Chapters are extensions of the national office. While US Lacrosse maintains a close, programmatic and strategic relationship with our chapters, each chapter is separate and distinct. Its own corporation that serves its constituent’s, elects board members and manages affairs as deemed appropriate under the chapter by-laws.

When starting a chapter there are 11-12 prerequisites that need to be in place before consideration for provisional status. A crucial aspect of these first steps are the reasons your steering committee has for wanting to start your own chapter. A US Lacrosse chapter’s primary responsibilities should be to offer the programs, services & benefits built at national to all constituents in your local community, as far as the chapter boundaries reach. This also pertains to chapters who co-exist as a league. The chapter should be seen as the educational, hierarchical, unbiased support system for any and all leagues within the chapter boundaries.

Along with the implementation of our programs to local constituents, chapters should be able to maintain an up-to-date chapter web site. Additionally, board members should make them selves available on a regular basis to members for questions and inquiries. The chapter must also support, follow and believe in the US Lacrosse Mission and promote membership. The chapter must annually file compliance documents to national and a Form 990 and/or the new "e-Postcard" IRS filing requirement for all 501c3 non-profit organizations. (More information about 501c3 filing & chapter compliance is below.)

Additional responsibilities of a chapter are to assign a chair and committee to implement the Women’s Division High School All-American & Academic All-American Processes. The chapter president assigns/elects a chair to run the process and the AA chair selects a committee of local coaches and umpires to review the nominations. A separate chair can be selected to handle the Academic AA process. The Men’s Division All-American & Academic All-American processes are run by a local US Lacrosse High School Area Chairman. This chairman may or may not be a chapter board member and the area he represents does not necessarily coincide with our chapter boundaries, so this process differs from the women’s side. These processes occur under the supervision of the Women’s Division High School Committee and the Men’s Division High School Committee. Both volunteer boards of US Lacrosse.

US Lacrosse will consider any member who requests to start a new chapter, however; new chapter evaluation packages will only be given after an initial conversation identifies the true reasons why a steering committee wants to create and maintain a new chapter.

Sport Development:
Coaches Education Program Educational Clinics & Online Workshops (Level 1 and 2 now available)
Officials Training
Fast Break Initiative
Physical Education Curriculum
New Start Program
Positive Coaching Alliance Workshops
Equipment Grant Program
Youth Council

Chapters:
Chapter Grant Program
Chapter Rebate Program
Chapters Advisory Council
Chapter Network System

Men’s and Women’s National Teams
Men’s and Women’s National Team Player Clinics
Men’s National Team Exhibition Games
Men’s and Women’s Champions Challenge
Women’s Division Stars & Stripes Event

Special Events
U-13 and U-15 National Youth Festivals
Women’s Division National Tournament
Men’s Division National Senior Showcase
Women’s Division Intercollegiate Championships
Regional Lacrosse Cup Tournament Events
US Lacrosse Annual National Coaches Convention & Vendor Exhibition
National Hall of Fame Induction Celebration

Once you have read and understand the philosophy and requirements behind maintaining a US Lacrosse chapter and determined this is something you and your group would like to do the following new chapter evaluation checklist must be completed and submitted to the Director of Chapter Relations by November 1.

Please contact Erin Sturgis, the Director of Chapter Relations for an official checklist document at esturgis@uslacrosse.org.

The initial requirements included on the checklist are:

1. Applicant must first meet with the existing chapter (if applicable) and present a list of needs for lacrosse in their area. If the existing chapter and new steering committee come to an agreement, both programmatically and geographically then the new steering committee can proceed to pursue provisional chapter status.

2. A formal letter of request for the new chapter must be sent to national.

3. Another letter describing the needs, as described to the existing chapter must be sent to national.

4. Documentation listing the complete geographic area the chapter will serve by zip code.

5. Document stating the existing chapters approval of these zip codes (if applicable)

6. Names/Addresses of all representatives on your current committee.

7. A 1-year and possible 3-year budget projection & strategic plan.

8. A Participation Survey/Current State of Lacrosse in your geographic area.

9. Head of steering committee’s background information.

10. Two (2) letters of support for the applicant and his/her efforts to form the new chapter.

11. Signed conflict of interest forms from everyone on the steering committee.

12. Official document/notarized letter stating your group is individually INCORPORATED or in the process of doing so.

Please see the ‘New Chapter Evaluation Requirements’ document for additional requirements & follow-up work that will need to be completed within the first quarter of the year, in which the new chapter is granted provisional status.

The Director of Chapter Relations along with the Chapters Advisory Council Executive Committee and additional US Lacrosse staff will take the time period from November 1 to December 31 to review the completed evaluation checklist and requirements. Shortly after December 31 you will receive a formal notice via email as to whether or not your application has so far been endorsed. If endorsed by the initial evaluation group, the provisional chapter request will go to the US Lacrosse Board of Directors for final approval, at the National Convention in January.

Immediately following the Convention the head of the steering committee will be notified whether or not the full board granted provisional chapter status. If it has the head of the steering committee will work with the Director of Chapter Relations to get all other details solidified and receive a Chapter Operations Binder and the work for the new chapter begins.