Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse Family – Education – Lacrosse Since 1957

Agenda Board Members Club Mission Statement Roots of the Game What to Expect Goals & Principles 2015 House League Registration House FAQ’s House vs Travel Teams Website Volunteering Calendar Items Parent Expectations Irondequoit Invitational Q&A Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse2

Board Members President – Tony DiFabio Vice President – Matt Falcone Girls Director – Chris O’Connor Boys Director – Ron Messmer Girls Travel Coordinator – James Landrigan Boys Travel Coordinator – Chris Wilson Treasurer – Brian O’Sullivan Communications Director – Kevin Donovan Operations Director – Adam Murray Booster Liason – Matt Pease Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse3

Mission Statement Our mission as an organization is to promote the game of Lacrosse and provide a safe and fun opportunity for the youth of West Irondequiot. We will emphasize the development of self-esteem, good sportsmanship, fitness, goal achievement, teamwork and skill through learning and playing the great game of lacrosse. We will encourage our athletes to be the best that they can be both on and off the playing field. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse4

ROOTS of the Game As the Irondequoit Lacrosse community (Players, Parents, Volunteers, Coaches & Board of Directors) we want to always work to respect the ROOTS of the game: – RULES: We refuse to bend/break the rules to win. – OPPONENTS: Value and recognize that a worthy opponent brings out our best, and we take a "fierce and friendly" attitude into competition. – OFFICIALS: We respect officials even when we disagree with them. – TEAMMATES: We never do anything to embarrass our team (on or off the field). We fully support and encourage all Irondequoit teams. – SELF: We live up to our standards of Honoring the Game, even when others don’t. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse5

What to Expect Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse was formed with the purpose of providing a unique and affordable opportunity for kids to play lacrosse. We focus on strong stick skills, tough defense, unselfish play, and a high level of sportsmanship. We provide a positive lacrosse environment and concentrate on doing all we can to offer the kids a club that they can grow with both athletically as well as socially. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse6

Goals & Principles Team Goals & Guidelines: HAVE FUN! Positive Reinforcement Teamwork & Effort Sportsmanship Everyone plays and the coaches will try their best to have equal playing time for all. We do not keep score and we play to get better and have fun We strive to keep balanced teams and not “stack” like other towns. We are a team and don’t have MVP’s or “best players.” Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse7

2015 House League Registration Eligibility: Girls K – 6th grade, Boys 1st – 6th grade Cost: $150 (includes new uniform for 2015), $175 after 3/15/15 All Registration needs to be done through the web site and closes on 3/31/15 Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse8 Click the REGISTER HERE NOW button on the web site homepage if you haven’t already

House Season FAQ’s What equipment do the girls need? Goggles (must meet the ASTM Specification Standards), mouth guard – must be a visible color (no clear or white allowed), cleats, and a Women's Lacrosse Stick NOTE: NO jewelry is allowed at any time during practice or games. What equipment do the boys need? Men's Lacrosse Stick, Lacrosse Helmet, Gloves, Arm Pads, Shoulder Pads, Cup, Mouth Guard, and Cleats - Football or soccer cleats are fine, no metal cleats Rib Guards are optional Are there every any rain outs or cancelations? Lacrosse is an all weather sport, but lightning and other extreme conditions (cold, hard rain, excessive heat, etc.) will stop play. Safety is always the top concern when it comes to our players. Games would more than likely be re-scheduled, but practice most likely would not be. When does the youth season begin and how long does it last? The Spring Outdoor House League season starts at the beginning of April and our season finale is usually around the second weekend in June. Practices and Games? Practice 3 times a week until the game schedule starts. Once the season starts, there are 2 practices and 1 game per week. Practice time is generally 1.5 hours. Time of practice may vary form coach to coach. Game schedules are arranged by the Rochester Area Lacrosse League ( and are normally scheduled in mid April. Directions and maps to all away games will be provided to you on the RALL web site. When are the Irondequoit Lacrosse jerseys handed out? Irondequoit Lacrosse Jerseys (pinnie and shorts) are handed out sometime before the first RALL game, which is usually the last weekend in April or the first weekend in May. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse9

House vs Travel Teams Key Differences… House Teams: No Tryouts Players play all positions and playing time split equally amongst all players Games are scheduled against other House Teams, while participating in 1 tournament Travel Teams: Tryouts w/ potential cuts – players have to be present for tryout to be considered for the team Players assigned to positions and playing time for players may vary Game play is all in tournaments (schedule TBD) & a higher level of competition Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse10 More details for the Travel Season will be coming out in the Spring

Website At the following and much more information…be sure to check back frequently: – News Items – Registration – Team Pages – Contacts/Schedules – Events Calendar – FAQ’s – Pictures – Feedback Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse11 Be sure to “like” us on Facebook

Volunteering We will be looking for Team Parents for each of the teams. There will be other opportunities posted on the Volunteering page of the site throughout the Spring. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse12 Be sure to let us know if you have any thoughts on volunteering

Key Calendar Items Registration $150 thru 3/15, $175 after thru 3/31 3/22 – IYL at Syracuse vs Duke Men’s Lacrosse 3/23 – IYL Apparel Sale at I-square 4/11 – IYL at the Knighthawks 4/12 – Spring Fling at IHS 5/2 – House League Games Begin 5/31 – IYL Fundraiser 6/20 – 6/21 – Irondequoit Invitational Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse13 We’ll announce other Key Calendar items as they become available

Parent Expectations Be a good listener and a great encourager. Cheer everybody on the team. Refrain from shouting instructions, as it might not be what the coaches have instructed. Do not pay your child for goals, as this does not promote the team concept we as a club are trying to get the kids to commit to. Have a parent or guardian stay with your child at practice/games in case of emergency. Make sure your child’s information is up to date on the site…we want to make sure the appropriate audiences are receiving our communications and they can sign up for programs that apply. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse14 Please…

Parent Expectations Mistakes will be made. Be ready to forgive the referee or coach that makes the mistake. Wait 24 hours before addressing a concern to make sure the emotions are in check. We are all representatives of our town and each other. Bad behavior reflects poorly on all of us. Poor behavior can have consequences, including your child’s playing time and suspension from IYL. Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse15 Note… More detail regarding the Code of Conduct and Participant Expectations are on the site and is something that is acknowledged when registering

Irondequoit Invitational The Irondequoit Invitational is an annual lacrosse tournament that is key to IYL keeping our programs affordable Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse16 This year’s tournament is June 20 th – 21 st. We encourage you to come out and support the tournament in any way you can.

Q & A Thanks for coming…we are looking forward to a fun season! Any questions??? Irondequoit Youth Lacrosse17