Devin Brady
Mar 20, 2024
Eric Clarke has earned a spot playing A level lacrosse with the High River Hoks in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association (CDLA).
Local teen Eric Clarke (14) has recently earned himself a position on the High River Hoks U17 lacrosse team.
The team plays within the Calgary District Lacrosse Association (CDLA) and at a level higher than any of the teams in the Southern Alberta Lacrosse Association (SALA). Clarke has been playing lacrosse since he was four years old and has made it more than just a passion, but a dream.
Last year Clarke attended try outs for Team Alberta and was selected to participate, all the while still playing for his other team based out of Lethbridge.
“He would attend practices three to four times per week and games on Saturday, sometimes Sunday” stated C. Clarke.
Aside from the mandatory team practices Eric spends roughly two hours each night practicing his drills in order to become a better player and assist his team in victories.
“He takes every part of it to heart,” said his father.
With the transition of teams and leagues, Eric will now face a higher level of competition and the league will also have higher expectations of him. This change comes because he “wanted to get into an A level league” and “wants to play at the next level” said C. Clarke.
The goal for Eric is to play U17 for two seasons and then be scouted for the junior leagues before hopefully going professional. As this new chapter has opened, Eric has chosen not to try out for Team Alberta this year and focus solely on this new opportunity, with the first practice being Friday March 22.
Aside from Lacrosse Eric also plays football and basketball at the high school where he was voted MVP on the football team this last season. Two weeks before the Hoks tryouts, Eric suffered an ankle injury in a basketball game and doctors were certain that he would be out for six weeks.
With the help of his parents, doctors and dedication, Eric managed to recover enough within two weeks to be cleared for try outs. His discipline has served him well in the athletic community and he is hoping to eventually obtain a university scholarship for lacrosse and play at that level with the NCAA one day.
“Consistency beats intensity. Consistency beats volume. Consistency beats passion. Consistency dictates results. Consistency is what defines character.” — Rich Roll.
