When the London Blue Devils Jr B team opened their training camp in early 2017, there was an elephant in the room – their 0-20 record last season. But rather than let that elephant cast a shadow over the season to come, the team hit the ground running. They are determined to climb up from the bottom of the Far West division of the Ontario Jr B Lacrosse League, and the club has made several recent changes to help make that a reality.
In 2013, the Jr B organization was taken under the wing of the London Minor Lacrosse Association, whose Board opted to save the team from folding after their GM/Head Coach at the time walked away. Now, after several years of regrouping, the Junior Bs are once again ready to go it on their own. Current GM/Head Coach Ron Elijah is now backed by an eager Board of Directors, specific to the club, meaning that there is more manpower to focus solely on the Jr team. A new sponsorship program is anticipated to breathe much-needed funds into the program, while a venue change (from Lambeth back to the team’s original home at Nichols arena) should increase game attendance and improve visibility within the City of London. New teamwear and game gear, meanwhile, is creating excitement amongst the players (because those in the lacrosse world know there’s nothing better than some sweet custom gloves and flashy helmet wraps to brighten the mood of lax players!).
The successful and growing London Minor Lacrosse competitive program will significantly improve roster numbers and player skill level in the years to come, starting this season when a strong group of graduating birth year 2000 players begin their Jr careers. These young, skilled players will be the perfect complement to the experience and leadership currently in place within the Junior B squad.
To help ensure that this player depth is in place, the Jr B organization continues to host their annual Winter Skills Camp for the minor ranks. This series of offseason clinics serves to develop young players’ skills, and it also gives the Juniors a chance to give back. It’s a win-win situation, which is something the Blue Devils look forward to doing a lot this season … Winning!
www.londonlacrosse.com
Submitted by London Minor Lacrosse Association
