Our primary mission for 2021 is to make lacrosse local, affordable and accessible to everyone. To help achieve this goal we are adapting and closely adhering to the US Lacrosse’s Lacrosse Athlete Development Model which provides a framework for providing every child the opportunity to enter, enjoy and excel at lacrosse. This is accomplished by learning and playing the sport in a way that’s best for each stage of growth and development.
We are changing our priorities to a development-first mentality, not short-term focus on wins and losses. We will provide lacrosse that is inclusive and age appropriate training while making it competition. We will prioritize overall Physical Literacy over specialized lacrosse skills and encourage our players to participate in as many sports as possible. By providing a positive experience and “the right lacrosse, at the right time”, we hope to build and grow a welcoming environment for all.
Our Katy Cavalier youth teams will continue to play in the Greater Houston Lacrosse Association and travel to various tournaments however placement on these teams will be more competitive than previous seasons. A separate fee will be charged, and teams formed based on in-League evaluations.
Again, our club’s primary focus is player development and FUN. Our Spring League format will follow the US Lacrosse Athlete Development Model by playing small-sided games on smaller (age-appropriately sized) fields which will accomplish the following:
- Our players will get infinitely more in-Game opportunities to play with the ball in their stick
- Games are fast-paced, exciting and high scoring
- With less players on the field and in a smaller space, players receive more repetitions catching, throwing, shooting, carrying the ball, and picking up ground balls
- Each player's role becomes more important. Both on ball and off ball, on offense and on defense, players are involved in the gameplay rather than being further away from the action. It gives players more experience in a variety of situations helping to improve their IQ and confidence
- Most importantly… It's just more FUN. All these aspects make the game faster and keep players are more engaged. Players spend less time running around the field, and more time involved in scoring and defending situations. The format allows for infinitively more games and touches compared to traditional 10v10 field lacrosse.
What else are we doing Differently?
Our club has partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance in a nationwide endeavor to make lacrosse a positive, character-building experience for every athlete and to make the experience a more successful one for coaches, parents, fans and officials. Coaching and Parent training and seminars will be available throughout the year.
We are introducing a new mobile-friendly platform (TeamSnap) which will simplify the registration process along with making schedules and communications easily available. We are providing our GHYLA Teams the flexibility to schedule practices based on their team needs.
We are deeply committed to your child’s physical safety and emotional well-being. As part of their certification process, our Coaches are required to complete background checks and the SafeSport Program which is developed by US Lacrosse and the Center for Sports Science. This training strengthens their ability to lead proper conditioning and injury prevention, concussion awareness and provide a safe playing environment for everyone. We will also follow US Lacrosse “Return to Play” and local guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Medical Trainers are contracted for all events and the club’s Emergency Action Plan has been updated for 2021.
We are offering our players additional programs and playing opportunities to help build and promote both their athletic/physical literacy and lacrosse skills with Athletic Training and Boxla Lacrosse sessions run by professionally trained coaches.