Free Intro Clinics

Short clinics allow kids of all ages to try the game in a low-pressure setting. Get your coaches and experienced older players to come help out.

The timing of the clinic can really help grow your program. If you hold the clinics in the fall just before registration opens, you can build a ton of buzz toward signing up for spring.

Promote the clinics by reaching out to your local paper and schools, posting flyers on community bulletin boards, email marketing, and Facebook. If you begin to build a relationship with the sports reporter at your local paper, you’ll be able to get coverage for your program in the future.

Hold registration on the web so that you can also collect email addresses from prospective players and continue reaching out to them for the future. Does this sound daunting? Check out formsite.com for EASY and free registration forms. You don’t even need a website (or access to your website) to use this tool.

TIP: Hold 2 or 3 clinics on consecutive weekends. You’ll get the same kids coming back over and over, and each week they’ll bring more friends!

Make sure it's clear that beginners are welcome, and no gear is required to attend — Make sure it’s clear that beginners are welcome, and no gear is required to attend!

School PE Class

The Brine "Whip It" lacrosse sticks are often used in school PE units — The Brine “Whip It” lacrosse sticks are often used in school PE units

Is there a lacrosse unit included in your middle school PE curriculum?

If not, check with your school’s PE teacher and ask how you can help get the lacrosse unit included.

See if they have a set of basic lacrosse sticks already, and if they don’t, reach out to your local US Lacrosse chapter for assistance with getting some.

Ask if you can send a coach over to talk to the kids about lacrosse when the unit is happening.

Check out US Lacrosse’s free PE Curriculum and equipment grant program

Wall Ball

Find a wall, pick a day, and be there every week during the summer for anyone who wants to come hang out and play wall ball. If you want to get creative, have some prizes for the players who show up the most, improve the most during the summer, bring a friend who has never played, or put in the most hours on the wall (think “summer reading club at the library”). All you really need is at least one coach or parent to be there playing with the kids and a big wide wall that’s friendly for wall ball.

From the policy and philosophy side…

Make it OK to start playing lacrosse at any age

If your board truly wants to grow the game and grow your club, make it your club policy that you welcome new players at any age and any level.

This means you have to have a “no-cuts” policy. If you have too many kids in your program, congrats! It’s time to split and grow a new program. It is never okay to cut players at the youth or high school level!

One of our favorite players ever was a French foreign exchange student named Pierre, who came out as a senior and played on our C team.

He was incredibly motivational for his squad and added something really special to that year, to the entire program. If it hadn’t been ok for him to play, that season would have been completely different and not nearly as fun!

Don’t you think if you’re on the C team, you should at least be having a total blast?

Think carefully about the message you send to your kids by allowing everyone to play. They are always welcome and accepted. They are part of a family. They are important.

Grades or violations of a clearly established behavior policy should be the only reason for letting kids go from a team.