According to the President and General Manager of the Rockyview Silvertips Lacrosse team, Darren Deitz, the decision to move the team from Cochrane to Airdrie is one that has garnered much excitement.

On Tuesday afternoon the team shared the news via their X (formerly Twitter account).

"We just ultimately decided recently to relocate Airdrie full time; with the size of Airdrie and its growing, we felt for a number of reasons, we would be in a better position to run our team out of Airdrie. We're super excited to be moving," Deitz said.

Although the Board had decided to fully transition to Cochrane as a home base for the team in 2018, Deitz said that decision was reconsidered. Previously the Silvertips split their time between both Airdrie and Cochrane when it came to home games.

The Junior B Tier One lacrosse team has players from across Rocky View County, including Calgary, Strathmore, Cochrane, as well as Airdrie.

"We want to be able to grow the relationship within the community we rely on. Sponsors are very important [and] being out of Airdrie, I think it opens up several doors for potential sponsorships," he added.

Deitz underlined that the relationship with Spray Lake Sawmills Centre, located in Cochrane was nonetheless a positive one.

"They've done great for us over the years, but just from a bigger aspect in the community - we've tried to make some inroads there. We did have some great sponsorships, [but] weren't getting very far."

Although the team is indeed moving to Airdrie, its final permanent home will not be set in stone for some time. Deitz explained that initially, the team plans to play in the Plainsmen Arena. Towards the end of the season and looking ahead to the playoffs, the team will transition.

"We're going to be finishing our season at Genesis [Place]. We're hosting our Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League Championships this year. That happens at the end of July [into] early August. That'll be the culmination of the season - that championship weekend. Teams from Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, and all over Alberta, compete for spots to attend that championship."

Earlier this spring, another team made the move from Cochrane to Airdrie. In April it was announced that the U17 AAA Airdrie-Cochrane Avalanche program would also be making the move to Airdrie. 

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