Lacrosse in Estevan is a tight-knit group, and last week, that group lost one of its own.
Tyson Juhlke, 21, died in a car accident on Dec. 13. Juhlke is remembered in the local sporting community as a hardworking and dedicated competitor who helped the next generation learn the game.
The Mercury spoke with Juhlke's former coach, Evan Handley about the accident and what the young Estevan man meant to the local lacrosse scene.
Lacrosse has been played in the city since 2002, and Handley said Juhlke was part of the sport in the early stages.
"He was a few years older than my boy, but I remember seeing him at the rink, if not from the start, real close to the start," said Handley. "He loved lacrosse, absolutely. He would work his butt off out there and loved the sport. You knew every spring that he would be there. Whether he was working or going to school, he always seemed to be at the rink.
"It's sad to lose somebody that young at any time, but especially when it hits home like this," added Handley.
Handley coached Juhlke with the Big Dogs for two years and remembers him as someone who always put in the work.
"When he was out on the floor, he worked as hard as he could, and there were times when I had to yell at him to try to slow down or contain his emotions, but you always knew he was working as hard as he could with the skill and ability that he had. That's one thing as a coach you have to love. The passion for the sport was evident everyday."
As a small-market sport in Estevan, the people who are part of the lacrosse community all know one another. All of them will feel Juhlke's loss.
"The kids that are still playing at the Big Dog level, there are probably half a dozen to two dozen who have been there from the start," noted Handley. "They all know each other very well. It doesn't take long when one is back from school where they're making plans to go play outside in a park or play wall ball somewhere. They're together pretty much everyday."
Handley said he feels nothing but "extreme sadness" for the young man and his family.
"I've known him for years, and just losing somebody like that, it sucks. Because of how close everybody is, it just makes it that much worse. I've coached his brother Ryan for years. To know what he's going through and what his family's going through, it's just shock. There's going to be a big hole there."
He added that even when Juhlke had aged out of the local lacrosse program, he continued to come out and support the team.
A service will be held at 11 a.m. this morning at the Wylie Mitchell Building. Many Big Dogs players will be attending, either wearing the old jerseys that Juhlke would have worn when he played or the newer colours.
