Ridge Meadows Minor Lacrosse has a record 115 female players this year.
The association is running seven teams, and has girls as young as eight starting rep lacrosse at the tyke level, all the way up to 20-year-olds playing junior.
Last year the association had seven girls teams for the first time. Wes Eaton, who heads the girls program for the Burrards, said there are numerous signs of success. The Maple Ridge girls also sent four girls to play for Team B.C. last season, and the teams have been winning – a pee wee provincial championship, and a midget runner-up, also shows that Maple Ridge is a force in girls lacrosse.
“They all look competitive again, so hopefully we’ll have a good season.”
Traditionally one of the toughest of sports, Eaton said a few simple rule changes make the game fun for girls.
Girls lacrosse doesn’t permit cross-checking as in boys lacrosse, but there is a “place and push” rule to allow checking with sticks and restricting the movements of opponents. Eaton said there is other stick work, but “the slashing is not as vicious as the boys.”