They wear brightly coloured knee socks and are ready to hit and be hit.
Lacrosse in Innisfail is mostly a male-dominated sport, but three girls have reached the bantam level playing for the Phantoms. There are only a few other female players in the Innisfail Minor Lacrosse Association at the peewee and mini tyke levels.
Frankie Desjarlais, 15, Natalie Verheire, 12, and Danielle Nagy, 13, might dress up their uniforms with their bright socks but they're game to show the boys they can play lacrosse just as well.
“We're not weaker than them,” said Verheire.
Desjarlais is new to the sport of lacrosse while both Verheire and Nagy have a couple of seasons of experience, but all three were inspired to join thanks to siblings who played the sport.
The trio all play defence for one of the two Innisfail bantam teams, though Verheire occasionally plays forward.
The young women said it's a sport they'd recommend to other female players, especially if they want to build up muscle.
Lacrosse at the bantam level does have contact, and that contact is one of Desjarlais' favourite parts of the game. She said she's been playing hockey with the boys so she's used to the rougher side of the game.
Girls on the team can mean other teams think the Phantom squad is going to be easy prey. Nagy said they even overheard a coach at a recent tournament express that sentiment out loud.
“Some teams think that we're weaker,” Verheire said. But not their team, which Verheire said is fond of the girl players.
Nagy said some male players have hesitated about playing a contact sport against girls.
“Then we hit them and they know it's OK,” Verheire said.
The girls listed learning to catch the ball and learning where to hit as the toughest parts of learning lacrosse.
The bantam team practises twice a week in Innisfail.
Jennifer Verheire, Natalie Verheire's mom, said she thought it was great to see girls still playing at the bantam level. She said she expects respect from the team and coaches for the girls and for the girls to be allowed to participate like they know how to play.
The three girls are all on Graham Johnston's team.
“The girls on my team are just another player to me with the same expectations and opportunities as anyone else,” Johnston said in an email.
