At U-13 (grades 5 and 6) and U-15 (grades 7 and 8), the HopLAX program has two teams:

 

• The “Classic” program, which is the same type of program as U-9 and U-11. There will be 1 practice a week with games on Sundays. The teams will be designed to be equal in strength and coaches target equal playing time for all players.

• The “Select” program is an optional, additional element of the program. The Select program is designed for the athletes who make lacrosse their top priority in the spring and who wish to play a more competitive level of lacrosse. HopLAX employs outside coaches to run our Select teams whenever possible.

 

Our Select teams practice during the spring season on Thursday nights with games on Friday nights. It’s possible our schedule could add a Saturday game as well. We understand that many of our players are multi-sport athletes with many other spring commitments. In order to participate in the Select program, players must commit to attendance at Thursday practices and Friday games. Accommodations can be made for extreme situations, however events such as school dances or another sport’s practice/game will not be considered an excused absence.

 

The Select game structure is not designed for equal playing time. Every effort will be made to allow for all Select players to contribute on game day, however parents and players should expect playing time to be earned based on skill, effort and coachability and will be dictated by the Head Coach.

 

Select players are expected to participate in the Classic program as well. In order maximize development as lacrosse players, our Select athletes must take advantage of every opportunity to improve.

Players who wish to be considered for the Select team can participate in the HopLAX winter leagues at Forekicks. These sessions are used as player evaluation tools by the coaches. If a player cannot participate in the winter leagues because of scheduling conflicts, we will hold a Select evaluation workout in late February. Evaluators will be looking at a player’s skill, attitude, effort and coachability. Past coach evaluations will also be used as tools for deciding Select rosters. An ideal roster size for a Select team will range from 18-22 players. This means that the coaching and evaluation staffs usually have to make some tough decisions on who earns a Select roster spot for the spring.

 

Players are encouraged to use the fall and winter months wisely – practicing stickwork, footwork, watching college/pro lacrosse everyday to make sure they are in top form for our indoor sessions. Wallball is crucial – the biggest, fastest, most aggressive teams will get beat, badly, if they can’t throw/catch/possess the ball with both hands. Please see the Player Development section of the website for more details on Wall Ball and offseason exercises.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at hopkintonlax@gmail.com anytime.