You may have noticed the lack of ice and new configuration of lines painted on the floor of the R. J. Lalonde Arena.
The changes mark the start of only the second season of minor lacrosse in Bonnyville.
But this past offseason brought more than just a change of setting for Bonnyville's Lakeland Heat lacrosse teams. With a season under their belt, local lacrosse players and promoters had some time to spread the word about the increasingly popular pastime, which just happens to be Canada's national summer sport.
Word spread fast and local interest in the sport exploded, as Heat players from the Bonnyville area increased from seven last season to 112 this year, making up seven teams.
The town has a Heat team at the tike, bantam and midget levels and two at the novice and peewee levels. In just one short season Bonnyville has put itself at or near the top of the Wheatland Lacrosse League (WLL) for number of players and teams.
The WLL is made up of teams from Cold Lake, Kitscoty, Lloydminster, Wainwright, Vermilion and Bonnyville and the season runs from March until the end of June.
Although Bonnyville and Cold Lake have formed separate teams, both towns fall under the banner of the Lakeland Lacrosse Association (LLA).
“We never dreamed that in one season we could get that many players and form that many teams,” said Daryl Hodinsky, LLA sponsorship coordinator and coach of three Bonnyville Lakeland Heat teams.
Hodinsky said he promoted the sport in Bonnyville but generating interest was not that difficult.
“I carried a lacrosse stick around the C2 at the end of the hockey season and talked to a few people about the sport,” he said. “We organized a few drop-in nights and held a couple registration nights.
“I was hoping for two teams and it exploded into seven. It's been great!”
Hodinsky said Bonnyville's Heat teams have not had a lot of success in terms of wins but the players are engaged and having a lot of fun.
“They're having a blast. Some of the other teams are a little more established,” he said. “But our kids are learning and getting better every day. As the program grows we will see the younger players in tikes and novice make up some of the stronger teams for years to come.”
He added, “It's not a sport you can pick up overnight but with time and effort these kids can really excel at it.”
A handful of players playing in Bonnyville are from the St. Paul area, which did not have the numbers to form its own teams. However, with the popularity of the sport rising in the Lakeland, the WLL could see expansion to towns such as St. Paul and other surrounding communities in the near future.
The LLA is currently exploring the possibility of adding junior level lacrosse teams to the association, giving players the opportunity to continue playing beyond midget.
Eight players from the LLA, including Bonnyville boys Coltin Batke and Kyle Hodinsky, have gone on to play junior B lacrosse in Vermilion.
