Minor lacrosse looking for coaches, players
Al Jones coached Kahnawake’s first U15 girls’ minor lacrosse team in almost 15 years last season, and he hopes girls’ lacrosse will continue to grow in the community in 2026. Courtesy Al Jones
Registration for the upcoming Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Lacrosse Association (KMMLA) season is ongoing, and with lacrosse already being the number one sport in the community, the association is still continuing to grow, particularly when it comes to girls’ lacrosse.
Last year was the first time in 15 years that the KMMLA had girls’ teams as a part of the association, with the U13 and U15 teams each having great opening seasons.
This year, they are even looking into a potential U17 team, said U15 girls’ lacrosse coach Al Jones, who coached his daughter Oriah last year on the team and coached his son Darris in minor lacrosse for many years.
Regardless of their age, giving kids a chance to try and see if they’ll like lacrosse is the first step in having a successful team, said Jones.
That’s what he did last year, when the U15 team was in dire need of players: he encouraged the players already registered to ask their friends to join and held open practices where anyone could come and join.
“We ended up having a very successful season with a roster of 15 girls. It was friends, hanging out with friends. It’s fun. Just introducing them to the lifestyle helps, the bonding of the girls too, they had a good experience,” said Jones.
There are also clinics being run in February by Brine Rice, which Jones said are good opportunities for players looking to learn before the season begins.
“There’s no pressure, it’s not a tryout, it’s just to come and learn fundamentals,” said Jones.
Setting expectations is important in minor sports; not everyone will score a hat trick per game, but that doesn’t mean they are not playing well or shouldn’t try and join a team.
“Maybe they stop 10 goals, they play good defense where they can pick ground balls up. There are so many roles that can be filled. You don’t need to score goals to be successful, which helps alleviate the pressure of these girls,” said Jones.
Part of growing the lacrosse program and adding teams is the need for coaches, too.
“Having coaches come out and step up, it really helps the program, it keeps the kids growing,” said Jones.
Being a head coach comes with a lot of responsibility and is very time consuming, said Jones, so people need to know what they are getting themselves into. But it is also very rewarding.
“It’s a great way of connecting with the community’s kids, watching their progress, helping their progress,” said Jones.
“It’s great that we do have a lot of coaching certified culture in this community to help our teams, because right now, the minor program is growing immensely.”
Still, they always need more coaches behind the bench, including assistant coaches, a good place for new people to start if they feel nervous about being a head coach as they can watch and learn from their head coach and others behind the bench with them.
“It’s really important, because everyone needs help,” said Jones.
People interested in coaching can register through a form found on the KMMLA’s Facebook page.
Sign up for email updates from The Eastern Door
The KMMLA is currently running a discounted price for early registration, with a $350 fee until February 20, when it will become $400. Registration in general is open until March 20.
