Lutherville Lacrosse MISSION, CULTURE AND PARTNERSHIPS

What separates Lutherville Lacrosse programs from other area programs? 

Lutherville Lacrosse has an expansive and rich history of developing the area's lacrosse players.  We have access to great fields in our community and are expanding our opportunities to players of ALL ability levels.  That means we are striving to give kids a fun and rich experience whether it is 4 year olds new to the game or 9 year olds that want a more competitive experience.

I live in between traditional rec council geographic areas?  Which program should I select?

All area rec councils have great options for your child to participate.  We have started working with our area rec councils to improve cooperation, re-establish friendly rivalries and offer opportunities for all levels of competitiveness and provide alternatives to private, for-profit club programs.  These include Kelly Post, Cockeysville, and Carroll Manor.

It seems like there is a difference between Boys and Girls Programs- Why?

As a program, we strive to tailor the lacrosse experience to a participant's ability, age and game they play (mens or womens).  We have different programs for boys and girls as the game is vastly different along with interest level by age and game.  In addition, we are constantly evolving our offerings where we have interest and/or talent.

How Lutherville Lacrosse’s partnership/relationship with USA Lacrosse impact my child?

Lutherville Lacrosse has partnered with USA Lacrosse to offer better experiences to our players, better train our coaches and grow our player opportunities.  Lutherville Lacrosse strives to be a USA Lacrosse Athlete Development Model Program.  The core of the Athlete Development Model is to focus on the following areas--

1. Fun & Kid Centered
2. Program Design for Development
3. Multi-Sport Participation
4. Small-Sided and Free Play
5. Physical Literacy
6. Trained Coaches

Click HERE to learn more about the Athlete Development Model

If you are new to the game and have questions about equipment, click HERE to check out this link from USA Lacrosse.

Does my child need a facemask/goggles or mouth guard?

Absolutely, all girls need appropriate goggles and mouthguards in order to participate.

Where can I find equipment? 

Lutherville Lacrosse offers annual discounts through Dicks Sporting Goods.  We also encourage visiting used sporting goods stores such as Play It Again Sports which offers used equipment alongside new equipment. Boys need helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, arm pads to play.

Special Note about the Boys Game:

All boys need to have a NOCSE approved shoulder pad.  Why?  CLICK HERE for more information about one of the incidents in our backyard driving this important safety change.  Effective January 1, 2022, shoulder pads for boys’ field players must be designed for lacrosse and meet NOCSAE standard ND200. CLICK HERE for available products.

Special Note about the Womens Game:

As girls progress in the sport (starting in 7-8), the quality of the girls stick (namely the head and pocket) is more important than in the boys game.  Click HERE for more info.

Does my child need a facemask/goggles or mouth guard?

Absolutely, all girls need appropriate goggles and mouthguards in order to participate (with the exception of our 3-4 program).

I am on the fence about coaching, is it for me?

YES!, we are looking for coaches that want to give their kids a great experience learning the game in a positive, engaging environment.  We welcome coaches of all LAX ability levels.  We have the tools and resources to teach you the game, provide access to modern drills and practice plans and most importantly support your efforts to give our kids a rewarding experience playing lacrosse.

I want to coach my child's team.  How do I volunteer, and what is the background screening process?

All coaches must complete the Baltimore County mandated background check.  There is also additional screening as part of USA Lacrosse Certification.  All coaches must also complete a 1 hour in-house training.   Email the Coach Development coordinator at jeff.luthervillelax@gmail.com

What coaching development opportunities exist?

Lutherville Lacrosse will reimburse its coaches with USA Lacrosse membership and Level 1 and 2 Certification.  We also host mandatory in-house "Coaches Bag Training" and specialized instruction by position when resources allow.  If you are interested in contributing specialized coach or player training, please contact the Coach Development coordinator at jeff.luthervillelax.com

How much does participation cost? (for each level & age rec/travel/club)

Lutherville Lacrosse works hard to keep prices as low as possible but works to balance the price with what participants receive.  We are re-evaluating all aspects of the player experience and discussing items such as Lutherville Lacrosse Logo and Branding, Spirit wear options, uniform quality, player experiences at USA Lacrosse, Towson University and Johns Hopkins University.

When are the games and practices?

That's a tough one.  Click here for more information about Lutherville's Girls team.  Click here for more information about Lutherville's Boys Team. Keep in mind, that up until the season starts, these dates may change.

What fields do the Travel and Rec teams play on?

Our county provided home fields are Valley Fields North, Valley Fields South and Seminary Park, we also have limited field space at Meadowood Regional Park

What is the field closure policy regarding adverse weather conditions?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the county controls all field access and posts this info to Lutherville Lacrosse administrators who in turn update the team's TEAMSNAP page.  The one exception is Seminary Park which only closes for snow or lightning.  Coaches may also cancel practice or obtain different fields depending on what is available on your child's practice date.

Where and when are tryouts and evaluations?

We are a Rec program, which means everyone has a place on a team as long as we have fields and coaches for teams. There are some teams requiring try-outs such as 6 year old boys travel, 7-8 girls travel or our Club Program.

Otherwise: Boys and Girls evaluations for the 5-6 age group and 7-8 age group take place to create equal teams for the in-house leagues.  In-house means that teams play other Lutherville Lacrosse teams on Lutherville Lacrosse fields.

Evaluations for the 9-10 and up age groups take place to create travel teams according to ability level.  There are A,B,C teams that play in the Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association-MYLA league.  Home games take place on Lutherville Lacrosse Fields or away games take place on other area rec council fields.

OPEN REGISTRATION

When does registration open?

