FAQ
Why segment by age?
Age is the
best indicator for determining how to group children due to physical and cognitive development. It is also the most easily verified method to segment players. An effort was made, though, to allow as many kids to participate with friends in the same grade.
What if we don’t have enough players to group by 12-month age breaks?
Provisions are included to allow 24-month age segmentations for local league and community-based play, if necessary to ensure participation. The goal is to encourage participation.
What happened to
The policy — coupled with an online age verification system recently developed by US Lacrosse and standardized boys' and girls' youth lacrosse rules that align with the new Lacrosse Athlete Development Model (LADM) — provides a clear road map that community-based programs, leagues and events can follow to help ensure a more consistent playing experience nationally.
“The demand came from a lot of different places,” said Kristen Murray, vice chair of the US Lacrosse Board of Directors and chair of the task force that recommended the player segmentation policy. “It came from parents ... asking for the organization to do something for fairness and safety. It’s come from event operators and club programs as well.” "Fundamental to the sport’s healthy development is the overall experience for players," said Steve Stenersen, president and
laxmagazine.com
U13, U15, etc.? The terminology for age groupings was changed to have the age first (i.e., 12U vs. U13). The groupings allow for a clear break between youth (14U and younger) and scholastic (15U to 18U) lacrosse. Previously, the U15 level was considered youth, but often included age-eligible high school players. Those situations will be limited in the new structure.
Why start the
season Sept. 1? The playing season was firmly defined as Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 of each year to ensure consistency. The fall date was chosen as the start date for the new
season, as the majority of teams use the fall to begin their preparation for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.
CEO of US Lacrosse. "Dozens of volunteers with a wealth of history and perspective in the sport engaged in this process. These measures are important steps to ensure integrity of play and to provide a consistent player experience." Representatives from some of the nation’s largest youth lacrosse leagues — including the Connecticut New York Lacrosse Association, Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association, Mass Bay Youth Lacrosse League and the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association — as well as event operators and club programs were included on the player segmentation task force. “All of these things — player segmentation, age verification, athlete development — improve the quality of competition, play and overall experience,” said George Leveille, a task force member who also serves as organizer of the popular Summit Lacrosse Tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y. “The new player segmentation policy was designed to increase participation by making it a more enjoyable and safer playing experience.” To allow leagues, programs and events to adjust to the new player segmentation policy, it will go into effect Sept. 1, 2017, but groups are encouraged to begin following the policy sooner if logistics permit. “We want this to happen as soon as possible, but we know it will take some time for people to adapt to these changes,” said Murray, a high school coach in Illinois. “We need to keep driving it forward, because this is what’s best for the kids.” To help leagues and events monitor the age of
participants, US Lacrosse developed an online age verification system, which includes a review of a birth certificate or other legal document to confirm a player’s birthdate. Several programs and leagues completed pilot testing of this process in 2015, and opt-in open enrollment for all US Lacrosse members begins in April. The LADM, and the accompanying youth rules for the new player segmentation groups, also plays an important role in redefining youth lacrosse. Leveille, whose sons Kevin and Mike both were college All-Americans who went on to play for the U.S. national team, is a firm believer in the principles of the LADM. He credits the fun his sons had when they began playing the sport as the key to what became a lifelong passion. He doesn’t want to see that get lost in a landscape that has become more specialized and competitive at earlier ages.
“The excellence of club programs is great for the top players trying to advance and improve,” Leveille said. “But as that moves earlier, some of the younger kids think they’re not good enough for club and move onto doing something else.” Murray and the task force know that this shift won’t be easy.
“People are ingrained in the way they’ve done things and if it’s working for them, it’s hard for them to envision change,” Murray said. “But we approached it from one national standard, thinking about the kids and what’s best for them.”
April 2016» LACROSSE MAGAZINE 11
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