The hockey gear’s packed away, the sun’s out, and around here, that means one thing: It’s lacrosse season.

Maybe it is the first sunshine of spring, but I am back at it with a new blog post!

I spent the afternoon with my childhood coach — the same guy who handed me my first lacrosse stick. Years ago, he watched me hoist an NCAA Division I trophy at Gillette Stadium. And today, we sat side by side again — back in the Beaches — watching two current Toronto Beaches Jr A players face off on the sport’s biggest collegiate stage: Willem Firth (Cornell) and Hamish Macpherson (Maryland).

Congrats to Cornell and to Willem, the OJLL MVP.

As for Hamish — he’s a Beaches lifer and one of the heartbeat players on our Beaches Jr A squad. You couldn’t script it better.

Maybe it was the game, or maybe it was watching my son toddle through his first ever “Beaches Little Stars” session this weekend — but I found myself reflecting on the athletic journey. How it starts, how it unfolds, and how powerful this sport — lacrosse — can be.

After the game, I chatted with a dad whose son just picked up the sport this year. Grade 4. Already hooked. Already flying. His dad’s eyes lit up, full of questions about what’s next. I couldn’t help but smile— because that spark, that fire, is what lacrosse is all about.

For me, hockey was the first love.

Always will be.

But lacrosse? Lacrosse was the game that changed everything. It took me to a U.S. prep school, got me into university, helped me land a job in New York City, and introduced me to some of the closest friends I still have today.

Hockey is in our blood — this is Canada after all — but let’s be honest: It’s expensive, and the path to scholarships is narrow, especially with today’s OHL rules.

Lacrosse, on the other hand, is wide open. It’s accessible. It’s fast. It’s gritty. And for the right kind of kid— self-motivated, athletic, maybe a little bit of a backyard warrior — it’s a rocket ship.

What I love most? You can get good fast. I started in grade 7. Never made a top-tier team until my last year of minor. But when it clicked — it clicked. And I ran with it. That’s the magic of this game. You don’t need to be in private lessons six days a week. You just need a stick, a wall, and some fire in your belly.

So if you’ve got a kid bouncing around the house this spring, looking for something to do between hockey seasons—get them a stick. Sign them up for Toronto Beaches lacrosse. Let them fall in love with it like I did.

It might just open a few doors you didn’t even know were there.

— Coach Reid Acton