infamous it was identified everywhere as the, “Peterborough Pick.”
Today the game has many creative, innovative coaches. They have pushed the game to a place where some very serious analysis needs to be made. Over coaching of the game has forced a lot of the individuality out of it.
Hockey re-evaluated and changed their game after the 2004 strike. In most observers’ opinions, the game is better for it.
It is time the innovative minds in lacrosse; fans, coaches and players reassess lacrosse as it is today and decide if this is the game we move forward with.