Background

 

Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and Central Ohio is no exception.  The participation and number of lacrosse teams in central Ohio has risen dramatically in the last five years and there are now over seventy-five high school programs in Ohio, including seven new teams in the last two years.

 

Based upon the popularity of this sport, and the enthusiasm and interest among DeSales students, a girl’s lacrosse team was formed for the spring of 2007.  It is our third season and we have been very competitive and highly successful.  We are looking to build upon this success and the growing popularity of the sport in Central Ohio and at DeSales.

 

The girls Lacrosse Team became a Varsity sport in May of 2008. The team is a volunteer-based organization run by the parents of the players who play the sport and other volunteers who wish to continue building this exciting sport at DeSales.  The team is a self-sustaining and non-profit whose purpose is to develop and promote a quality lacrosse team at DeSales High School.  We have a very good relationship with the school administration.  They have been very supportive of our program and have expressed a desire to see the sport continue to grow.  The girl’s lacrosse team will play some of their home games in the stadium this year.

 

The girls Varsity Lacrosse Team operates the program as any other Varsity school sport in order to field a competitive team, make the girls feel part of the school, prepare them to play at the next level.  This approach means that, among other things, we require kids to come to every practice and game, conform to DeSales academic eligibility rules, and allow for disciplinary action to be taken for player offenses.

 

The girls Varsity lacrosse team is a formal 501(c) (3) organization and, therefore, all donations are tax deductible. 

 

Lacrosse has the running of soccer and the picks and passing of basketball.  Body checking is

not permitted in girl’s lacrosse.

 

The Ohio High School Lacrosse Association (OHSLA) governs lacrosse.  Lacrosse is not a sanctioned sport of the OHSLA at this time.

 

Lacrosse has developed a strong following on the East coast and is spreading rapidly across the U.S.  The sport is growing very fast nationwide and is growing the fastest in the Midwest.  Central Ohio is the hotbed of lacrosse in the state and provides strong evidence that lacrosse is getting to be a big sport.  There are many strong teams in central Ohio and many high school players go on to play at the college level.  Established central Ohio schools are routinely in the state finals and there are several teams added each year.

 

Season

 

The lacrosse season is in the spring from March until May.  Our first conditioning practice will occur in January 2013 without sticks.  Our first game will be played on or after March 24^th and the season will end near the end of May.  The divisional tournaments will begin in late May and end in the first week of June.  NOTE: All seniors who plan to attend Kairos should do so before the end of February.  The Kairos retreat in the spring is immediately after spring break and will conflict with several games and practices. 

 

Practices

 

The team practices are mandatory and occur Monday-Friday and on selected Saturdays.  Practices are normally conducted after school or in the evening during the week and on Saturday morning when they occur.  We will be having mandatory practices during spring break week.  The mandatory practices will begin on the first Tuesday after Easter of spring break and the team will expect all players to be in attendance for the practices that continue through Saturday.  While we understand that families take this opportunity to travel, we also will have games right after spring break ends and we must be competitive.  Failure to attend the practice may result in lost playing time or other actions at the discretion of the coach.

 

Games

 

High school lacrosse games are now played on any day of the week.  We hope to have between 16 games scheduled in our season.  We may have 1-2 games per week.  We may take one overnight trip to play in a tournament or play a couple of teams from a specific area such as Toledo, Cleveland, or Cincinnati.  That trip would occur in late April or early May.  We will not schedule games during DeSales spring break; however, we will continue to have practice during that week.  We will probably play one or two games on either Friday evening or Sunday afternoon to accommodate traveling teams.  Our schedule will be developed to play many teams in central Ohio.  We must play all of the teams in our region and we will also play teams in other divisions with similar experience levels.

 

Team Size

 

The girls Varsity Lacrosse team makes every effort to accommodate all players who want to play the sport.  Typically the team size is 20-22 palyers for each Varsity and JV. This team size will provide a chance for many girls to play and to be actively involved in practice.  

 

Costs

 

1)         Team Fees:  The basic player fee will be $240.  This cost includes the cost of the uniforms.  It is assumed each girl will provide the remaining equipment.  The team fees will be due according to the following schedule:

 

                        December 21, 2012 - $100

                        January 22, 2013 - $140

 

            The first $100 payment will be a non-refundable payment to Stallions Lacrosse.  Again, the $100 deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE!

 

            In accordance with our by-laws, a player that is not in good financial standing may be excluded from practices and games until they return to good financial standing.  Players will not be able to participate in practices or games without a U.S. Lacrosse membership or completed medical form.

 

2)         U.S. Lacrosse Membership:  The Ohio High School Lacrosse Association requires each player to carry insurance.  It is mandatory for each player to join the U.S. Lacrosse Association. The cost of an annual membership is $35.  Membership information can be found at the U.S. Lacrosse Association website at http://www.uslacrosse.org.  Click on Membership in left-hand menu.  Prior to the season starting we have to submit the player and their U.S. Lacrosse number to the league as proof of insurance.  This cost is the responsibility of each player separate from the club.  This is a requirement to practice and play and will result in suspension from the team until it is fulfilled.  Membership numbers must be turned in to the club no later than January 31, 2011.  This is also true even if you are renewing your membership.

 

Volunteers & Organization

 

The key to a successful program is volunteer involvement from everyone. Please sign up to participate in one of the many activities available to ensure this success.

 

 

The area in you wish to volunteer to help must be indicated on the form you return with your first payment.

 

Payment

 

Payments should be made in the form of a check and made payable to:

 

“Stallions Lacrosse”

 

Mail all checks and completed forms/paperwork to:

Karen Richards

176 Patti Drive

Westerville, OH   43081

 

The first payment and the registration form are due no later than December 21, 2012.  All payments and fundraising proceeds are considered non-refundable.  Subsequent payments will be made through fundraising proceeds or check.  It will not be possible to use a credit card for this payment.