OCEAN CITY — Resort officials last week approved a first-ever sand lacrosse tournament on the downtown beach in Ocean City, but not before resolving some concerns about the type of balls proposed to be used during the event.
The Mayor and Council last Tuesday approved the inaugural Ocean City Sand Lacrosse Tournament set for Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26, on the beach between Talbot Street and Dorchester Street. The tournament, which would be run on a maximum of five fields, each 40-feet by 30-feet, would feature roughly 200 participants from all over the region, along with an estimated 600 spectators. The games would be held each day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For years, the widest areas of the downtown beach have played hosts to numerous sports events and tournaments, including the popular beach soccer and beach volleyball events, but the nature of lacrosse on the beach raised a few concerns that had to be addressed before the event was approved.
Lacrosse is a little more unpredictable and there were some concerns raised about the type of balls that would be used during the event. Special Events Coordinator Lisa Mitchell told the Mayor and Council the resort’s risk manager voiced some concern about the potential for lacrosse balls leaving the playing areas and hitting and perhaps injuring beachgoers or pedestrians on the Boardwalk nearby.
Event promoter Gerald Elmer was on hand to address the concerns and present a softer variety of lacrosse ball that would be used during event. Elmer said similar events had switched to the different balls and told the elected officials his event was prepared to do the same to alleviate some of the concerns.
“It’s a legitimate concern,” he said. “Traditional lacrosse balls are very hard, but we’ve been to other similar events in other beach resorts and they are using these softer balls. I think they will alleviate some of the concerns.”
The council ultimately approved the event after the concerns were allayed. Mitchell said she and event organizer would monitor the field configurations as the event drew closer.
“That section is one of our widest sections of beach,” she said. “When we get closer to the event, we can meet with the Beach Patrol and Public Works to find out what will work best.”
Elmer said the different age groups could be scheduled on the fields appropriate to their skill levels to ease some of the concerns about wayward lacrosse balls.
“We can put the younger kids on the fields closest to the Boardwalk,” he said. “The younger kids can’t throw as far or nearly as hard. We can put the fields for the older kids further down the beach and away from the Boardwalk.”
