Vancouver Warriors captain Brett Mydske and defenceman Matt Beers have played under bright lights in big games and on grand stages in their careers, but the little things are just as important.
As the Warriors starters were announced against the San Diego Seals on January 16th, the two veteran defencemen stepped onto the turf with their children at their sides. It was a scene neither one of them ever truly imagined when their careers began.
Beers ran out with his son Ben, 8, and hand-in-hand with his daughter Ellie May, 7. Mydske had Goldie, 7, and Cooper, 4, flanking him as they ran through the tunnel, while six-month-old Walker waits for his turn in the years to come.
“Having the kids out there is just one of the coolest things I could ever imagine,” Beers said.
For Mydske, playing long enough for his children to form real memories of his career once felt unlikely. Now, at 38 years old, the Warriors captain catches himself thinking about stretching time.
“When we first had Goldie, I was hoping I played long enough that she’d remember going to the rink and remember me playing,” he said. “Cooper will be able to remember a lot of the experiences and now, I’ve just got to try to hang on so hopefully Walker can remember some of the experiences too.”
Those pre-game moments are the only public glimpse of a life where lacrosse and family are fully intertwined.
Both Warriors defencemen coach their kids’ lacrosse teams and can confirm that Ben, Goldie, and Cooper share the same passion for lacrosse already. At home, the Mydske garage hosts lacrosse games before school, and the living room transforms into a nightly Warriors’ lacrosse game production. Cooper reenacts the Warriors’ entire pre-game routine, complete with Goldie serving as the P.A. announcer as he runs out for imaginary starting lineups.
They sing O Canada – Cooper's favourite part of every game – followed by a warm-up, team huddle around the net, and a full game against that week’s opponent. Cooper pretends to be Keegan Bal and Curtis Dickson diving across the crease, and scores on Frank Scigliano, who plays with his dad on the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the summers.
“I don't think I was obsessed with lacrosse like they were at that age. So, it's pretty cool to see, but being able to coach both their teams and see them grow is truly something special,” Mydske said.
Beers is living in a parallel version of that story.
Photo Courtesy of @swish.pix
He admits that having kids was his wife Jamie’s idea, but now he can’t picture life any other way. He coaches Ben and Ellie May’s teams and finds joy in watching his children carve their own paths. Their connection to the game isn’t just through their dad, as Jamie has become one of lacrosse’s most passionate supporters.
“She fell in love with lacrosse when she fell in love with me, which I think is pretty cool that we share the same passion,” Beers said. “We're not going to turn on a football game or a hockey game and have her sit down and watch it, but she'll watch lacrosse game start to finish.”
Her commitment extends far beyond the stands as a wife, mother, and workout partner. Jamie’s discipline in the gym sets the tone for their entire household.
“I'm trying to keep up with her half the time – she's very driven,” Beers laughed. “She has a routine, and when I'm at home, I jump into her schedule. We do HIIT workouts, running, and yoga. The days that I might not want to be in there, or I'm sore, she's going in there, and at least I'm getting in there for my best effort. She really pushes me.”
That same structure allows Beers to step away for practices and road trips, knowing everything at home is running smoothly.
"There's nothing she can't do on her own, which is amazing, because there's so much that goes into raising kids. When I'm on my own [with the kids] it's a lot, so for her to do it day in and day out it's just incredible,” Beers said.
Mydske shares that same gratitude for his wife Katie, who balances three young children while he works 24-hour shifts at the fire hall and maintains his playing career.
“I wouldn't be able to continue playing if it wasn't for her,” Mydske said. “She picks up a lot of the family duties, and she's super supportive with me playing lacrosse, even though she's got a lot on her plate.”
Family has always been the foundation for both Mydske and Beers, and they acknowledge the support they’ve received throughout their careers has helped them get to where they are now.
Mydske grew up where big family gatherings were the norm – his father is one of seven siblings – and now watches his own children grow up alongside their cousins like brothers and sisters.
Beers and Jamie are always spending time with their nieces and nephews and love being surrounded by family. His parents have only missed one game in his 15-year pro lacrosse career.
“The support is incredible. Jamie has been supporting me and allowing me to do what I do and what I love since we’ve been together, and my family's been supporting me and giving me that option my entire life. I owe everything to them,” Beers said.
That sense of closeness extends into the Warriors’ locker room where Mydske is the official team dad. He embraces the role and the lessons he applies in the dressing room sometimes mirror ones they use at home.
When asked if it was harder to parent his children or Warriors’ forwards Marcus Klarich and Ryan Martel, he joked: “That's a tough one. They both take a certain type of patience.”
While he tries to be a sounding board for the younger players, he’s quick to point out that the learning goes both ways. The younger players are good at keeping things light and reminding the veterans that it’s important to enjoy the ride.
“When you see young guys like that always with a smile on their face, you take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the moment,” he said.
Through his children, he’s learned patience, being present, and if you’re working on bettering yourself, everything is progress.
“One sleep doctor at preschool said there’s no regressions, only progressions,” Mydske said. “Even when it feels like they’re going backwards, they’re developing. That applies to kids, and it applies to lacrosse.”
Beers sees the family atmosphere as a defining trait of the Warriors’ organization which is something he credits to Head Coach and GM Curt Malawsky, who has helped build a family within the locker room, which is part of the formula to the team’s success.
When the Warriors are together, they’re still with family. Many of them grew up playing together in the Lower Mainland and have had the opportunity to build relationships over decades, and newcomers are always welcomed with open arms.
“We essentially live together for the entirety of the season,” Beers said. “We're spending two days a week in tight quarters, living together, eating together, practicing together, bleeding together - that just builds such a bond and a camaraderie. It’s very much a family-type atmosphere and if you do something and put your whole heart into something alongside someone, that bond is forever.”
Aside from being part of game night festivities, their children have also developed special relationships with their teammates, which is something they say their kids will look back on years from now and cherish.
Beers has videos of Ben playing mini sticks with Owen Grant and his kids will have memories of team gatherings.
“[Jackson] Suboch came over to watch the Super Bowl together, and it's one of those things where I don't think they realize now how special it is,” Beers said. “You know those people that you surround yourself with are just such good humans, and to have my kids meet them and to know who they are, they're pretty special relationships that we make along the way.”
Suboch is one of Cooper’s many favourites on the team, and Mydske is so thankful to watch his kids grow up surrounded by the same players he battles with every weekend.
It’s a busy family day for the Beers household who are celebrating with family gatherings and activities for the kids. You can bet in the Mydske household there will be a few living room lacrosse games and time spent together.
Between lacrosse practice, birthday dinners, and time outside with their kids, it’s a day that looks exactly the way they want their lives to feel. Family isn’t separate from the game; it's the reason it all matters.