Guelph Regals’ “Lacrosse Prom” Celebrates Girls in the Game

The Guelph Regals are building a new tradition around celebrating girls’ lacrosse.

This season, the club hosted its second annual Regals Girls Lacrosse Banquet, bringing together its girls’ box and women’s field lacrosse teams for an evening of awards, dinner, dancing and celebration. Approximately 144 people attended, including athletes, families and club executive members, with the invitation also extended to the broader Guelph Regals Minor Lacrosse Club membership.

The initiative began with Lindsay Dorland and Elizabeth Betts, whose husbands are involved in coaching with the club. As the Regals looked for new ways to promote girls’ lacrosse in Guelph and make the experience special for their female athletes, feedback from the membership helped point them in this direction. A club survey the previous year asked families whether there was interest in a year-end banquet, and while there was little interest from the boys’ side, the response from girls and their families was significant.

The Regals hosted the first Regals Girls Lacrosse Banquet in 2025, and the enthusiasm surrounding the event exceeded expectations, quickly earning the unofficial nickname “Lacrosse Prom.”

Along with dinner and dancing, the banquet featured speeches, a silent auction and three fun awards presented by each team.

For Guelph Regals Minor Lacrosse Club President Tricia Chilton, the response has reinforced that creating meaningful experiences for female athletes sometimes means listening closely to what they value away from competition as well.

“Girls are different from boys in lacrosse and their wants and needs are different, so we wanted to do something that showcased the girls and what they like,” Chilton said. “They love lacrosse, but they also love to be girls and dress up and have fun. Our goal was to celebrate them, have fun and build a strong girls lacrosse community that supports each other.”

The banquet has quickly become something athletes look forward to throughout the season. Chiltonshared that families approached her throughout the evening to thank the club for making the girls feel celebrated, with some telling her their daughters had been anticipating the banquet all year.

One story in particular demonstrated how an experience away from the floor can help bring a new player into the sport.

“One dad told me his daughter joined lacrosse this year because her neighbour played and kept talking about the banquet. She wanted to be part of it too,” Chilton said.

Building Something for the Next Generation

The Regals Girls Lacrosse Banquet comes at a time of significant growth for girls’ lacrosse in Guelph.

In her remarks to athletes and families that evening, Chilton reflected on a time when the Guelph Regals had only one girls’ team in a season. She credited years of work by coaches, volunteers, parents and club leaders for helping the program reach where it is today.

“I am incredibly proud of our girls program and the tremendous growth we have seen over the past several years,” Chilton told those in attendance.

That growth has been accompanied by success on the floor. Chilton highlighted the Regals U13 girls’ box team, which went from losing every game in its first season to becoming provincial champions — an achievement she described as the product of “dedication, commitment, perseverance, and the belief that hard work pays off.”

But the banquet was about more than wins and losses. It was an opportunity to recognize the people building the program and, most importantly, show its young athletes that they are part of something with a future.

“The future of girls lacrosse in Guelph has never been brighter,” Chilton said in her speech.

Her closing message was directed to the athletes themselves:

“You are stronger than you know, more capable than you will ever believe, and each one of you is helping build something truly special. You are creating a legacy for the next generation of girls who will wear the Regals jersey.”

Ontario Lacrosse Values in Action

The growth being seen within the Guelph Regals is part of the significant momentum behind girls’ lacrosse across Ontario. The Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) is committed to supporting that growth by creating more opportunities for girls and women to participate, lead and succeed.

Celebrating & Growing Female Participation is one of the goals identified within the OLA Strategic Plan. Under the broader strategic direction that Lacrosse is for Everyone, the plan calls for creating more opportunities for girls and women across the game as players, coaches, officials and administrators.

The Guelph Regals Girls Lacrosse Banquet demonstrates what that commitment can look like at the club level: listening to athletes and families, recognizing what makes their experience meaningful, celebrating their accomplishments and creating traditions that strengthen their connection to the sport.

It is also an example of the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s TOGETHER values in action — Teamwork, Opportunity, Growth, Experience, Trust, Heritage, Excellence and Respect. Those values are built through the everyday efforts of clubs, coaches, volunteers, families and athletes who work together to create positive lacrosse experiences.

For the Regals, Lindsay Dorland and Elizabeth Betts have been at the centre of making the banquet possible, supported by a committee of dedicated volunteers. Chilton opened her speech by recognizing their contribution and thanking the organizers for everything they had done to make the evening possible.

In just two years, the banquet has grown in attendance, developed into an event players look forward to and even played a role in introducing a new athlete to the sport.

In Guelph, “Lacrosse Prom” has become another way to celebrate the girls and women who are part of the game today — and help make sure the next generation wants to be part of it tomorrow.