The Mason Lacrosse Club’s (the “Club”) overall goal for its players is to teach lacrosse fundamentals, develop players’ skills through practice and games, and promote good sportsmanship and foster teamwork. The Club hopes that its players remain active in lacrosse in future years, particularly by providing the Mason High School boys and girls teams with a talented pool of potential players.
Player Assessment and Team Assignment Policy Goals:
Specific goals driving the Club’s Player Assessment and Team Assignment policy are as follows:
Create and maintain grade-level programs focused on teaching fundamental skills and providing challenging competition appropriate for the players' age, skill and athletic level.
Staff and direct the appropriate number of teams based upon the number and skill level of the participants. This includes teams ranging in skill from “recreational/developmental” to “highly competitive/highly skilled” as offered by the regional and state lacrosse governing organizations (US Lacrosse and Southern Ohio Chapter).
Foster positive team concepts while building individual player skills.
Create a challenging, engaging, learning environment where players of differing levels of skill and physical development can learn and enjoy the game of lacrosse.
Provide equal attention and support to all participants.
To engage adults and experienced high school players to coach and mentor the Club’s players and teams.
Player Assessment and Team Assignment Policy
This policy applies to all Mason Lacrosse Club players, male and female, regardless of grade level unless noted otherwise.
Number of Club Teams
1.Teams are allocated based on grade level (grades K,1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8) and are assigned as either “A” (competitive) or “B” (recreational - stressing equality of playing time and skill development over competitiveness). Note that for grades K,1&2, 3&4 the teams are rated for developmental needs as either “D” (less skilled) or “C” (more skilled).
2.The overall number of teams fielded by the Club in any given year will be based on overall player enrollment numbers for that grade level.
The number of coaches available for that grade level may impact the number of teams. The Club desires a minimum of 3 coaches per team.
Teams typically will be composed of approximately 18-22 players.
The number of teams may also vary annually based on the assessed skill level of the participating players (see below). Players will not be forced into a skill level purely to drive a desired number of teams.
Player Assessments – Grades K,1&2, 3&4 and 5&6
1.All coaches for each grade level will assess each player’s individual lacrosse skills during the first two weeks of practice.
2.The Club’s “Player Evaluation Form” may be used for this process.
3.The coaches, upon mutual agreement, will assign players to a primary team based upon their evaluation process.
4.It is anticipated that based upon game scheduling and individual development that players may play in both C and D (or A and B) level games throughout the season.
5.At the conclusion of the season each player, Grade 3 and higher, will be provided with feedback (using the Player Evaluation Form) from his/her coach outlining developmental areas for that player to focus on during the off-season.
6.The Club encourages and welcomes the MasonHigh School coaching staffs and booster organization to support the youth teams to the fullest extent possible.
Player Assessments – Middle School Grades 7&8
It is anticipated that most MS players, with few exceptions, will have multiple years of lacrosse playing experience. The MS program is viewed as a transition from the development focus of earlier grades to the competitive environment of high school programs. Accordingly, the MS program faces unique challenges in distributing its many players with varying skill levels into teams that offer the right competitive and developmental opportunity. It is possible that the Club’s MS program may need to offer teams ranging from “recreational/beginning” through “highly competitive”.
1.All MS coaches will assess each player’s individual lacrosse skills.
2.The MasonHigh School coaching staffs are invited and encouraged to participate in this evaluation process.
3.It is the intention of this policy that the evaluations be a joint process between the MS and HS coaching staffs with all input being considered. However, the MS coaching staff retains responsibility for all final decisions.
4.The evaluations will take place at a time to be determined following the completion of player enrollment (mid-October) and prior to MS game scheduling (December).
5. The Club’s “Player Evaluation Form” must be used for this process.
6.The MS coaches will make tentative team assignments (see below) based upon the evaluation process. These team assignments may need to be altered slightly at the start of the season’s practice based on late registrations, player cancellations and further player development.
7.Results of the evaluation process will also direct tentative coaching assignments and game scheduling for the upcoming season.
8.Upon the MS coaches discretion, throughout the season players may be asked to play for different level teams based on game scheduling or individual development.
9.At the conclusion of the season each player must be provided with feedback (using the Player Evaluation Form) from his/her coach outlining developmental areas for that player to focus on during the off-season.
Team Assignments and Formation
Teams will be formed – and players assigned to those teams – purely based upon:
oThe total number of players at that grade level
oThe number of coaches available to that grade level
oThe assessed skill level of the players.
Neither players nor teams will be “forced” into a specific team assignment unsuitable for their skill level. Thus it is entirely possible that the Club may field a varying number of A, B, C or D teams from year-to-year.
Equivalently skilled players should play with (and against) each other:
All teams will be staffed with players of comparable strength and skill.
Coaches will make tentative team assignments based upon registration numbers and the evaluation process.
Final team assignments should be completed two weeks prior to the start of the game season.
Team assignments will also impact coaching assignments and game scheduling.
The Club’s policy is intended to complement, to the extent possible, the goals of its governing bodies.
Player Evaluation Form
The Mason Lacrosse Club’s “Player Evaluation Form” is to be used by all coaches.
