More than 800 girls of all ages visited Marymoor Park last Saturday for the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association’s (WSLA) inaugural jamboree, which helped celebrate and promote the growing sport.

The event, attended by 45 lacrosse teams from western Washington, included lacrosse games at every skill level as well as a carnival where coaches and players from local leagues volunteered to help players improve their skills.

With lacrosse’s roots embedded in Native American culture, the event was kicked off with Chester McVeigh of the Snoqualmie Nation tribe offering a blessing over the players and their families.

According to WSLA Youth League President Kate Roper, this was the first time the entire league gathered in a single location.

“It was intended to be more than an athletic event, it was a community celebration,” she said. “One of the hopes of this event was to show to the greater Puget Sound area that lacrosse is thriving in this area, and it is a viable option for girls of all ages.”

Roper added that over the past several years, the burgeoning sport of lacrosse has experienced nearly 20 percent growth across all youth levels.

WSLA is a volunteer organization dedicated to facilitating all activities relating to girls’ lacrosse and honoring the game by instilling the values of scholastic achievement, sportsmanship, teamwork and individual development.