Our Association is committed to providing a positive environment for all players, coaches, game officials and volunteers affiliated to our organization by exercising fairness, continuity, encouragement and cooperation.
Our Association endeavours to be the premier lacrosse association in Alberta through the encouragement and development of players; through the enhancement of technical training and support programs for coaching staff and game officials; through the collaboration and cooperation with other lacrosse clubs, associations, corporate sponsors and the communities. We endeavour to provide both continuity and a satisfying environment to facilitate our sport.
The Rockyview Lacrosse Association is an accountable member of the participating communities and will continue to demonstrate growth of the game of lacrosse throughout Alberta and Canada. As a club we will be committed to continuous improvement of our performance, we will be devoted to further development of our organization and we will continue to actively promote Canada’s National Summer Sport.
The Rocky View Lacrosse Association was formed in April, 1999.
It was an idea that a group of us had that lived in the Rocky View area but played one season for the Calgary NW Hornets. We had a dozen passionate kids that were fairly new to lacrosse, athletic, who wanted to play with their friends and a few dads with great lacrosse experience and knowledge. There were six parents that met at Kim Caron’s house and the Rocky View Lacrosse Association began over a beer at their dining room table. (Kim and Shannon Caron, Dale and Tammy Miller, Gord and Bonnie Henry)
We started with one Pee Wee and one Novice team. Initially we were only ran as an exhibition season consisting of 9 exhibition games against Calgary and a couple against Red Deer and Okotoks. We traveled to Edmonton and Red Deer for tournaments and attended the Canada Day Tournament in Calgary. The coaches provided extra clinics, and we practiced outdoors to save money on floor time. Quite often a Saturday morning practice on a sunny day would continue into late afternoon with little brothers joining the floor, picking up KFC, and making it a full day of lacrosse! We practiced out of the Plainsman and Crossfield Arenas and the Cochrane outdoor box.
The first year we wore red pinnies for jerseys, used nets (built by Rob Hamilton) etc and relied on donations (mostly lacrosse families or friends). It was challenging picking team colors as we would only be able to afford one set so we would have to order colors no club sported. We had a few suggestions for team names and let the boys choose. It was officially green/gold/maroon …. “Rocky View Rage”! The logo was the work of Ken Crossley!
The game of lacrosse took off and our membership grew quickly:
2000- 95 players… .6 teams……1 Tyke, 1 Novice, 3 PeeWee, 1 Bantam
2001- 167 players…..12 teams…..1 Tyke, 2 Novice, 3 PeeWee, 4 Bantam and 2 Midget
2002- 250+ players…18 teams…..2 Tyke, 3 Novice 4 PeeWee, 5 Bantam and 4 Midget
2017- 506 players…33 teams….8 Mini Tyke, 6 Tyke, 6 Novice, 5 Peewee, 4 Bantam and 4 Midget
The first female lacrosse players to sign up were Midgets in 2002.
There had been many successes throughout the years but the first team to put RockyView Lacrosse Association on the map was one of the 2002 Novice A Lacrosse team. They won gold medal in the Okotoks Mustangs Spring Classic Tournament, gold medal in the prestigious Jack Crosby Tournament in Burnaby, BC., gold medal in the Calgary District Lacrosse Championships, Gold Medal in the ALA Novice A Provincials. Rocky View was now on their way to win many more medals and championships!!!
In the initial years, there were so many parents that volunteered to help the original six with the launch and success of the Rocky View Lacrosse Association. The Executive was instrumental in arena scheduling, ordering equipment, and forming bylaws. There were many Dads that stepped up to coach and Moms that were team managers!