Good Afternoon All,
While I come to LinkedIn daily more to read posts and keep up to date on what is going on in the professional world. I had to create a post today due to an outlandish piece of news I heard recently. The wild part is I am not even here to for myself however for all children that love playing and watching lacrosse in Ontario.
If you follow or are involved in the minor lacrosse world, by now I am sure you have heard about the disgusting policy that has been put in place by the OLA that will dictate when, how, and where kids can play lacrosse in 2024 and beyond. The OLA is prepared to suspend children for upwards of 2 years for simply wanting to play more lacrosse. How insanely backwards is this? Can you imagine SUSPENDEING a FOUR-year-old for having love for a sport?
For those that have not seen it, here is the policy: https://lnkd.in/gdynDVFx
Since I was a child, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by sports. Picking up a glove or lacing up the skates was always front of mind, every waking minute when I could not participate in sports, I was thinking about it. My passion even lead me to a five plus year tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, where I got to live out a child hood dream of being a Blue Jay (not quite what I had in mind as 5 year old but still amazing).
If this policy does move forward not only, will it limit the access for some to play the sport. We are talking about crushing small business across the province as well.
Should we not be having conversations on how to create better access to the sport for all?
Should we not be thinking about how we can grow the game?
Is the Toronto Rock Lacrosse Club involved in this or the National Lacrosse League (NLL)? Were the contacted by the OLA to discuss the policy?
Without grow the game at the youth level the NLL will cease to exist in 5 to 10 years. Then what for our official national summer sport?
Now to my request;
On Dec 25th a petition was created, and at this very moment, we are now at 5100 signatures, and it is growing by the minute. Contact has been made to major media outlets, members of parliament, and others in an effort to exploit all those that have a hand in this atrocity. Needless to say, the message is now being heard.
The good news is, it is finally in the news/ media : https://lnkd.in/gZP4Y2du
Money and greed should not dictate the future of lacrosse. Passion, heart, and the best interest of our children should. And it will.
Please, if you could, sign the petition and pass it along to everyone and anyone that you can, that would be greatly appreciated. Collectively we can make a difference and hold all those that had a hand in this accountable.
Petition : https://lnkd.in/gFYmVA_t
Thank you everyone,
Mike
