WEYBURN – Box lacrosse players Callie Dammann and Bethany Honig, and goalie Ty Petersen, will be on their way to Niagara, Ont., on Friday to compete with Team Sask in the Canada Summer Games, with matches starting on Sunday.
Honig, who has been playing the sport for six years now, noted she has played against many of her teammates before, and looks forward to being their teammates at the summer games.
“I had played against most of these girls for as long as I remember, as well as having the opportunity to do camps with them in Moose Jaw and Regina. I also had chance to try out with some of them for Team Sask in 2019 before it got shut down due to COVID. But now that I see all the improvement over these few short years, I’m even more excited. I think it’s great that we can combine our talents and work as the first girl team in Saskatchewan,” she said.
“I have talked with the girls that I’m playing with and some of them have played for Team Sask before as well as went to Nationals. I think it’s awesome that they’ve been involved in national events before, and I look forward to playing with them at Canada Games in Niagara.”
Dammann is in her third year of lacrosse, and she noted she has never competed at this level of competition before because of the pandemic, which minimized the opportunities she had for playing other teams.
“There were no games, just practices, so it gave me time to develop skills. When I first started lacrosse, I never thought I would get to have an opportunity like this, and I’m extremely thankful I’m doing it with the people I am,” she said.
“I really enjoy the physical aspects of the game as well as the team work involved. I also really enjoy playing games and meeting new people while I play. I am looking forward to competing at this high of a competition level and meeting people from all over Canada.”
Honig added she also loves the game. “I enjoy this sport because it’s super high-paced and there’s always something new to learn. I also think it’s such a cool sport as it is a combination of many other sports such as hockey, football, and basketball.”
Both girls have met many of their teammates as they have played against them or attended camps with them, and they look forward to playing as a team for the province.
“I have had the chance to meet the other players I’m playing with on this team prior to tryouts. They all have amazing skills and great attitudes which makes the game that much more fun to play. Playing with girls can be challenging at times, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” said Honig.
“I know all my teammates and we all have been working together since November when tryouts began. We all have been getting to know each other since then and bonded very quickly and became close friends,” added Dammann.
Honig said there is another aspect of the Summer Games she is looking forward to.
“I’m most looking forward to meeting players from all over Canada and trading pins with them. I think trading pins is a super fun way to not only make new friends but also to have a memory of the games. I am also looking forward to playing in a different province because I’ve never really had the chance to do that before.”
