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Mission Minor Lacrosse Club says its time for a new lacrosse box

MMLC presented a delegation to council on July 4 about the needed upgrades
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Stuart TaylorMission’s current lacrosse box is not up to standards, and 70 per cent of MMLC practices have to be cancelled due to bad weather. Council screenshot.

Without upgraded or new box lacrosse facilities, the Mission Minor Lacrosse Club (MMLC) say they will have to deny kids the opportunity to play when new developments come online.

The club presented a delegation to Mission council on July 4, throwing in their bid ahead of discussion around future capital planning scheduled for later this month.

“The greatest fear of any association is having to say no to any child or any athlete,” said Carrie Dunnett, treasurer of MMLC.

“Make the outdoor box a facility in which we can play, not just practice.”

The delegation requested council’s support for either significantly upgrading the Centennial Park Lacrosse Box with covered stands, new boards, regulation floor sizes, heat, change rooms, washrooms, a sound system, and clocks to be able to host games. Either that, or a new year-round dry floor space.

MMLC has been in existence since 1986, and has steadily seen their membership grow. They offer two playing seasons: field lacrosse in the fall and winter, and box lacrosse in the spring and summer.

The club’s main problem is a lack of floor space, and with upcoming developments in the Cedar Valley and Silverdale, they anticipate their numbers to grow by 50 players annually, said Nicole Kokoska, MMLC’s VP of box.

“The population of Mission could double,” Kokoska said, adding they worry about recreational facilities lagging behind development.

She said Mission’s current lacrosse box is not up to standards, and 70 per cent of MMLC practices have to be cancelled due to bad weather.

The current box is not covered, and has an asphalt surface.

If there is a tiny amount of rain, or even rain in the forecast, they are forced to cancel practice, said Stuart Taylor, MMLC’s director.

He said as soon as water hits the asphalt surface, it turns into a safety issue.

“One or two raindrops and we might as well be playing on the south skating rink,” Taylor said.

MMLC foresees a proper outdoor box becoming an integral part of lacrosse in the community, allowing for games, tournaments and room for expansion.

Dunnett said that a single tournament could bring in as many as 280 families, who would inject tens of thousands of dollars into the local economy over a weekend.

The delegation also mentioned the box space being used for concerts, trade shows, market and other sports like ball hockey.

They presented three communities that have undertaken similar facility upgrades for box lacrosse in the last 10 years for comparison: Coquitlam, Langley Township and Port Moody.

The delegation found general support on council, who said the information presented will be discussed in part of a larger context around parks and recreation facilities.

Mayor Paul Horn, who used to be on the board of MMLC, agreed with the club’s assessment of the current box.

“The facility we have right now is aging to the point where it’s dangerous to go out and play with any kind of real contact,” Horn said.