When Day Lacrosse Savings Time Rolls Around

March Madness is almost upon us and besides mid-March being the Ides of March; it is also what we refer to as “The Ides of Mid-Field.”

Yes, that special time of the year where little boys and girls gather their sticks, heads, mouth guards and other gear and have their parents sign them up for PAL Youth Lacrosse and drive them to meet their new mentors who will teach them the skills associated with this great sport.

Coaching boys and girls youth Lacrosse (or any youth sport or group activity) can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life, as long as you are adequately prepared with an appropriately grounded perspective of what it is you are trying to accomplish going in. As an assistant coach, I have found it is following the lead of the head coach and offering appropriate suggestions to help with their goals. Some coaches want to work on basic skills until the muscle memory becomes as regular as blinking an eye. Others want to work on advanced teamwork with multiple dodges and slides so that the participants work as a unit, not just a single player.

East Meadow PAL Lacrosse seems very dedicated to helping develop and encourage new coaches and to offer resources and support for existing coaches. Because of my years and years of watching my son get coached from volunteer dads to the professional players and coaches of the NCAA, Long Island Lizards and NY Titans, as well as attending a slew of youth coaching clinics, I have been asked to lend my accrued knowledge once again to the young boys of our town wishing to learn the skills and drills of this fabulous sport.

Last year I worked with a great head coach and some amazing other assistant coaches who took a ragtag group of wannabees and never-before-held-a-sticks into a team of players, who learned and laughed all the way to the playoffs. Two boys from that them were actually picked to be the regular season ball boys for the Long Island Lizards professional outdoor lacrosse team based on their skills, demeanor and drive. One of those amazing other assistant coaches will be the head coach of this year’s team, that I have signed up for and I look forward to working with him and others to mold our “lacrosse dressers” into a great group of players.

I seem to be unique and/ or have a unique perspective when it comes to this now, because my son is grown. He had played youth PAL lacrosse and has even played Division II NCAA games. Now he coaches at clinics and camps all over. Recently he was even asked to join the Middle eastern national Team in Israel, but turned that down to pursue his career as a Physical Education teacher.

We have been affiliated with professional lacrosse, in one capacity or another, for over 11 years. I have no child or even grandchild in the groups I coach. I am totally impartial. I know some parents think this sport can be very expensive, especially in this economy. I personally feel that any child that wants to play this sport should and I know of certain resources that can make that possible, if contacted privately. I have found that my affiliation with this sport has been a blessing.

If you are you considering coaching or have “volunteered” and are unsure of whether or not you are prepared for the challenge, let me tell you this, treat each child as you would want your child or your yourself at that age to be treated. If you are you questioning whether or not you are experienced enough, or if you have enough lacrosse knowledge to do a good job, just do your research and watch the other coaches closely. They are there to help you accomplish all that the team’s desire. I have personally found EM PAL Lacrosse coaches to be patient, caring people. Others, even on line, will supply you with some very nice coaching tools, drills, skills, spills, frills and thrills of Youth lacrosse, so that you can confidently enjoy the rewards of coaching this fantastic sport. If done correctly and fairly, in the end it will generate a positive, rewarding, and happy experience for the kids that both they, and you will grow from.

And if any parent is considering whether or not to sign their child up for PAL Youth Lacrosse, I say “GO FOR IT!” Call John Andre now and sign up your child. The more the merrier! Lacrosse is a great sport and while it is not for everyone in the long run, at most doing only one season of it will teach the building blocks that all children need to grow and become group participants and viable, responsible teens and later even possibly valued members of society.

At the very least, your child will have had fun running and playing with kids their own age and have some fun stories to tell at summer camp.