A resilient group of talented young men is building momentum, determined to make waves in the Alberta lacrosse scene.
The St. Albert Rams Lacrosse Club U17A team, led by coach Ahmed "A.J." Jomha, is battling through a challenging season while maintaining focus on improvement and success. Although the Rams currently find themselves in fifth place in the league, their commitment to growth is evident.
"The chemistry within the team has been great," Jomha said. "They love the game and have come together throughout the season, supporting each other through thick and thin."
The team's performance can be measured beyond the win-loss record. Despite a start to the season that highlighted their lack of experience, the Rams are showing progress, demonstrated by their recent success in a Saskatoon tournament, where they took four out of five games.
"We have a mature team with 18 of our 19 players who are 16 years old," Jomha said. "Six of our players are returning from last year’s team. We have players from three areas: 10 are from St. Albert, seven from North Edmonton, and two from Ft. Saskatchewan."
The path to success hasn't been devoid of hurdles for this year’s Rams team. The coach highlights discipline as a primary challenge.
"We have taken far too many penalties in the offensive zone, which has cost us," Jomha said.
To address this, Jomha and his team have been focusing on how penalties hurt the team and disrupt its flow.
Even amid these challenges, there have been many shining moments. Jomha emphasized the team-wide development of lacrosse IQ as a standout achievement.
"We are playing much better, with our team play starting to give us results," he said.
Jomha applauded the team's collective effort rather than individual performances, saying he’s more concerned with the name on the front of the jersey than the name on the back.
“I have difficulty picking one or two players’ performances, as I really believe that we have won and lost as a team,” he said. “Every game there has been a player that has scored a goal or two, but only because the team as whole has created the opportunity.”
As the season moves forward, the Rams maintain an optimistic and ambitious outlook.
"Our goal is to continue to get better and turn the losses into wins," Jomha said. He remains optimistic the combination of athleticism, increased lacrosse knowledge, and better discipline will position the Rams to challenge for the provincial championship. With the rest of the season ahead, the Rams are determined to translate their potential results.
