Three local lacrosse players are off to Regina for the Minor Box Lacrosse Nationals, which runs Aug. 14-19.
Isabelle Barnes will be playing for the U17 female team, while Karlee Feragen and Brooklyn Raine will be playing for the U22 female team.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this, so I am super excited about it — to experience something that is more competitive,” said Feragan, who had an early introduction to the sport and hasn’t looked back.
“I started when I was six or seven with the Lacoka team. I played with the boys up until junior, so all the way from tykes to midget I was playing with the boys because there was no girls’ team,” said Feragen, 18, who is originally from Ponoka as well.
“I just switched over to female lacrosse (two years ago), which was a big shift you could say,” she added.
For Feragen, lacrosse’s intrinsic intensity is one of the aspects of it that she finds most compelling.
“It’s just super competitive and fun — and it’s definitely a different environment from other sports that we have in the area, too.”
She also wants to show younger girls that there are exciting opportunities that come with signing on to the sport. “I would say, give it a chance,” she said. “It creates way more experiences than you would think, too. Getting into it is just the start — you will immediately love it. It’s super fun.”
In the meantime, she added that the community’s overall support for lacrosse is amazing.
“Everyone in the lacrosse community has been super welcoming and always included me. They will support you through anything. They’ve always been there if I have needed anything to keep on going,” she said, adding that Lacoka Lacrosse has always been very supportive as well.
Raine, 18, would agree.
“I love the adrenaline (rush) that it gives me,” she said of lacrosse. “And I’ve also loved the friendships that I have made by being on the different teams, too.”
She would also encourage those considering signing up with the team to just go for it and give it a try.
“I would say give it a chance because you will grow to love it,” she said. “Just take a chance.”
Raine, who lives in Maskwacis, also had an early start with lacrosse.
“It’s really always been a part of my family. My Dad got me into it when I was about eight or nine,” she said. “I fell in love with it.”
She enjoys the physical demands of it, too. But there are other benefits that extend beyond the physical.
“Also, in our culture, we would always call it the ‘healing game’,” she explained. As to the coming tourney, there is plenty to look forward to, she said.
“Just the chance to spend time with my team. I’m excited about the experience.”