Minor lacrosse getting a head start on season

A new year means new projects for the Kahnawake Minor Lacrosse Association (KMLA), with preparations for the upcoming season already started.

The first step of that preparation is currently underway, as offseason training has started at the Beau-Chateau Sportsplex in Chateauguay. Each age group will practice once a week at the Sportsplex until the end of March.

Kirby Joe Diabo, president of the KMLA, said that the extended training time is new for this year.

“In the past, because we had no floor time in the wintertime, it’s been difficult for us. We would only be able to see our teams two or three weeks before the season, and that’s at the outdoor rink in town,” said Diabo. “It doesn’t really give a full evaluation of the full potential of players. That’s what the offseason training is for, so coaches can get a full evaluation for the next three months and then get ready for the trials.”

The trials will be held to determine which team a player will play on: the A team, which will strive to be more competitive, or the B team, which will be a development team.

“Every program has it set up like this. That’s what the way it is, especially with the Junior squads,” said Diabo. “We have big plans for our Junior squad, and that’s what the minor system is there for, that’s our farm system.”

Diabo said that part of the efforts from the KMLA to get players ready for the season has been a proposal to find strength and conditioning coaches as well as enlisting the help of Mia Phillips, from The Runners running group in town.

“Conditioning is the most important thing for lacrosse. If you can’t run, you can’t play. You have to run for three periods or four quarters. That’s the most important thing, and a lot of our players don’t do that,” said Diabo.

“This is the mentality we’re trying to change. We’re trying to have these student athletes get into those good habits and teach them the right things and to get the right attitude. Ultimately, we’re creating better Mohawk people.”

Another mentality change Diabo is looking to establish is good eating habits. The food available at the Sports Complex is the classic fast-food fare, said Diabo, and they would like to prepare healthy meals for the players to have available to eat.

“The fast-food kind of defeats the purpose of doing all this training,” said Diabo.

While training for everyone started this week, Diabo said that training started last week for their newest prospective teams: U13 and U15 girls’ teams.

“I wanted to give the girls priority. If we start now, they can tell their friends, people are getting interested, they want to come out, and then the group grows and grows and grows, and by the time the season starts, we should have full squads,” said Diabo.

This is the first year the KMLA will have girls’ teams. Diabo said that interest started concretely in the fall with girls joining some of the Fall Ball teams, as well as a sixes team, playing the format that will be played in the next summer Olympics in 2028.

“That’s how that started, and then it grew, and girls just wanted to keep coming out,” said Diabo. “So, I said, we’re going to make a girls team this year, and we’re going to push it, and I want to give them priority, this way we get the most interest out of it. And who knows, it could grow into three, four teams pretty quickly.”

While the KMLA has many coaches volunteering already, they are always looking for more, with a callout being put out for coaches to register until January 31.

Prospective coaches are required to fill out a document beforehand, explaining their philosophy, background, achievements, and how they want the team to practice and their game plans.

“The coaching application is to see which coaches want to do the work, who is in it to better the kids or who’s in it just to have the title,” said Diabo.

New coaches are welcome to apply, and there are opportunities to learn.

“I know a lot of people just want to help. They just want to open the door on the bench, and those are the perfect opportunities to train,” said Diabo. “You get to watch head coaches all year, watch what the coach is doing, what the coach is talking about, and learn like that, hands on.”

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