Taber Lacrosse gearing up for another great season

By Cole Parkinson

For Taber Times

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Taber Thrashers had a great 2022 season and now they’re looking to build on that with the season approaching. Lacrosse has continued to see growth since its inception and now the association is excited to see what 2023 will bring. 

“Numbers this year are looking good. We went up in registration by 10-15 players which is a big jump for us. We have teams in all the divisions this year as well as many players looking to play at the A level in the province,” stated Jared Capner, president of Taber Lacrosse. 

This year, Taber will have a team in U9, U11, U13, U15, U17, and Junior B. Thanks to the growth year over year, the entire board wouldn’t be shocked if those registration numbers continue to climb.

“The growth that we have had over the last couple of years has been amazing. This a true testament to our board and community for the promotion of lacrosse. We have been in a few schools this winter to help promote even more and that has been a huge help for us as well. The more we get people aware of what lacrosse is we confident that people will fall in love with the sport. It is a great mix of basketball, hockey, and football,” continued Capner. 

Another huge component of the growth of any sports organization is success. And with the Thrashers not only winning games, they also proved they were more than ready to take on any team in southern Alberta. This season, Capner hopes to see another step.

“We did have a very good season last year with our teams. Everyone bought into our systems which is always half the battle and our coaching staff did a great job getting the players ready. Our goal for this season is just to continue to grow the game and keep teaching the players what they need to know to move on to the next levels. I mean if we come home with a banner we won’t be upset but our goal for all our players is to make sure they know the game of lacrosse the way it’s supposed to be played,” he explained.

Looking at the Junior B team, this will be the team’s second year in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League Junior B Tier II. The team was able to achieve success in their first year and clinched a playoff spot before being bounced by Calgary.

“This is our second season in Taber — we are called the Southern Alberta Chaos, We are comprised of players aged 16-21 and from all over southern Alberta. We had a very good season last year. In our first year, we made playoffs where we unfortunately lost to a strong Calgary team. We are looking to continue with our success from last season and try to win provincials and possibly go to nationals in August. We will be posting our schedules online as much as we can so if anyone is interested in watching the highest level lacrosse that Taber has to offer they can,” added Capner.

The Chaos kickoff their season later this week with their home opener on April 29 at 4:30 p.m. against the Mountain View Stingers.

“Taber Lacrosse wants to thank everyone once again for everything they do and the support we receive from Taber. Please check out our Facebook page for all the lacrosse games and come and cheer on your friends and family or just come and check out the fast game on two feet,” added Capner.