Player Registration is Open for The West Kootenay Timberwolves Lacrosse Team
By Contributor
The West Kootenay Timberwolves return to the Alberta Junior B Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League this Spring.
Player registration is now open for the 2020 West Kootenay Timberwolves junior box lacrosse program. This program is an opportunity for athletes born between 1999 and 2003 to play Canada’s National Summer Sport. Practices start in March, with league games from late April to early July. The Timberwolves home rinks are the Castlegar Complex and the Rossland Arena. The team’s catchment area is the West Kootenays.
Returning Timberwolves players will be joined by graduates from the West Kootenay Minor Lacrosse Association and athletes new to lacrosse. The Timberwolves are committed to growing local talent and encourage anyone interested in playing to reach out to the team. West Kootenay Timberwolves President Suzanne Belanger says: “Athletes with transferable skills will pick-up lacrosse quickly. With the success of the West Kootenay hockey programs and the known benefits of lacrosse as cross training for hockey players, we hope that hockey players will consider giving lacrosse a try. Soccer players and high school basketball and rugby players are also good fits.”
The club will be hosting an information meeting on Tuesday February 18, 7pm, at the Castlegar Complex. Returning players, prospects, parents and anyone interested in more information about the Timberwolves program are invited to attend.
The Timberwolves will play in the entry level Jr B Tier 2 division of the Rocky Mountain League. The 2020 season will bring more home games and more varied competition than previous years. The team will play 9 home games and 9 away games. With the increased playing commitment, the team is looking for a full bench. Head Coach Peter says: “We know that juggling student, athlete, and work life can be difficult for players and we understand that. We are flexible and work around players’ schedules. We get that some players can only commit to part time play. All we ask is for players to let us know about their scheduling constraints when they signup, and to give us 100% for the practices and games that they attend.”
The Timberwolves’ experienced coaches have been with the club since its startup in 2018. Head Coach Peter Youngblut will be assisted by Defensive Coordinator Rob Van Beek, Offensive Coordinator Kevin Floyd, and Goalie Coach Tylor Landry. Together, the coaching staff have decades of playing experience at the Junior, Senior, and National Lacrosse League levels.
Interested players can contact the club at wkjrlax@gmail.com, 250-231-2287, on Facebook, or on Instagram (timberwolveslax).
About Box Lacrosse
Box Lacrosse is played mainly during the summer months in standard sized hockey arenas, on a cement or turf surface. The game is very similar to ice hockey and is played with a goaltender and five runners per team on the floor at one time. Play can continue freely in all zones of the floor; no off-side rules are present. Body contact is permitted on the ball carrier, with limited contact off the ball carrier.
The strategy of Lacrosse is like that of basketball, with all five runners involved in the offense and the defense. Added to the appeal are the speed and excitement created by a 30 second shot clock. The combination of action and reaction makes box lacrosse as much fun to play as it is to watch.
There are currently over 47,000 Box players in Canada. Both males and females play this version of Lacrosse and the ages of competition range from 6-65 years. Lacrosse is known as the “fastest game on two feet”.
About West Kootenay Timberwolves
West Kootenay Timberwolves is a not-for-profit club delivering an organized junior box lacrosse program in the West Kootenays since 2018. Our season runs from March to about mid-July. Eligible age is 17-21 as of December of the playing year.
