We had a parent informational tonight at our lacrosse clinic for families new to lacrosse / NKY Lacrosse Club and wanted to make sure to share some of the information shared here so everyone has an opportunity to feel more comfortable with the sport, what to expect for the regular season and more.
THE SEASON AND THE FEES
Could you tell us about the layout of the field, how many players are on the field and information along these lines?
We love this question and have a PAST POSTING HERE that we feel gives a basic but super helpful view of what to expect in regards to the field, the players and some of the rules and lingo you cross along the way.
When does the season start and end?
We start our practices in early January (indoors). We will move practices outdoors when we are able, usually March-April. If your player has been involved in another spring sport such as baseball, you know that weather can be tricky this time of year so please know we do our best to roll with the punches that Mother Nature tends to send our way once we move outdoors.
Games start the first week of March and go through mid-May. The start of the season is quite cold for those first games but before you know it, you will be pulling out your sunscreen and preparing for the heat. Please know that we play in all sorts of weather, snow included. Coaches will always provide helpful insight to prepare your athlete for games that might bring cold temps so they can be best prepared.
We try to toss in at least one tournament, when possible, for our players. This may come at an additional cost (depending) and is optional for families who would like to add this extra fun to the schedule. We LOVE tournaments and recommend them to anyone interested.
What fees can a family expect for the regular season?
RAIDERS LACROSSE (GRADES 2-6)
$30 – US Lacrosse membership
$175 – Registration – plus $8.95 processing
$90 Uniform fee ($30 per piece if needing to purchase individual replacements)
$20 Optional Practice Pinnie Fee
Varies – Cost for equipment
RAIDERS LACROSSE (GRADES 7-8)
$30 – US Lacrosse membership
$195 – Registration – plus $9.63 processing
$90 Uniform fee ($30 per piece if needing to purchase individual replacements)
$20 Optional Practice Pinnie Fee
Varies – Cost for equipment
BLUEGRASS BULLDOGS (GRADES 9-12)
$35 US Lacrosse membership (HS)
$250 – HS (Grades 9-12) – plus $11.50 processing
$170 – Uniform fee (Grades 9-12
$25 – Optional Practice Pinnie Fee
What do the fees cover?
The fees you pay help cover the following items (but not limited to):
- Field usage (indoor practices and home game field)
- Officials fees / assignor and league fees
- Equipment needs (balls, goals (practice and game goals, creases, first aid needs, goalie equipment and more)
- End of season party aspects
- Game day trainer (HS)
- Hudl (HS)
- and various costs such as website costs, additional insurance needs, accounting fees, etc.
THE EQUIPMENT
We see kids with different color helmets. Is the a color of helmet that is preferred?
At the HS level, we require WHITE helmets for all. At the lower levels, there is not a set color that we push but having a helmet that aligns with our team colors is preferred if veering from traditional white.
What are the equipment needs and where can we go to purchase?
HERE you will find a PAST POSTING to help you with the equipment needs for your player and ways to save.
Let’s talk lacrosse sticks. What do we look for?
A lacrosse stick is made up of a head, a shaft, and pocket items including mesh and strings. At the higher levels and as your player settles in, you will find that many like to purchase the head, shaft and mesh / strings separately to create a custom tool that fits their personality and play style.
Standard (attack / middie) lacrosse sticks are the same size from our little laxers through men’s level lacrosse. The stick (head and shaft combined) should measure 42″ total from bottom of shaft to the top of the head. We recommend all players start with this stick until they are comfortable with its use before exploring a D-Pole (defensive players).
Defense sticks (referred to as D-Poles) measure differently based on level of play. D-Poles are acceptable starting in the 5th-6th grade bracket. The league our Youth (YTH) team is apart of require that D-Poles are not longer than 54″. This differs from what you will find with US Lacrosse so please make note of this. D-Poles for MS and HS levels are 72″ from the base of the shaft to the top of the head.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of further help with this.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
We’d like to share a few helpful links from US Lacrosse for those interested:
– Boys Rules
– Equipment needs and fitting guide
– Safety tips and guidelines from US Lacrosse
– Field diagrams
– Rules interpretations
– College Recruiting
OUR LOVE OF OUR SPONSORS
You’ve mentioned how much you love and appreciate your sponsors. How can we become sponsors?
We have different sponsorship levels available for those interested in helping to make a difference for athletes interested in lacrosse and in turn, for the sport as a whole in NKY. The more we can do within our organization allows us to continue to change the landscape of NKY, one stick at a time. We’d LOVE for you to be a part of this mission!
WE NEED COACHES!
Interested in coaching?
The excitement of growth is met with the need for more coaches. Our numbers are growing so fast that we can announce we will definitely be looking for coaches to help with our each of our various Raiders Lacrosse levels. Now is a great time to talk to us if you’d like to get involved. We’d love to talk with you and get to work teaching you the fundamentals to make a great impact with our athletes. (Background checks will be required.)
ANYTHING ELSE?
Have we missed something?
If there is something we’ve missed here that you wonder and would like to discuss, please let us know. Our coaches are always ready to help as well as our organization leaders. Our contact page can be found HERE.
