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Boys Overview
Q: When is the Boys Lacrosse season?
Regular season is in the Spring; mid-February through May. IYL also runs a "Second Season" select program in June and a Fall program geared for developing players.
The IYL second-season Lacrosse program, or IYL "Peak" teams, are a post-season select program in which the top players in the boy's Junior and Senior Divisions play in tournaments throughout the Northwest in June. Participation in the IYL Peak program is determined by qualifying tryouts held in May. Watch the IYL website and Blog in early May for tryout dates & program details.
The IYL Fall "introduction to lacrosse" program for developing players (1st - 5th grades) generally runs September - October on Friday evenings. Registration starts in mid-August and is managed in partnership with Issaquah Parks and Recreation.
Q: What is the time commitment?
Generally, the more advanced the Division of play, the higher the degree of commitment is expected. IYL encourages players to participate in other sports "out-of-season" . See the multiple sport FAQ for recommendations on "in-season" sports participation.
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Lightning - 1-2 events per week. Largely educational and recreational. Playing multiple sports is encouraged. Please review the "Lightning Division" FAQ below for more info.
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Junior - 2-3 events per week.. Educational, recreational, and competitive. Multiple sports must be managed. Missed practices will result in loss of playing time in games.
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Senior - 3-4 events per week. Educational, recreational, and more competitive. Multiple sports during the season are discouraged due to the higher level of commitment. Missed practices will result in loss of playing time in games; players are expected to make every game.
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Senior "A" - 3-5 events per week. IYL participates in the Senior Division "A" level regional program with two teams determined by tryout. The "A" level is very competitive and requires a high level of commitment to Lacrosse during the season that is not compatible with participating in other Spring sports. Senior Division players who choose to participate in other Spring sports will NOT be eligible for IYL "A" team participation.
Generally, practices run 1.5 - 2 hours and games (including warm-ups) can run 2.5 - 3 hours. For games, your coach will require that you arrive for warm-up and preparation 30-60 minutes ahead of the scheduled face-off.
Q: Can a new player be competitive?
New players at all levels can become highly competitive with experienced players through dedication and effort. Every season we have many new players who work hard and become key contributors on their teams. What players do outside of practice and game time is the most important to skill development. New players in particular will need to work on their stick skills and the best tool for this are the Wall Ball Drills. Many of the fundamentals of Lacrosse come quickly to boys who have played other sports like Football, Soccer, Hockey, Basketball and who participate in conditioning sports like track. The proven key: Good practice makes good players.
Q: When are practices?
For Junior and Senior Divisions regular season optional throw-arounds (informal practices) start in January; generally one afternoon a week.. Official teams are organized in February with 2-3 practices in mid-February before the school break (varies by coach).
Following the school break regular practices begin. Practices may start at early as 3:30 PM early in the season and move later with increasing daylight hours. Typically Junior Division teams practice 2 days per week and Senior Division teams 2-3 days a week. All teams may add a few additional practices early in the season at the Coaches' discretion to help orient new players and help returning players "shake off the rust".
Practice schedules and locations are generally set in late February once fields are locked in at the league level and often change during the season due to field availability (grass fields are frequently subject to closure due to poor surface conditions, i.e. water saturation levels). A typical practice is 1.5-2 hours. Prior to daylight savings time, most practices are scheduled shortly after school. Some teams (esp Senior Division teams) will have practices under lights on turf in the early evenings. Starting in April, an additional scrimmage may be played during the week, usually in lieu of a regular practice.
Flexibility is key with practice schedules due to changing field conditions in the Spring. Please keep this in mind when registering for Lacrosse and scheduling other activities for your LAX player.
It is very important to BE ON TIME for all team events. Please respect the coaching staff's time and your teammates commitment. Start times are "ready to go times"; not show up and start dressing time. The IYL maxim is "Ready to play 5 minutes early is "On Time". Please plan this into your schedules for arrival and please pick up your player on time as well. IYL coaches will wait until the final player is picked up and we ask that you be considerate of our volunteers and respect that they have family commitments as well as their commitments to your players.
Q: When are the games?
