Calgary women's lacrosse league cancels season amid slumping participation

The Calgary Women's Lacrosse League has cancelled its fall season because of sinking participation numbers. 

The league said it's welcomed beginners and experienced players for more than eight years but can't manage insurance and field rental costs this year.

Long-time goalie Linda Craig says she's disappointed the league isn't stirring up enough interest from Calgary's large population. 

"Women do not usually come out to play for themselves, not like men do," said Craig. 

"I just wish we could get this word out and let women know there are such teams and such leagues. And just hope that women will come out and play something for themselves."

The league's fall season typically runs through October and November, says organizer Elizabeth Ivy. 

Once a week, players aged 18 and over gathered for non-contact scrimmage games, she said. There were no practices.  

"People have families, and people have kids … it can be a tough, tough priority, especially if this is their kids' hockey season," said Ivy. 

"We [have] just really struggled to get out the numbers that we used to have."

While players and organizers plot strategies to revive the league in the new year, the sport is benefiting from international attention. 

Lacrosse is one of five new sports the International Olympic Committee has added to the official program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. 

The last time lacrosse was an official Olympic sport was 1908, with a Canadian team winning the gold medal. 

"It just gives females another opportunity to compete at a high level, and it's great that the sport will continue to have more exposure," said Maria Deitz, president of Calgary Field Lacrosse. 

While women's participation in Calgary is slumping, Deitz said youth field lacrosse numbers have doubled since 2019.

She's hoping alumni from her association's youth programs will represent Canada in the Olympics. 

Olympic dreams

After graduating from Calgary Field Lacrosse's youth programs, Milana Zizakovic is now an attacker on the Towson University women's field lacrosse team, an NCAA Division 1 program in Maryland.

She believes that, with hard work, she could crack the Canadian Olympic roster.

"Ever since I was a kid, I thought that being in the Olympics was such a cool thing. But I never knew what sport I would do to get to that goal," said Zizakovic. 

"I'll be at an age where I have a few years under my belt. I'm super excited." 

Last October, Zizakovic played for Canada's national team in an international competition in Oshawa, Ont. 

"When I started playing in Calgary, field lacrosse wasn't a huge thing," she said. "I just hope that girls from Calgary … pursue that dream of going to the Olympics, and I just hope that it grows so much more."  

Reviving women's lacrosse

Craig, who has played several sports, said the Olympics usually create a registration upswing for women's adult sports leagues. 

"You don't get to see women playing sports on TV, like men get to," she said. "That (the Olympics) is the only place where women get to see themselves compete." 

Craig dreams of playing in a multi-team league in the future, and travelling to provincial and national tournaments. 

"To have lacrosse seen at the Olympics, I'm very hopeful that it will be seen as a sport that women can play locally." 

Organizers hope to relaunch the Calgary Women's Lacrosse League next spring.

Players of all skill levels will be welcome, they say.