Paradise scores big with lacrosse enthusiasts

By Mark Squibb

Despite being one of the oldest team sports in North America, lacrosse is a sport many in this province are unfamiliar with.

That could be changing, thanks to a newly minted youth league in Paradise.

“We’ve judged it to be a pretty successful season,” said Sean Fitzgerald of the Paradise Minor Lacrosse League’s inaugural season, which wrapped up in August. “It’s not a very well-known game in the province or the town itself, but we had between 80 and 90 kids who took part and four different age divisions, and everyone seemed to have a good time, so we deem that a success.”

Fitzgerald said the provincial lacrosse body, Lacrosse NL, of which he is an associate director, tried to kickstart a youth league about a decade back, but never had use of a dedicated facility. That changed once the Town of Paradise laid a lacrosse turf field at the Double Ice Complex as part of its commitment to hosting lacrosse during the 2025 Canada Summer Games.

“Paradise is the perfect town for lacrosse, because there are a lot of young families and a lot of young kids,” said Fitzgerald. “And the Town was excellent at making the floor time available to us and helping us with whatever we needed to get started.”

The Town also allowed the association to rent the field at a reduced rate, which Fitzgerald said was a huge help.

This past summer’s minor program was open to youths younger than 10 and up to age 19. Many in the U19 program were members of the Canada Summer Games team. The U13 and U15 divisions had the most players.

The program was open to players from the entire region, and many youths from CBS and Mount Pearl participated. One player came from as far as Whitbourne.

Fitzgerald said many of the kids had some exposure to lacrosse during the Canda Games and wanted to try the game themselves.

“A lot of the preconception about lacrosse is that it’s an extremely rough sport,” said Fitzgerald. “And that’s not really the case. It’s no rougher than hockey.”

He said that, like hockey, some folks on social media focus on the “rock ‘em, sock ‘em stuff,” which “is not how the game is really played.”

One challenge for players was finding the right equipment. While hockey gear could be substituted in a lot of cases, some equipment, such as the stick, is specific to lacrosse. Fitzgerald said retailers were good at getting equipment shipped in, while other pieces of equipment could be purchased online.

The club is already looking ahead to next season.

Fitzgerald said the club is hoping to introduce U7 and U9 divisions and run development camps over the winter and ‘Try lacrosse’ days in the spring. The club is also looking for more volunteers.

Fitzgerald played lacrosse in the 1981 Canada Games, and in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before returning to Newfoundland in 1996. He helped form a men’s league in 2010 and continues to play to this day.

“It’s a highly skilled sport,” said Fitzgerald. “It takes a fair amount of practice to get good at it. You have to spend hours by yourself figuring out how to pass, how to catch. So, there’s a real sense of accomplishment once you can play. And the physicality of the game has always appealed to me. There’s no gliding, you have to run. Its sprinting for the 60-minute game. It’s fun is all I can say… If anyone wants to try, we’ll give you a shot and show you how to play.”