Winter children’s box lacrosse league to begin in January
Winter lacrosse for children under 12 is returning to the Millbrook Arena in January.
The Nationwide Lacrosse Winter League will offer 10 weeks of four-on-four games following COVID-19 safety protocols, said Rochester Knighthawks and Peterborough Century 21 Lakers star Shawn Evans who runs Nationwide Lacrosse with his cousin and teammate Turner Evans.
Last year the league split the floor at the former Millbrook Arena, now an indoor turf facility, to run two games. Evans said for safety reasons during the pandemic they’ll hold one game at a time using the full floor.
“With everything going on kids are in need of playing some sports,” he said.
“I’ve done a couple of clinics and I’ve had kids tell me, ‘This is the first time I’ve been on the floor in seven or eight months and I forgot what it was to play lacrosse. Can we play longer?’ They enjoy it and have been missing out. To hear that from the kids I think kids are in desperate need of playing sports.”
They’re offering two divisions for U9 and U12 boys and girls. The U9 division will run Wednesdays starting Jan. 4 with six teams playing games at 4:40 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. The U12 division will play each Friday starting on Jan. 6 with four teams at 4:40 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Teams will play eight regular season and two playoff games. Games are four 12-minute quarters.
There will be year-end prizes such as String King heads and shafts and championship trophies.
Games will be noncontact, stick checking only, and players are required to wear masks except when on the floor.
Players must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to arena entry.
There are 25-minute cushions between games for arena cleaning between groups.
It’s their second year in Millbrook after previously playing at Trent University.
“it’s good opportunity for lacrosse players young and old to have a turf facility for indoor lacrosse year-round to develop great lacrosse players in our city,” Evans said.
The cost is $250 plus tax. To register or for more information visit the website nationwidelacrosse.ca.
The pandemic played havoc with Nationwide’s 2020 programming. More than 100 school visits scheduled for the spring and fall were cancelled for an area stretching from Clarington to Ottawa. The annual summer school held at the Memorial Centre was also nixed. They’ve been limited to some small clinics and private lessons.
“Other people have it worse,” Evans said. “We’ll just continue to do what we can do.”