Women’s History Month, celebrated annually in March, is dedicated to celebrating, commemorating, and educating others on the integral role of women in history.
We will be highlighting stories of trailblazing female leaders, builders, and players in Canadian lacrosse all month long.
Today, Lacrosse Canada and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation are highlighting some of the notable women who have contributed to the development of women’s lacrosse in Canada.
All of these stories can be found in the back catalogue of the Legends of Lacrosse video series.
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Barb Boyes, Ontario
Barb Boyes’ legacy was cemented when she stepped on the field as a member of the inaugural Senior Women’s Field National team in 1982. She would go on to develop high school and club programs, and has been responsible for dozens of Canadian girls going on to play lacrosse in university and college programs.
Joanne Stanga, Ontario
Joanne Stanga was critical in the development of women’s field lacrosse in Canada. From coaching the senior and U19 field national teams to teaching courses for other coaches to follow in her footsteps, Stanga has spent much of her life developing quality lacrosse programs for women.
Michelle Bowyer, British Columbia
Michelle Bowyer captained the 1982 bronze-medal winning national women’s team, and would go on to coach that team and many others. Getting her start in box lacrosse, she continues to work tirelessly to advance women’s box lacrosse internationally.
Ruby Lang & Barb Cormier, Ontario
Hailing from the Mimico Lacrosse Club, Lang (deceased) and Cormier are deeply respected for their commitment in growing and developing the sport of lacrosse for the generations to come. Cormier helped to create a new house league program, and Lang had served over 30 years as guardian of the club.
Gail Cummings-Danson, Ontario
The first Canadian female lacrosse player to get a full-ride scholarship to an American university, the Team Canada alumna remains Temple's all-time points leader. Cummings-Danson was just sixteen when she played on Team Canada during the 1982 inaugural Women’s World Championship.
Kerri Hardill, Ontario
Also a member of the inaugural Team Canada women’s world cup team, Hardill was the first female player inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, paving the way for countless others to follow. She has demonstrated her commitment to the development of international lacrosse by serving on the organizing committee for every Canadian-hosted World Championship in the past decade,
About Lacrosse Canada
Founded in 1867, Lacrosse Canada is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. Lacrosse Canada’s mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. Lacrosse Canada oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by World Lacrosse. Lacrosse Canada is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - NormaTec Recovery Systems, RockTape, OPRO, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation.
For more information, please contact:
Taylor Retter
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Lacrosse Canada
Email: taylor@lacrosse.ca