The West Jefferson Youth is looking forward to the 2023 Lacrosse Season.
The West Jefferson Youth Lacrosse Program is over 4 years strong, and each year the program is growing and becoming more competitive.
We are in desperate need of additional volunteers; some of the areas we could use help in would require zero lacrosse knowledge, e.g. Running Clock, setup, take down, updating West Jeff Youth Facebook Page with updates on Lacrosse Media. In addition to that, we could use coaches at almost every level…it is a ton of fun and we will re-acquaint any past players with today’s rules and regs! Even if you have never played the sport before, please consider volunteering: You will learn very quickly!
WJYAA Lacrosse FAQ
Q: When is Lacrosse Season?
A: Registration in January/February. Practices start in March and games are April – May
Q: What equipment is required?
A: For the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade teams, players will need a helmet, gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads and a Lacrosse stick. Cleats are recommended. For pee-wee’s all equipment will be provided. For Middle School, All protective equipment will be provided thanks to a grant from US Lacrosse.
Q: Isn’t Lacrosse equipment expensive?
A: There are many outlets for lacrosse gear including Craigslist and used equipment providers. You should be able to get your child well equipped for no more than you’d spend on sneakers for basketball or a new bat for baseball. The equipment should be usable for multiple years as well.
Q: Does my child need to choose between Lacrosse and Baseball/Soccer?
A: At these ages Lacrosse only overlaps the first few weeks of baseball practice and happens at the same time as Soccer. 3/4 and 5/6 games are on Sundays so there would be no conflicts on game days. WJY will do everything it can to work around practice schedules to allow kids to participate. If your young athlete is interested in Middle School lacrosse, they can still play a school sport. OSHAA dictates that you can't play a club sport while participating for a school team IN THE SAME SPORT. WJY Rider Middle School lacrosse is considered a club team, but in no way negates the ability to participate in school sports. With todays sport fee you may also have to pay a fee to join US Lacrosse
Q: Where would we play?
A: for 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade we’ll be a member of COYLL (Central Ohio Youth Lacrosse League). We’ll have home games at Converse Park on the Lacrosse (football) field and also at Garrette Park. Pee-wee’s will play in a self-contained 5 on 5 league designed to teach them the basics of lacrosse in a safe environment.
Q: Can girls play?
A: YES! We don’t anticipate having enough girls to have a separate girls’ team. Girls would compete on a co-ed team following boy’s rules. As interest in the sport grows, we could add girls teams in the future.
Q: I don’t know much about the sport. How can my family learn more about it?
A: There are numerous resources available on the internet to get exposure to, and learn more about Lacrosse. A few examples would be YouTube, andhttps://www.uslacrosse.org/
Q: Is Lacrosse dangerous?
A: As with any sport, there are risks involved. With the protective equipment required to play Lacrosse, the risks are greatly minimized. The pee-wee’s will be using ultra-soft Lacrosse balls to further diminish the possibility of any injury WJYAA really needs your help, support and most of all your kids to make launching this program a success. We look forward to providing another awesome opportunity for the youth of our community!
Thanks.
Pictures: West Jefferson vs. Winchester Canal
Here are links to multiple lacrosse opportunities this summer:
http://www.revolutionlacrossecamps.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl7nYBRCwARIsAL7O7dGA8-qGlty0ONbmy1TB9TDrSqtI0znlHgnIsoPBri-kFjOW922bAB4aAkyYEALw_wcB
https://www.ussportscamps.com/lacrosse/nike/nike-boys-lacrosse-camp-at-otterbein-university
https://www.ussportscamps.com/lacrosse/xcelerate/xcelerate-nike-boys-lacrosse-camp-baldwin-wallace-university
http://resolutelacrosse.com/category/training/columbus-boys/
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/camps/m-lacros-camp.html
http://www.momentumlacrosse.com/
https://laxteams.net/maxelite/
http://www.thelacrosseacademy.com/camps/ohio-camps
https://millonlacrosse.com/camp-locations/ohio/
http://sportsohio.org/play/sports-activities/lacrosse/camps/summer-lacrosse-camp/
https://rabilevents.leagueapps.com/events/508134-rabil-tour-2018---ohio-columbus
Please take advantage of one or more of these. Let's keep sticks in hands and grow the sport even further in our community!
