Valley Thunder Lacrosse hosts winter development program

Valley Thunder Lacrosse, based out of Kingston and Berwick rinks, offers a box lacrosse program for youth ages five to 18 from April through the end of June. Facilitated by trained coaches and a volunteer organization, the club is a member of Lacrosse Nova Scotia.

The club will host a winter development program at Pine Ridge Middle School in two sessions, the first Fridays between November 15 through December 13 (five weeks), and the second January 10 through February 28 (eight weeks). Valley Thunder athletes and any newcomers to the sport are welcome: sessions will focus on stick handling, passing and in-game drills. Valley Thunder Peewee coach Lisa Holloway will be the head coach, with several of Valley Thunder’s older athletes acting as assistant coaches.

Sessions will run 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for youth ages seven to 10 (younger athletes may attend with lacrosse experience), and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for athletes ages 11 and older. The program fee is $20 for the pre-Christmas session and $40 for the January/ February session, payable by cash or cheque to Valley Thunder Lacrosse; or a $5 per session drop-in fee (participants may drop in or join the program at any time). There will be no refunds and there are no scheduled dates for cancellations. All participants must complete a program registration form and a Lacrosse Nova Scotia waiver (available at VTLacrosse.ca, in the Valley Thunder Lacrosse Facebook group or at the gym). Participants should have a hockey helmet with cage, hockey gloves (optional), sneakers and a water bottle. If you don’t have a lacrosse stick, the club has loaner gear.

For information on the winter development program, contact Holloway, mechhands@hotmail.com; or Valley Thunder Lacrosse president Sara White, cskeddy@hotmail.ca.

Registration form here

2020 lacrosse season

Valley Thunder Lacrosse's 12th season of youth lacrosse programming, based out of the Kingston and Berwick rinks, will get underway in April 2020. Youth ages five and up (check age divisions under the Teams tab) are welcome to register for team play, from Mini-Tykes to Intermediate.

Lacrosse practices generally start the second week of April, with games starting in early May and running through the end of June. Valley Thunder plays home-and-away games with club teams around Nova Scotia. Valley Thunder hosted its own all-ages Apple Cup June 12, 13 and 14; the 2019 tournament featured 28 teams from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including several provincial teams prepping for their 2019 national competitions.

Coaches at all team levels are welcome to join Valley Thunder. Referees are always needed - and paid - for games and tournaments.

Registration is open until May 1; after that date, no refunds will be possible.

For more information about Valley Thunder Lacrosse, visit www.valleylacrosse.ca or join our Facebook group Valley Thunder Lacrosse.

2019 registration form

Code Of Conduct 2019

Acknowledgement of risk and release of liability 2019

Lacrosse coaches, refs invited to join VTL for 2020 season

Valley Thunder Lacrosse welcomes new and experienced coaches and referres to join its program. The season runs April to the end of June, with formal coach and referee certification offered through Lacrosse Nova Scotia. The referee clinic will be held at the Kingston Credit Union Centre, 9 a.m. April 5 (register here). VTL referees will be paid a $5 per game bonus (to the cost of their certification course fee) for games reffed for VTL. The coaches' clinic will also be held at the Kingston rink, April 4, 9 a.m.

You will also need to complete an RCMP Criminal Records Check (request letter and RCMP form available under Resources - Volunteers).

Thank you!

Scotia lacrosse league expands game across province

Four Nova Scotia minor lacrosse associations are 2019 founding members of the Scotia Minor Lacrosse League.

The SMLL includes Valley Thunder Lacrosse, Truro Bearcats Lacrosse, the Pictou County Snipers and the Cape Breton Warriors. League play includes teams in Novice, Peewee, Bantam and combined Midget/ Intermediate divisions.

The SMLL’s focus is on growing the game of lacrosse across the province. SMLL teams will play an eight- to nine-game season, and host their  championship weekend in mid-June. Hosting clubs also schedule in a variety of development clinics for athletes, coaches and officials, taking advantage of en masse events to offer skills training, mentorship and opportunities to build camaraderie at all levels within the game. The 7^th Apple Cup, hosted by Valley Thunder in Berwick and Kingston June 12 to 14, will see league teams joined by clubs from across Nova Scotia and into New Brunswick for the largest minor box lacrosse tournament in the province.

The SMLL membership remains open, as communities across the province rejuvenate or launch youth minor lacrosse programs. The league will flex its structure and schedule to accommodate teams at any and all divisions, and there is preliminary interest in extending programming into the field lacrosse sector.

Follow the league at smll.ca.

7th Valley Thunder Lacrosse Apple Cup - 2020

The 2020 Valley Thunder Lacrosse 7th Apple Cup will be June 12, 13 and 14, at the Kings Mutual Century Centre in Berwick and the Credit Union Centre in Kingston. Visiting teams are welcome in Mini-Tyke/ Tyke, Novice, Peewee, Bantam and Midget House/ B divisions. Applications will be ready in November 2019.

Apple Cup accommodations options