MONTREAL -- The Canadian Lacrosse Association has announced it is eliminating derogatory terms such as "midget" from the division names of its leagues.
Beginning with the 2020 season, Canadian box lacrosse age divisions formerly known as "midget" will be renamed 16U, while other youth division names will also be renamed using the same alpha-numeric designations (eg. 14U).
The CLA had, for the 2019 field lacrosse season, already similarly renamed its men's divisions (U18, U15, etc).
The changes to the box lacrosse division names mean the term, which is offensive to little people, will be removed from all Canadian Lacrosse Association division names.
“These new division names better reflect the age categories in lacrosse,” said Shawn Williams, president of the Canadian Lacrosse Association. "As an organization, we believe that sports, and the language used in them, should be inclusive and respectful.”
Hockey Canada announced last month that it would be dropping terms such as "midget" from its division names. That move was celebrated by advocates for little people in Canada, as was the Canadian Lacrosse Association's decision.
"The Little People of Canada and the Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada are extremely pleased and applaud the Canadian Lacrosse Association for their success at eliminating the M-word as an age classification and moving to a more inclusive and universally descriptive classification nomenclature," Allan Redford, president of Little People of Canada, said in a statement.
"This is a win-win-win. A win for the sport, the fans, and all Canadians. The ease with which this was embraced and adopted across all Canadian sporting organizations is a testament to Canada's core desire for inclusion, dignity, and respect."
