Lacrosse is the oldest sport in Canada, And I get to be apart of it.

I got involved in Lacrosse in the summer of 2015. I applied to work for the Burlington Chiefs (now the Burlington Blaze) and got the job. I worked for them for two years before moving on to the Hamilton Bengals junior B team. I learned very quickly just how healing the game is for those who not only play it but watch it. It is known as the “Creators game” or the “Medicine game.” For good reason.

According to the Onondaga Nation, the game is “Considered sacred.” It was given to the Indigenous Peoples by the Creator so therefore they play for the Creator. It is said to have healing powers. According to “Medicine Man Lacrosse” it is a “spiritual ritual to honour, heal, and celebrate individuals and communities.”   So why did I get so into it?

I am usually known for my hockey announcing, but being able to join in on the Creator’s game is one of the most utmost beautiful things I have ever been able to be apart of. Being able to read off Land acknowledgement before every game is an honour, I do not take for granted. Learning various things about the game is what got me to be so obsessed with it.

I hope to be able to expand on my love for the game on my social media that we have created in Introduction to Radio and Social Media with Sam Cook. I hope that you can feel the love that I have for this wonderful sport through my recaps that I will be writing for the Toronto Rock, which is a National Lacrosse League team. I also hope to take into consideration the things I learned from this program into my professional career if I am ever so lucky to gain employment for a radio station, or even a sports team. I am lucky enough to currently be in the business of announcing all these great sports athletes.

So, who are the Toronto Rock you may ask? The Toronto Rock is an expansion team who originated in Hamilton, Ontario in the 1998 season. They then played in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre (now called Scotia Bank Arena). They moved back to the Hamilton area in the 2021-2022 season to the First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. Being able to see such a professional team succeed in my area is great as well. Being able to cover them for my brand will be an honour as well.

I am forever thankful for this opportunity to be involved in this wonderful sport. It truly is the medicine game. Learning things every day while doing my announcing job also helps me with my radio future. I will be able to put what I learn in the program with my announcing. Learning how to speak clearly, use my diaphragm correctly. I learned how to do that in my “On Air Personality Development” course with Will Nash.

I am looking forward to posting about games I attend over the next couple of years, whether it be a Toronto Rock game, a Toronto Monarchs game, or an Oakville Buzz game in the summer. I plan to write recaps and talk about the teams on my radio show next semester. I would like to incorporate lacrosse in everything I do as it has saved me.

How has it saved me you might ask? Well, growing up I was a shy, bullied child. Attending hockey and lacrosse games specifically really helped me get out of my shell, especially when I got asked to announce for my hometown team, The Burlington Cougars. One day, my Papa passed away and all I wanted to do was go to a game, my Dad realized this and took me to the game that day, and when I walked in two of my favourite players, Tyler and Justin Donati had gotten me flowers and a sympathy card for losing my Papa. It meant the absolute world to me. You also get to meet great people, especially the parents. I always sat with them and learnt the game from their perspective so to this day, I still believe in the many things they taught me. I would not be surprised if you attended a game one day and felt the same way I have. Lacrosse is called the “medicine game” for a reason. You must be at a game in person to feel the magic of the Creator.