2019 lacrosse season

Valley Thunder Lacrosse's 11th season of youth lacrosse programming, based out of the Kingston and Berwick rinks, gets underway April 16! 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 hosts its own all-ages Apple Cup June 7, 8 and 9; the 2018 tournament featured 17 teams from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including several provincial teams prepping for their 2018 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 2019 season

Valley Thunder Lacrosse welcomes new and experienced coaches and referres to join its program. The season runs April 16 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, 8 a.m. May 5 (register here).

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

Thank you!

Checking clinics May 4

Join LNS' Mark Anderson at a free checking clinic at the Kingston Credit Union Centre. The purpose is to have players (and coaches and parents) become comfortable with the fundamentals of both receiving and delivering a clean, purposeful lacrosse check and to understand the importance of footwork and angling.

The noon to 1:30 p.m. session will be for Novice and PW athletes; there will be a session for Bantam and Midget athletes from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Bring full LX gear and a water bottle. 

Scotia lacrosse league expands game across province

Four Nova Scotia minor lacrosse associations are founding members of the new Scotia Minor Lacrosse League, launching in time for the 2019 box lacrosse season.

The SMLL includes Valley Thunder Lacrosse, Truro Bearcats Lacrosse, the Pictou County Snipers and the Cape Breton Warriors. League play gets underway May 4, with clubs fielding teams in Novice, Peewee, Bantam and combined Midget/ Intermediate divisions.

“The SMLL’s focus is on growing the game of lacrosse across the province,” says league commissioner Brendon Smithson. “We ran a successful four-club season and championship program for the Peewee division in the last two seasons; this year, we’ve expanded the schedule and really put a full league together.

”Working with the four club presidents through the winter on the SMLL has been a smooth process: we were all pleased with the Peewee trial last season, we face similar geographic and scheduling challenges and we now have a framework to develop the sport for youth playing at all ages and in all areas of Nova Scotia.”

SMLL teams will play an eight- to nine-game season, and host their first full championship weekend in Truro June 22 and 23. Hosting clubs are also scheduling 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 6^th Apple Cup, hosted by Valley Thunder in Berwick and Kingston June 7 to 9, 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.

Lacrosse Nova Scotia is expected to sanction the SMLL, and it will formally register with Nova Scotia Joint Stocks.

“On behalf of Lacrosse Nova Scotia, we are pleased to welcome a new minor lacrosse league into our province,” says Donna Goguen, Lacrosse Nova Scotia board president. “Scotia Minor Lacrosse League is a welcome addition and will be part of the growing infrastructure needed to accommodate future growth of our sport. Lacrosse players, coaches and referees will benefit from having an organized league to provide a game schedule for teams across the province to play. This is a key component of our strategic plan that prioritizes organizational effectiveness to support grassroots development.

“Our thanks go out to the hard-working volunteers who are making this happen.”

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.

6th Valley Thunder Lacrosse Apple Cup - 2019

The 2019 Valley Thunder Lacrosse 6th Apple Cup will be June 7 to 9, 2019 at the Kings Mutual Century Centre in Berwick and the Credit Union Centre in Kingston. Visiting teams are welcome in Novice, Peewee, Bantam and Midget House/ B divisions. Deadline to register will be noon, May 21, 2019. 

Registration information is posted here.

Apple Cup accommodations options