Athletics obtain junior B Spartans
The St. Catharines Athletics Lacrosse Club have acquired the St. Catharines Spartans Junior B Lacrosse Club. St. Catharines will continue to be represented in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League by the same franchise, however under the name and operation of the St. Catharines Athletics Lacrosse Club.
The Spartans lacrosse name and trademark red and white barber pole jerseys, have been synonymous with commitment and dedication in the lacrosse community for decades, and have stood as a testament to the work and efforts of the Engemann family in growing the game locally.
“Our family has been dedicated to the players and families who have worn Spartans colours for decades,” said Joe ‘Jojie’ Engemann, on behalf of the Spartans club. “We view this step as a transformational change in aligning the junior franchises in St. Catharines.”
This alignment, which would see two junior franchises operated by the same organization, is a significant step forward in ensuring that lacrosse players in St. Catharines represent the double blue of the Athletics starting from their first days in minor lacrosse, right through to their final days of junior.
“We’re humbled by the opportunity to pull together both clubs under the Athletics banner,” said Paul Coates, President of the St. Catharines Athletics Lacrosse Club. “We believe it’s foundational to the continued success and growth of lacrosse in our community. Honouring the history of both of these organizations going forward is a challenge that we look forward to.”
With the growth of lacrosse across Ontario, and given the prominent role that St. Catharines athletes have played in lacrosse at a national, international and collegiate level, the continued evolution of the local lacrosse landscape is a beneficial step forward.
“It’s important that the local lacrosse community focuses on ways in which we can improve the development models that we have in place,” added Sallah Hamdani, President of the St. Catharines Minor Lacrosse Association. “Lots of work remains to be done, but we’re proud to work with our junior lacrosse partners in doing so.”
Thanks are due to Chris Spiers and his family for the operation of the St. Catharines Spartans for over two decades, allowing hundreds of local players and families to further their lacrosse goals and dreams at the junior level, and often beyond.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 3,500 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
