Dear Parents,

Welcome to the West Chester Lacrosse League's 2008 Instructional Program!

My name is Dave Schabdach and I administer the Instructional Program. If you're new to our club, this letter should answer many questions about our Instructional Program. A follow up letter will be distributed within the next two weeks as we make some final decisions regarding the season. I don't have all the email addresses yet, so if you know anyone else registered for the Instructional Program, please check to see that they received this email and feel free to forward it as needed. You will periodically received emails throughout the season, but the primary source of communication is via the WCLL website at http://www.wclacrosseleague.com . All decisions regarding field conditions, weather related cancellations, schedule changes, and other communications will be posted on the website. Please check the website prior to leaving the house if field conditions are questionable.

Schedule

The Instructional Program is designed to introduce the boys to the sport of lacrosse, teach fundamental concepts and skills, and help the boys develop as young lacrosse players while having fun. The Instructional Program has two age divisions, U11 and U9. Our season starts on Saturday, April 5th and runs to early June. Opening Day will be held on the turf field at Henderson High School Stadium. After Opening Day, practices and scrimmages will be held at the West Goshen Park soccer fields (near Ice Line) on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Meeting times for each age division will be communicated within the next 2 weeks. Wednesday will be a skills night and will consist of introducing new concepts/skills, reviewing and practicing previously learned skills, and participating in drills or games designed to reinforce the concepts/skills taught. Saturdays will be a combination of skills and scrimmages, although scrimmages will not start until a few weeks into the season. Scrimmages will be between teams within the same age group and within our own league.

Equipment

Each player must have a lacrosse stick, 36-42" in length (no goalie sticks or defense/a.k.a. "long" sticks permitted), helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, and elbow pads. We do not have spare equipment at the field if the boys forget their equipment and for safety reasons a player must have all of his equipment to participate on the field. Equipment can be purchased at Lacrosse International, Kelly's Sports, and major sporting goods stores (Dick's, Sports Authority, Modell's). The boys will be given a mouth guard and a numbered, reversible nylon tank top when they check in on Opening Day. Please remove the paper covering from the numbers on both sides of the tank (if applicable this year) before washing the shirt or else the paper will be difficult to remove. The league does not require a protective cup for the Instructional Program but it is recommended. Please dress the boys appropriately for the weather and be sure they bring a water bottle to the field.

Head Instructor and Parent Coaches

We're pleased and fortunate to have Mike Twohig return as our lead instructor this year. Mike is very experienced as a player and instructor and relates very well to the boys. We also need parents to volunteer to assist on Wednesdays and Saturdays in order for the kids to get as much out of the program as possible. The parent "coaches" allow us to break out into small groups of 10-15 boys to run drills and develop skills, giving the boys more active time during practice and more playing time once scrimmages start. Ideally the parent coaches should have played lacrosse in high school or college. Volunteer coaches must be able to commit to attending the majority of Wednesdays and Saturdays. Please send me an email if you want to volunteer as a parent coach and include your lacrosse experience (so I can pair up more experienced with less experienced coaches) as well as which age group your son is registered in.

Scrimmage Teams

Scrimmage teams will be formed based on a combination of factors including experience and age. We try to group boys from the same school together and balance the teams with both experienced and inexperienced players. Initial team assignments may change to keep the teams fairly equal for scrimmages. Likewise, on any given Saturday, some players may be asked to play for the other team if one team has 15 boys show up and the other team only has 9 players. All boys within their respective age group meet at the same time on Wednesdays and either at the same time or back to back on Saturdays, so car pooling issues should be minimal to non-existent. Like most recreational programs, we want returning players to experience working and playing with different kids and/or coaches. As a parent, I can appreciate your desire to pair your son with specific friends and/or coaches. As the Administrator of the Instructional Program that has seen a steady increase in registrations over the past 4 years, I cannot accommodate the numerous requests I receive each season. Your son will most likely be on a scrimmage team with other boys from his school, but likely will not be grouped with everyone he knows. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

Another email will come out within the next 2 weeks providing some additional information. I understand that several of the U11 parents receiving this communication will be playing in the Travel Program and once those team rosters are finalized, I'll remove you from my distribution list.

We're looking forward to fun season!

Dave