Games are generally on Saturdays for the Junior and Senior Divisions and the first regular season game is on the first Saturday in March. Games typically start between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM for both home and away. Starting in early April, a week-night game is common, usually replacing one of the practices. Initial team schedules will be provided the first week of regular season games.
Q: Where are the games?
IYL's home fields are Pine Lake Middle School (PLMS), Beaver Lake Middle School (BLMS), Klahanie Fields, Skyline Community Fields, Eastlake Community Fields, and Robinswood in Bellevue. Directions to each field can be found under "IYL>Facilities" on the IYL website. Locations are subject to change and your coach will keep you informed.
Regular season away games will range from Snohomish (North), Bainbridge (West) and Tacoma (South) with most games in the greater Eastside area. Some special games or lacrosse events may include games outside of King County locations.
Q: What equipment do I need?
A list of the basic equipment required will be found on the Boys Equipment List in the "IYL>Documents" section of the IYL website. Players must have a white helmet to play in the IYL league - wire and the chin strap may be black. No high school colored helmets are allowed. IYL helmet decals will be provided each player. The helmet policy will be enforced at all levels of play.
Uniforms (shorts, reversible practice jerseys and game jerseys) are provided by IYL. IYL has limited equipment rental packages available for Lightning players (Only) and these may be rented during your registration process on a first come, first served basis until the supply is depleted.
Q: Lightning Division runs on a different schedule, when does play begin?
Lightning Division regular season begins mid-March. Lightning players have a 1.5 hour practice/game on Friday nights with an optional practice held during the week (usually Wednesday for most teams) for those who want to play more.
IYL will organize a traveling team of older, experienced Lightning players to compete with other similar programs regionally. This team will keep the same practice/game schedule as the other Lightning teams, except they will have another game on Saturdays against other traveling Lightning programs. Participation in the traveling team will be on coach's' invitation and tryout.
Players will be in full gear (see boys equipment list) for practices as well as games. IYL has a limited number of rental equipment packages available which can be rented with your registration or you can purchase through the IYL on-line store and a number of local & national vendors (see Resources and Links for sources).
Important!: The Lightning Division operates with active parent participation. IYL needs at least two parents to help coach each Lightning team. No experience with Lacrosse is necessary. This is not a competitive league; with the exception of the traveling team, this is recreational and developmental play. The IYL staff will produce a practice plan for each week, provide week to week skill instruction for the coaches, and can provide an experienced assistant coach as needed throughout the season. IYL will load each parent-coach a stick for the season. We need to have 2-3 coaches for each team (even more is better) so that someone can miss if necessary for business/travel. Most Lightning players know very little about the game and this gives you an opportunity to learn with your kids. IYL will only field Lightning teams with the required number of parent-coaches.
Q: Who are the coaches?
IYL coaches are screened by the Washington State Patrol and US Lacrosse trained, including our parent-coaches. A large number of IYL coaches are also USL Certified Coaches and NCSI screened.
Most of our Lightning and Junior Division coaches are parents (dads & moms) who have learned the game when their kids started playing. Senior Division Head Coaches are typically experienced Lacrosse players and/or coaches with significant youth coaching experience and knowledge of the sport.
Important!: We need new coaches to meet the growing demand for Lacrosse in our region! We do NOT require that you have Lacrosse experience to be a coach. Many of our coaches did not play Lacrosse, so you will be in good company. When we place coaches, we try to ensure that experiences Lacrosse coaches are paired with the coaches who have little or no Lacrosse experience. There are many skills and strategies in Lacrosse that will be very familiar to those of you with experience as a player or coach in football, hockey, basketball, soccer, or baseball.
Please consider coaching! IYL sponsors and pays for on-line and clinic training from US Lacrosse for all IYL coaches.
Q: Weather?
Lacrosse is an all-weather sport; we play rain or shine. There are two exceptions: if there is lightning in the area (less than 20 seconds between flash & boom) within 15 minutes of event start the game will be delayed until judged safe - please do not leave your player if the game-start is delayed due to lightning until the event begins. A lightning suspension during a game in progress will last at least 20 minutes after the last lightning in the area. All events will be terminated if there is a second lightning suspension. Players should know their parents' cell phone numbers so they can call for pick-up if lightning persists and the event is ended. Snow is always a possibility in early Spring and we will not practice is the field is completely covered in snow before the start time. If in doubt, come, but parents should wait until the practice begins before leaving. Every effort is made to clear turf fields for scheduled games; it is best to come under non-severe conditions and wait until play begins or is officially canceled before leaving your player.
