OPP Brings Out True Grit In Ontario Women's Lacrosse Team Headed To National Championships

ORILLIA, ON, Aug. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stepped up to help physically and mentally prepare an already determined, if not fierce Ontario women's lacrosse team set to compete at the National Championships in Calgary this weekend (August 17-19, 2018).

Known as "the Big Red Machine", Team Ontario attended an OPP training facility near Orillia on Monday (August 13, 2018), where OPP members guided the talented young players through a unique team building exercise. 

Officers from the OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU) had the athletes rappel from an eight storey tower. While the drill was intimidating for the teens, it proved to be an excellent team building exercise. It also opened their eyes to the physical and mental demands placed on TRU and other OPP specialized unit members during their training.

The OPP Wellness Unit also engaged the players in a relay race, but not before being weighed down with 14 kg. (30 lb.) vests.

Team Ontario is made up of 18 women under the age of 19 years of age and is led by Head Coach Pat Morris, an Inspector with the OPP's Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau. Carolyn Toll of Oshawa and Silvana Yee of Oakville are Assistant Coaches.

Morris, a former lacrosse player, has coached lacrosse and hockey for 20 years and has been coaching girls' field lacrosse for six years. Over and above Team Ontario, he coaches two teams in Orillia.

"Coaching high level athletes has been the highlight of my life ? I am honored to have that opportunity. These young women are driven athletes and success is the goal in everything they undertake. Competition like this can canvas where winning is determined by their individual and collective execution, and very little else is at play. I enjoy the simplicity of that scenario," said Morris.   

Click here for video: Team Ontario

QUICK FACTS

Most of the Team Ontario players come from southern and central Ontario. The athletes are more than just lacrosse players, with many of them being Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association track stars and academic shining stars.  

The 2017 National Championships were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia with Team Ontario defeating Team British Columbia in the finals.

On the international stage, Canada's Women's (U19) Team is the World Champion, having won the World Cup in Scotland in 2015. The next U19 World Championship will be hosted by Canada next summer in Peterborough.

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SOURCE Ontario Provincial Police