US Lacrosse Blog

Kids learn best through experience and by making mistakes…not by being micromanaged through every pass.

The practice of knowingly including over-aged players on tournament teams is indefensible and illustrates the very worst of youth sports. Not only does it erode the integrity of athletic competition, it also violates the implied oath of all youth coaches to model the very best behavior for young and impressionable minds…and it jeopardizes the safety of players who are forced to play against more mature – and often larger – competition.

The finalists for the 2010 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame have been announced.

Two weeks ago, I attended a symposium on concussions in Indianapolis hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Margot Putukian, the Director of Athletic Medicine at Princeton and the chair of the US Lacrosse Sports Science & Safety Committee, joined me there. The event featured the leaders of a number of sports governing bodies, as well as representatives from the NCAA, NFHS and NFL.

Both in my capacity at US Lacrosse and as the parent of two young lacrosse players (who also play soccer and basketball), I’m often asked what I think is the most important aspect of a quality youth sports experience. For me, it’s all about a coach who inspires my child, teaches correct fundamentals, and values players safety and fun above all else.  

BALTIMORE – US Lacrosse, the national governing body for the sport, announced the addition of the Great Plains Lacrosse Association as its 63rd chapter. The Great Plains chapter covers the greater Kansas City area and includes Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and parts of Missouri in its service area.

BALTIMORE – National lacrosse participation increased 8.4 percent in 2009, according to research by US Lacrosse for its annual participation report. There were 568,021 lacrosse players that were members of organized teams across the country in 2009, from the youth level all the way on up through the professional ranks.

BALTIMORE – US Lacrosse has announced that Krystin Porcella, a former U.S. U19 team assistant coach and the current head coach at The John Carroll School (Md.), will serve as the head coach for the U.S. U19 women’s lacrosse team that will compete in the 2011 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championship in Göttingen, Germany.