Women's U20 Field

Player Profile: Kylea Dobson - From Preschooler to Player at U19 Lacrosse Worlds

When Kylea Dobson was four years old, she walked onto the field of the 2007 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championship with Team Canada athlete Katie Ranger (nee Guy). Twelve years later and Kylea is representing Canada at the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championship, with Katie Ranger (nee Guy) as one of her coaches. As a four-year-old, Kylea got to play a mini game during the 2007 Worlds in Peterborough. Now as a 17-year-old she will be taking the field in Peterborough as a Team Canada athlete in two weeks. Being a Peterborough native, this makes her experience even more special. 

 "It's kind of interesting because [Worlds] is back in Peterborough, which is where I was when I was four, and it's always been a goal of mine to play on that stage. It's everything I've been working for," shared Kylea.

 Kylea started playing box lacrosse, along with a variety of other sports, at a young age. Lacrosse quickly became her favourite sport and she began playing field lacrosse when she was nine. She plays for her school team at the Hill Academy, and her club team the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights.

The journey to make Team Canada started back in November, at the first U19 Team Canada Evaluation Camp. The second tryout with 35 girls was held in January. The final evaluation camp was in June, where the athletes were presented with their Team Canada gear.

"I thought it was really surreal when we got here and the sticks and everything was lined up for us with our numbers," said Kylea. "When every World Cup comes around and you see all of the gear on Instagram, you think it would be so cool to get. So, I think that's been one of my favourite experience so far along with playing different teams, and finding out where the girls are all from and talking to them on the field."

The 26 athletes at the final evaluation camp spent nine days filled with practices, learning strategies, and travelling to lacrosse games.

"The June camp did not have as much a tryout feel—it's more like we're one big team with one goal. So, it took away the more individual aspect where you're trying to showcase yourself. I think that the coaches were more focused on implementing stuff that we can use, come World Cup," shared Kylea.

"Our long car rides have forced the team closer together. There are so many people from everywhere, so they all have different stories and it's interesting to hear about that. I think that we have come together as a team but there is still more room for us to come together and once we do that, we can accomplish so much."

While all of Kylea's focus right now is on the World Championship from August 1-10, she shared her goals for the future. She wants to play lacrosse in university and is interested in becoming a teacher.  

"I want to come back and teach and hopefully coach lacrosse," Kylea expressed. "That's a big goal of mine—to give back to the sport and hopefully see lacrosse in the Olympics and to be one of the people representing the team too."

About the Canadian Lacrosse Association     

Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) 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. The CLA'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. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - New Balance Athletics, Warrior Sports, NormaTec Recovery Systems, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, RockTape, OPRO 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 on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For more information, please contact:
 

Victoria Klassen

Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Lacrosse Association
Phone: 613-260-2028 ext. 302
Email: victoria@lacrosse.ca