'The recognition is coming back' says Ontario lacrosse teams on the sport's Olympic return

Lacrosse becoming an Olympic sport again can encourage more people to take up the sport and pave the way for it to grow on an international level, according to some lacrosse players in Ontario.   

"It feels like the recognition is coming back for a sport that's been around forever. It's neat that we're finally going to get the representation for that," said Alex Bettencourt, 24, who plays defence on the London Thrashers Women's Lacrosse team.

Lacrosse — Canada's official summer sport — is one of five sports added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games by the International Olympic Committee on Monday. The last time it was played at the Olympics was in 1908. 

Both men's and women's lacrosse will be competed in sixes — a fast-paced, compact version at the intersection of field and box lacrosse that was developed in 2018.

The addition of a women's team will provide opportunities for more females to get involved in sport, said Bettencourt, who has played lacrosse since the age of four. 

"It's really cool to have that opportunity because it builds confidence and strength for us," she said. "It's a very diverse and fast-paced sport and not as intimidating as it looks."

Increased viewership from the Olympics could spark curiosity about lacrosse among audiences, especially at home in London, said Tyler Turner, president of the London Minor Lacrosse Association.  

"We're looking forward to some increased exposure to this sport because that's typically something we struggle with especially in the London community," he said.  

"London's a hockey town so we're probably the best kept secret as a sport and we constantly struggle just to get people to know about us, but I think this will definitely go a long way in helping with that."

'A surreal moment'

The association has been around since 1962 and currently hosts 350 young players, which Turner believes is a small number when compared to the number of players in other sports in London, he said.

"There's been a long push to get back to the Olympics and any chance there's an increased number of players and other options to keep the stick in their hands is a bonus," said Turner. 

Turner hopes this can open up doors to increased government funding that can organize more competitive teams, he said. 

Lacrosse has been in Taya Keast's family for generations. The 19-year-old who is one of the captains of Western University's Womens Lacrosse team, said she's excited to see how it grows. 

"My dad grew up playing and he still coaches to this day so it's definitely in my roots," Keast said. "Being able to share this experience with my dad and my family is such an amazing feeling."

Keast believes the sport's reintroduction to the Olympics is a milestone for all Canadians. 

"It's such a surreal moment for Canadians and for the entire lacrosse community having our summer national sport being shown and being played on the biggest stage of all sports in the Olympics," she said.

"My team is really excited at what's to come and future opportunities for next generations to play at the next level and compete against other countries."

Keast is trying out for a U-20 national team set to play in Hong Kong next summer. The opportunity to someday represent Canada at the Olympics would be an honour for Keast, she said.