2018 AB Summer Games
The 2018 AB Summer Games were held in Grande Prairie, AB this year. They started on July 19th with Opening Ceremonies, and concluded on July 22 with final rounds and Closing Ceremonies. The AB Summer Games are held every 2 years in a new location, and Bantam lacrosse is one of the most exciting sports to watch!
This year we had a team from Zone 1 (Sunny South) that consisted of 13 players from SALA and 5 players from Zone 2 (Big Country). Late registrants are not allowable, so when Zone 1 did not have enough players for a full team we were able to pick up some players from the next closest Zone, as they had more players try out than they could field. The team held 2 practices prior to the Games, and they were ready to go.
Late July 18th (or early July 19th), players caught the bus nearest to them. Going up on a team bus is a requirement when you register if you live more than 1 hour from the Games location. Our team was on 3 different buses, and managed to get some sleep as well as build team rapport on the ride up. Parents are not required to attend the Summer Games, and if you do you will only see your player for a few minutes after each game. They are completely taken care of for all transportation and meals, so if you do attend it's like a mini-vacation for parents as well!
Upon arrival in Grande Prairie, all participants register themselves. Our Zone was given a hat and t-shirt to wear at the Opening Ceremonies, as well as a very nice Under Armour ASG duffle bag to keep. All lacrosse gear was taken from the bus and transported to the locked dressing room assigned to the team, so no one had to worry about hauling their gear around for the weekend. After registration, everyone was sorted on to a new bus and transported to their new "home away from home" (AKA the school they were assigned to). This is where they sleep, and once they unloaded their bags they caught another bus to the food centre to have something to eat. From here they were taken to the Opening Ceremonies, where they saw traditional Native dancing, fireworks and so much more! We got absolutely poured on, but that didn't stop the fun :).
The next day Zone 1 had their first games. We played Zone 8 (Peace Country) winning 18-2. We then played Zone 3 (Calgary) and lost 1-14. Our next game was Saturday against Zone 7 (Northeast) and we lost 1-7. This put us in a match for fifth place against Zone 4 (Parkland) and we won 9-4. Even though we did not medal, the team played very well against some top competitors and had an amazing time.
After the last game on Saturday, all participants attended a dance. They got to socialize and meet peers from all over the province on their last night together. Sunday, if parents were in attendance and so chose they could take their player home. For those that chose otherwise however, they stayed and watched some additional sports (or played in their finals), attended the Closing Ceremonies and then caught the bus home again.
In 2 years, the AB Summer Games will be held in Lethbridge! It's very exciting that they will be within one of our SALA locations, and everyone of Bantam age should be registering to try out for the team. It's a once in a lifetime experience that can't be beat, and I know our team had an amazing time and created some great memories and friendships.
