The red arena at the Stettler Recreation Centre were busy on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. as the Stettler Minor Lacrosse Thunder Tykes played host to five tyke teams from Central Alberta Lacrosse.
Among the teams that participated in the festival were tykes from from Lacoka (Lacombe and Ponoka), Red Deer (teams 1 and 2), Blackfalds and Sylvan Lake.
"There were five teams that came out for this small scale festival while the other tyke teams in Central Alberta played in Red Deer," said Kim Smyth, vice-president and scheduler of Stettler Minor Lacrosse Association (SMLA) as well as secretary and discipline chair of Central Alberta Lacrosse League (CALL).
Stettler tyke coach Carmen Cox said, "The Stettler Thunder Tyke team played very good this weekend and the coaches are very happy with how hard all the kids tried and how well we played as a team passing the ball around and everyone trying their hardest."
Cox added that at this age the kids are still learning the basics – scooping, cradling, passing, shooting and defending.
"Festivals such as this help kids hone their skills as the first 30 minutes of each game is actually set aside for team practices," said Cox. "The next half hour of game play allows the kids to compete individually and as a team."
According to Cox, the Stettler tyke team is comparable to every other team in the league.
"It's impossible to know for sure, as there is no score kept in Tyke Lacrosse," said Cox. "At this age it has more to do with endurance, overall team effort, than individual skill."