For the Spring Season: registration will generally open in October/November

For the Fall/Winter Indoor Season: registration will generally open in July/August

For Club Tryouts: registration will generally open in June/early July

REFUND POLICY

Refunds requested before Jan. 1 will be honored and refunded in full minus any administrative fees paid by Lutherville Lacrosse.

Cancelations requested after our cutoff date will NOT be honored with the exception of extenuating circumstances.

All refund requests must be directly made via email to LTRClaxregistrar@gmail.com

WAITLIST

Registration is closed or has reached capacity, what happens now?

Once registration closes or has reached capacity, interested participants are encouraged to register on our waitlist or contact the registrar directly at LTRClaxregistrar@gmail.com to be placed on the waitlist. There is NO fee to be placed on the waitlist.

Waitlisted participants will be removed from the waitlist in the event that a registered participant cancels OR if the ability to field an additional team presents. (i.e. we have the space, numbers, and coaches). Waitlisted participants will be contacted directly by the Registrar who will coordinate registration and payment of the registration fee. Waitlisted participants come off the waitlist on a first come first serve basis.

Please do NOT contact age group coordinators or coaches to be added to rosters once registration closes or has reached capacity. Lutherville Lacrosse follows a strict waitlist procedure to ensure fairness to all interested participants.

AGE VERIFICATION

Why do participants have to submit a copy of their Birth Certificate?

As part of Lutherville Lacrosse's efforts to improve the experience and ensure safety for all of our players, our organization has implemented an age verification requirement for all players registered in our 3/4 division and 5/6 division. Once received families will not be required to provide this information for the duration the player is involved in our program.

Proof of age, either a passport or valid birth certificate may be emailed to LTRClaxRegistrar@gmail.com or sent by mail (please email the registrar for details).

Registrations will NOT be considered complete until your player's proof of age is provided. Failure to provide verification will result in forfeiture of your participant’s spot and no refund will be honored.

“PLAYING UP” and “PLAYING DOWN” POLICY

Lutherville Lacrosse does not promote players to play out of their designated age group.  Any request to do so must have an exceptional circumstance that justifies a request to the commissioner and approval by the Board.  Requests will be handled on a case by case basis.  This is NOT a parental decision, but a Board decision.

USA Lacrosse Position Statement:

“Due to the increased potential for injury and lack of evidence supporting any benefit in the long-term development of a youth level player, USA Lacrosse strongly discourages allowing children below 8th grade to “play-up”.

TEAM REQUESTS

Can my child request to play on the same team as their friends, or can I request teammates to facilitate car pooling?  Can I request a coach that my child had previously?

Lutherville Lacrosse has nearly 1,000 participants in our growing lacrosse program. Our goal is to have fun, teach participants the game of lacrosse, inspire love of the game and to establish teams that are as close to equal in skill level as possible.  As a result, we cannot accept requests to be with particular players, and/or coaches.  Of course, a parent who coaches will have their own child on the team, and siblings who qualify to play in the same age group will be placed together (unless specifically requested otherwise).

My kid is 10, but is in 3rd grade where does she play?

As a member of MYLA, Lutherville Lacrosse adheres to the MYLA rule which states a player's division is determined by the age the player was on 8/31 (of the current school year).  Ex. Current school year 2021-22, determination date is 8/31/2021. Note Club Teams follow a grade based model.

Club, Travel or Rec: What’s best for my child?

All types of playing opportunities have their benefits and drawbacks.  If you want additional information for your child, contact the age group coordinator for an overview of the options for your child based on their age.

My child hasn't played before.  Where can I find the rules?

Rules are different for each age group.  Rules per boys/girls in Lutherville Lacrosse are adjusted by coaches for age appropriate safety, game play and skill development. Individual age group rules will be distributed to all parents prior to the season.

Lutherville Lacrosse has a parents code of conduct. It gives parents an overview of what is expected of them and what is not allowed. To sum it up, parents need to model the behavior expected of their children, to honor the game and its rules/refs (in good calls and bad), to let the coaches coach and the players play in a positive environment free of parents coaching from the sideline, complaining, or modeling inappropriate behavior.

What level of participation is expected of each family?

We expect parents to make sure their kids attend practices and games and communicate directly with coaches when they can't.  Please note that commitments for travel programs increase with age.

How can parents get involved outside of coaching?

We are always looking for parent involvement as team managers, friends of the program, volunteers for events and activities, etc.  Please contact your age group coordinator or commissioner to get involved.

Will each player have sufficient playing time?

All in-house programs are designed to equally distribute playing time amongst players.  Age specific rules should outline these requirements.  As players progress to travel teams, playing time is distributed based on level of travel program.  For example, travel teams for ages 6 and 7-8 are competitive with minimum amounts of guaranteed time.   A teams at the 9-10 level are more competitive in terms of playing time, than the C team.  Coaches will address playing time in their introductory comments.  If you have a question about it, feel free to ask at the BEGINNING of the season.

How many practices and games will be played?

Practices and games are determined based on the individual age group.

How are tryouts/evaluations handled and how many players are selected?

Evaluations and Try-Outs are made to be as objective and transparent as possible. Evaluators use a numeric system to rate player abilities.  Evaluators are not allowed to evaluate their own kids.  The commissioner and age group coordinators compute the evaluation data and distribute to coaches at a draft (for younger kids) and/or place kids on A, B, C or travel teams for older kids (9-10 and up).  Travel teams are also selected based on ability levels.  C is for new or emerging players, B is for more experienced players with basic lax proficiency and A is reserved for those with exceptional skills and experience.  Club tryouts are available by maximum grade eligibility or by invitation based on previous travel team experience.