Welcome to the 2024 Box Lacrosse Season with NDLA
If you are new to minor box lacrosse in Nanaimo, welcome!!! We are so happy that you have joined us for Canada’s other national sport. If you are a returning player, welcome back! As a board we strive to make the 2024 season even better than the previous one.
Important Information
The first step to prepare for the season is to have the appropriate gear. On our website you will find a list of all required gear:
https://www.nanaimominorlacrosse.ca/content/required-gear
The staff at Kirby’s Source for Sports on Bowen Road are also an excellent resource for any gear questions you may have. They also have a great selection of gear for sale. We will also be adding contact information for people in the community that can help you with stick stringing.
The association will provide each team with jerseys at the start of the season in April and there will also be a player / parent swag table at opening day (Saturday, April 6th) where you can outfit yourself in all things Timbermen.
Communication
NDLA communicates with athletes and parents using the following:
Note - we are 100% volunteer run and as a result social media and the website are our primary source of communication.
Preseason Information
Starting in January, we will be holding drop-in sessions at the Harewood Outdoor Covered Box (740 Howard Ave, Nanaimo, BC). The drop-in schedule will be posted soon and there will be different times / days for different age groups. This is an excellent opportunity to get comfortable playing lacrosse, test out your gear, meet some teammates and meet your potential coaches.
Evaluations dates will also be posted soon. Evaluations serve to balance out teams in the younger divisions (U11 and below) and for the older divisions where there are more than one team, they establish the A and B teams.
Opening Day Information
Mark your calendars! The 2024 Opening Day will be Saturday, April 6th at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. We will have an opening ceremony, parade of teams, swag table, concession/food trucks, lots of fun lacrosse and other events. Our opening day committee is busy finalizing all the details and an event schedule will be posted closer to the day.
Photo Day Information
Photo Day for the 2024 season will be Sunday, April 7th at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. Each player will receive a complimentary memory mate (1 individual and 1 team photo). Additional photos / products can be ordered for a cost. We use local photographer Lance Sullivan with Concept Photography. The schedule for photo day will be posted once teams are formed.
Referees
As an association we are very excited about the upcoming 2024 box lacrosse season, but this season can't happen if we don't have more referees. We are facing a shortage of referees (specifically adult referees that can ref U15 and up). We have had a significant drop in our referee numbers post COVID. This makes it extremely difficult to cover every game. We were very fortunate last year that we did not have to cancel games, but we did need to move games due to lack of officials.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a legal and illegal cross-check, or why something that so clearly looks like a slash from the stands, is not called? Now is your chance! We are looking for anyone 13 and older (including adults). Scheduling is very flexible. You decide how many games in a week. Be part of the solution. We have discovered that our referee retention is much higher if more adults are involved. They have more life experience and have an easier time dealing with stressful situations.
If you are interested in officiating, or have any questions, please contact Sarah at ndlaheadref@gmail.com or Erica at ndlarefereeallocator@gmail.com to get on the list.
The other piece of this issue is abuse of officials. We lose referees each season because they don’t want to be yelled or sworn at by fans. Lacrosse is a fast-paced game, and it is easy to get loud but put yourself in the position of that ref on the floor. They might look like an adult, but they might be 15 or 16 years old and getting yelled at by screaming fans that don’t understand the rules will make them quit. Consider if that was your son or daughter would you speak to them that way? Referees can make mistakes just like players do but it is not our job as spectators to yell or “ref” from the stands. In 2024, let us set the example of what respectful fans look and sound like by cheering in a positive manner and by stopping the abuse of officials so we can continue to play and watch this game we all love.
Post Season Information
The season for U11 and younger divisions will generally end at the end of June (this may be slightly extended for U11 depending on what tournaments are attended). For the older divisions (U13 and up) the regular season will end in late June and then teams will go into playoffs and potentially provincials. The dates and locations for provincials for each division can be found on the BCLA website: https://www.bclacrosse.com/provincials.php
Other information
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The contact information for all board members is listed on our website. We also have a Frequently Asked Questions page and a lot of other information posted on our website.
If you know of any potential players who might be interested, please pass on this information, and remind of them of our website https://www.nanaimominorlacrosse.ca/
VICTORIA DAY - NO PRACTICES / GAMES TODAY
Enjoy your long weekend !! :)
