Hello All,
I'm very excited to announce that we have completed our transition to a new website provider. Our website URL remains the same (
northerndutchesslax.com), but we are now using a platform offered by Sports Connect. I've been very happy with the customer service from Sports Connect throughout the transition process, and the new website is much less clunky than it was with the previous provider. One key advantage of Sports Connect is that they pride themselves as being mobile first, which is so key as our phones are the predominant means of accessing the internet for many of us. As you start navigating the website, please let me know if you notice any links that don't work or other technical issues so that I can fix them as soon as possible.
I'm also very excited to announce that registration is now open for both our 2024 spring season and the winter clinic series.
Winter Clinics
We will be offering a winter clinic starting in January. The clinic will run for 6 weeks on Sundays from 4:30-5:30 PM at Linden Avenue Middle School in the gym. The first clinic date will be January 7th and the last clinic date will be February 9th. The clinic will cost $30 per player to attend all 6 sessions. Players will be required to have a USA Lacrosse membership in order to participate. USA Lacrosse memberships costs $30 for an annual membership. If your child's USA Lacrosse membership from last season is still active, you will be all set for the clinics. If your child's USA Lacrosse membership has expired, or you have never had one before, you will need to pay the $30 fee for a USA Lacrosse membership. If you renew or create a USA Lacrosse membership between now and the start of the clinics, this will also cover your USA Lacrosse membership for the 2024 spring season.
As the clinics are intended to provide a low-stakes entry into the game of lacrosse, we will only use sticks (no protective equipment required) with soft lacrosse balls. The clinics will focus on skill development and exposing new players to the game to prepare for our spring season. These clinics are still a great opportunity for returning players to hone their skills and I encourage our returning players to attend and bring a friend.
Spring Season
We will follow the same outline as last year. The K-2 Program will be an in-house only program which practices once per week and the only required equipment will be a stick. Players in grades 3-6 will play on either the 3/4 team or 5/6 team. Players on these teams are required to wear all of the required equipment outlined on the attached USA Lacrosse Required Equipment Guide. Our players will follow the Boys' Field Player Equipment or Boys' Goalie Equipment on pages 2 and 3 depending on their position.
Cost:
- K-2 program - $50 (+ $30 USA Lacrosse registration)
- 3-6 Program - $170 (+ $30 USA Lacrosse registration)
- Both programs will offer a $20 early bird discount if registered by February 10th
Request for Volunteers
I've received some responses from individuals that are interested in coaching for the 2024 spring season. We are still in need of volunteers for the 3/4 team and the K-2 program. As a reminder, we are a non-profit organization run by volunteers, and coaches are a critical piece of that. This year we will be offering a coupon code valued at $50 for individuals that coach either the 3/4 or 5/6 team. Individuals that volunteer to coach with the K-2 program will receive a coupon code valued at $10 that can be applied during registration. If you are interested in volunteering, please email me as soon as possible so we can get together a plan for coaches in the spring, and so that I can provide you with the coupon code to use when registering your child. All coaches must have a USA Lacrosse membership of their own in addition to their child's USA Lacrosse membership. USA Lacrosse provides a background check service on our behalf. Coaches are not required to have lacrosse experience. We can provide you with resources from USA Lacrosse to help build your knowledge of the game.
If you have any questions or run into any issues during the registration process, please reach out to me.
Thank you,
Dan Gall
NDBYLA Secretary
518-944-0587