Pam Johnson and Bev Gilliam love their lacrosse.
The self-professed "lacrossecrazy and volunteer addicted" local women manage the Burnaby Lakers senior men's field lacrosse team that plays its home games at Burnaby Lake West. On Sept. 24, Burnaby earned a hard-fought 14-8 win over Vancouver.
Johnson emailed the Burnaby NOW to tell the story about how the team was formed earlier this year out of the Burnaby junior B box lacrosse team.
"We were having our awards/end of season get together when they asked if there was a possibility of playing field this season," she writes. "This box team was a very special group, giving back to the lacrosse community by supporting minor teams cheering them on at their home games
"These boys got along very well and they thought it would be fun to play field so they could continue to play together and keep their skills up over the winter.
"That is all it took for my partner-in-crime, Bev Gilliam, and myself to get this crazy idea going.
"We are, to put it lightly, lacrosse-crazy and volunteer addicted. (Bev more so than me)."
Gilliam called the field lacrosse commissioner and after a three-hour meeting that Johnson and Gilliam both attended, they were given a week to try and put the Burnaby squad together.
"After the first week and a powerful attempt to make it go, it looked as if it wasn't going to happen and the idea died," writes Johnson.
Things changed after one of the players called Johnson.
"Adam Osuchowski was determined to make it work, and his heartfelt phone call to me the next day made me realize I had to give it one more shot," writes Johnson. "I asked the commissioner if we could have more time, and she gave us one more week.
"After a ton - and I mean a ton - of work and a two-week deadline, Bev and I made the team official. We have a variety of skill levels, but many of these guys have not played field before or maybe only once or twice, and we even have one player who has only played a half season of box. But there is one thing they have in common: a love of the game."
Johnson knows the hard work is still ahead for her and Gilliam.
"We are excited that we may have revived something that has been missing for far too long and that we were able to bring this great box team to life again in field," she writes. "It isn't very often you get the team dynamics that we did this past box season, and it is a pleasure working with these fine young men again. They are dedicated and determined and they are great role models.
"Winning, of course, is always the goal, and regardless of what the season has in store for us, the reality is we have already won," writes Johnson.
The Burnaby senior men's field lacrosse team is open to any male 20 years old, as of Jan. 1, 2011, and older to join the club. The team practises on Thursday nights on Field 3 at Burnaby Lake West, with home games on Saturday between noon and 2 p.m.
Anyone interested can come out or contact Pam Johnson by email at [email protected].
www.twitter.com/AlfieLau
