The West Kootenay Junior Lacrosse Club is pleased to announce its coaching staff for the 2018 season.
Head Coach Peter Youngblut will be joined by assistant coaches Kevin Floyd, Rob Van Beek, and Martin Whitehead, team manager and assistant coach Steven Martin, and goaltending coach Tyler Landry.
The coaching team has a combined 40 years of playing experience at the junior, senior and pro levels in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and in the U.S. as well as over 30 years of coaching experience.
The club is hosting a player identification camp on Sunday, Feb. 18, noon to 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required. The camp is being held at Castlegar’s Selkirk College gym.
Player recruitment is underway. The team will be comprised of graduating players from the minor lacrosse program as well as athletes new to the game who bring skills from other sports. Male and female athletes born between 1997 and 2001 are eligible to play in 2018 and encouraged to try out for the team.
The coaching staff is committed to teaching and mentoring young players.
“I am encouraged from the talent that I have seen so far at the January open shootaround sessions and challenge athletes of any sport to give it a try, at any age level,” says Peter Youngblut, Peterborough Lakers Alumni.
“There is no obligation or pressure to join the team right away. Individuals interested or curious about lacrosse or the club should come out and have some fun they will not be disappointed.”
The team is sanctioned by the BC Lacrosse Association and will play in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League. Home arenas are the Castlegar Complex and Rossland. The 2018 season runs from mid-March to early July, with Provincials in mid-July.
The Club’s coaches are excited about the upcoming season and working with local athletes.
“I’m super stoked with the enthusiasm for this club, and the direction that the minor and junior lacrosse programs are going with lacrosse in the West Kootenays,” says Rob Van Beek, Philadelphia Wings and Calgary Roughnecks Alumni. “I’ve been involved with lacrosse for over 20 years, and things look bright.”
Interested players can contact the club at wkjrlax@gmail.com.
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 players aside 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 similar to that of basketball, with all five runners involved in the offence and the defence. Added to the appeal are the speed and excitement created by a 30-second shot clock. The combination of action and reaction makes Box 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.”
West Kootenay Junior Lacrosse is a not-for-profit club delivering an organized junior box lacrosse program in the West Kootenay region. Our season runs from March to about mid-July. The catchment area of the club is the West Kootenays. Eligible age is 17-21 as of December of the playing year.