Q: How to dress in cold or wet weather?
Players must wear their IYL-issued shorts and reversible jerseys to every practice. Players may not wear their game jersey at practice. You should also bring the reversible jersey to all games in case it is needed when the visiting team has similar colors to yours. Game jersey's must be worn to all games.
When the weather is cold and/or wet players should come prepared. While some players legs stay warm enough in shorts only; others prefer to wear athletic tights or light warm-ups. We recommend long sleeve tight tops and optionally long leg tights to ensure comfort and prevent chilling between game action. Cotton is never the material of choice as it absorbs water readily and once wet, it stays wet and will sap body heat. Sports undergarments made of synthetic fabrics designed for active use are highly recommended. In addition, thin rubber gloves (hospital/surgical type) worn under the lacrosse gloves help keep hands dry and warm. Thin ski liner gloves are also effective.
Players should generally wear undershirts appropriate for the weather even in the summer. During warm-ups a loose sports jacket or sweatshirt OVER the pads and jersey may help a player stay comfortable but will need to be removed once a game begins.
Q: How can I get ready for the season?
There are a number of ways to improve your game and overall conditioning during the "off-season". There are a number of camps and clinics offered locally that can be valuable for continued development of a players skills & knowledge of the game - watch the IYL website for upcoming camps & clinics.
Stay active! IYL encourages players to stay active with other sports in the off-season. Make sure to have a regular program of running and weight-bearing exercise.
Last, but not least: Hit the wall! There is nothing better than starting the season with your stick skills sharp and both hands developed. You will be a markedly better player that you were last season with just 15-20 minutes of systematic wall ball drills 3-4 times each week. You will get more touches on the ball in a 20 minute drill than you will in a 2 hour practice! So - hit the wall and use the Wall Drills System every week during the off-season - not just during the regular season!
Q: How do I get more playing time?
Everyone plays in IYL. We have a dual mission at IYL that can be best summarized as "Participation and Preparation".
Participation means that all players get opportunity to play and contribute to their respective teams, regardless of their experience or skill. Given the rapid growth of Lacrosse in our area, IYL will continue to have some first-year Lacrosse players in each Division every year. To accomplish our mission we ensure that all players are placed on teams and in positions where they can make contributions to their teams' success.
Preparation means that IYL hopes to "graduate" 25 or more 8th graders to each of our partner high school programs every year, all of whom are ready to step into their HS program and take on that next level of intensity and competition. That Preparation requires that players play - and play at an appropriately challenging level where then can develop the key skills and understanding of the game needed to succeed at the next level.
IYL offers the opportunity for all players to develop their skills and "graduate" to the next level throughout their IYL experience starting at the youngest levels. Our coaches work hard to see that all IYL players learn to love the sport of Lacrosse as well as learn how to succeed in playing it. IYL's participation in the regional "A" team program represents an opportunity for talented & passionate younger players to have an opportunity to "graduate" into an appropriate level of competition during their Senior Division year as a key part of our "Preparation" mission.
IYL is a 'participation-based" program that strives to develop competitive team spirit. We ask our coaches to establish a playing rotation irrespective of ability and experience for the bulk of each game. That said, when the game is on the line late in the fourth quarter, we typically observe that all players want to "play to win" and coaches may choose to put the kids on the field that are having a great day and have the best chance to deliver the win for the whole team.
Players at different positions play more "game clock time" than others which may not have any relation to "game action" (see the IYL Handbook for info on the 4 positions in Lacrosse). There are also special situations in game-play due to penalties which may have a "flagged" player sit in the penalty area for 30 seconds - 3 minutes: a penalized team plays "man-down" for the duration of the penalty and the other team plays "man-up". "Man-down" and "man-up" teams are a central part of game strategy even at the Junior Division level. Players are selected for a position on the Man-up and Man-down team based on their effort, spirit, diligence and skill exhibited in practice. Players should ask their coaches what they can do to earn the chance to contribute during Man-up and Man-down situations.
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