Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Max Koo

By Shane Clausing

Grande Prairie Lacrosse

Grande Prairie Lacrosse Association teams show unity amid cancelled season

Apr 11, 2020 | 6:00 AM

Thursday, April 9, was a tough day for minor lacrosse players in Grande Prairie.

On Thursday it was announced that the entire lacrosse season in the city had been cancelled over concerns about COVID-19.

To make matters worst, Thursday was also supposed to be the first day of practice for all teams.

It was a tough announcement that Grande Prairie Lacrosse Association President Ron Regnier had to make, but he was left with no choice as the Alberta Lacrosse Association (ALA) pulled the plug on lacrosse season’s across the province.

Instead of dwelling on the disappointment of the lost season, players, coaches, family, and friends got together Thursday night and decided to rally together and throw a parade for Regnier near his house.

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“My girlfriend said to me ‘Hey, do you want to go for a walk?’ We walked and she sort of stopped and we were hanging around at the corner and I thought she was deciding which way we were going to go,” explained Regnier. “I started hearing honking and seeing cars come down the road and it was really moving.”

Regnier says the parade surprised him and left him emotional.

“It brought a tear to my eye actually. This is my first year in 10 years that I’m not going to have lacrosse,” explained Regnier. “For four months of the year it occupies four nights a week and five weekends so it’s a really big part of my life.”

“To have to cancel the season or let everyone know the season was canceled was heartbreaking. It was nice to see the teams, parents, and players come together and really say, ‘you know what, the seasons canceled, but we’re still a lacrosse family.’ “It really meant a lot to me.”

Regnier told EverythingGP that the ALA is looking at alternative plans to get some sort of lacrosse season played. The plan will solely be based on arena availability and the sanctions laid down by the ALA.

“Our first concern is the safety of all of our players, and we would love the opportunity to do something later in the season if it was available, but we just have to wait and see what the governing bodies say and when things are safe.”