Frequently Asked Questions About Playing Lacrosse for the Storm
Q. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY FOR RMSLC ?
· The club registration fee for Spring 2020 is Boys - $275, Girls - $240
· US Lacrosse Member (current Feb.- June): $30 (required)
· New Storm Uniform (Shorts, Jersey, Shooter Shirt): $80 (required)
· $30 late fee applies after January 31st
· All players must provide their own equipment including helmet/pads, lacrosse stick, cleats & mouth guard
· (Lacrosse sticks range in price from $50 to $150)
· RMSLC provides practice pinnie
Q. WHAT DO MY FEES COVER ?
· RMSLC is a volunteer organization, so registration fees go toward operating costs: league fees, practice & game field rental, field lining, game jerseys, practice pennies, coaches equipment, goals and other administrative costs.
Q. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO PLAY LACROSSE ?
· Boys are required to wear: approved lacrosse helmet, shoulder pads, arm pads, approved lacrosse gloves, mouth guard (not clear), athletic cup, cleats and rib pads (rib pads are optional but highly recommended). Goalie equipment will be provided by the club.
· Girls are required to wear: mouth guard (not clear), cleats and approved lacrosse eye guards. Women’s lacrosse gloves are optional and the club will provide protective gear for goalies.
Q. DO PLAYERS NEED PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE TO PLAY FOR THE STORM ?
· No. Rocky Mountain Storm is a developmental club. Our goal is to field teams at every level of competition at every grade. We accept players regardless of experience at every grade level.
Q. WHEN DOES THE SEASON START AND END ?
· Practices typically start March 1st, depending upon weather conditions and coaches schedules. Games may start as soon as mid-March or beginning of April. Leagues try to avoid games during Spring Break, depending upon school district.
· The season ends with the CYLA Championship tournament in early June. All RMSLC teams will participate in this tournament.
Q. HOW OFTEN ARE PRACTICES AND GAMES ?
· Typically the younger grades (1-4) practice 2x per week. The older grades (5-8) practice 3x per week. In some cases this will depend upon the coach and weather conditions. Scheduled games usually take place on Saturdays with some Sundays, and are scheduled by the leagues.
Q. WHERE ARE THE PRACTICE FIELDS ?
· Practice fields may vary slightly from year to year. We typically have field space at: Long Lake, Fairmont Park, Maple Grove Park, Tanglewood Park, Drake Middle, Ralston Park, and North Arvada Middle. RMSLC is continually looking for more field space through the parks & rec. districts and Jeffco schools.
· Teams will be assigned a practice field(s) in mid to late February by the club and coaches.
Q. HOW ARE TEAMS PUT TOGETHER ?
· Teams are put together by the RMSLC Competition Committee, using guidelines set up by the club and the leagues. Younger ages (1st Grade/U7-3rd Grade/U9) are formed by the Committee with input from coaches. Teams for older players (4th Grade/U10-8th Grade/U15), will have player evaluation days in January and February. Click on the "Player Tryouts" tab on the left menu bar for more information on player evaluations. Impartial evaluators will assess each player’s skill level, athletic ability and attitude. This determines what level of league competition the player & team may be eligible to play.
Q. ARE THERE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPETITION FOR YOUTH LACROSSE ?
· RMSLC is a member of the Colorado Youth Lacrosse Association (CYLA) for boys and the Colorado Girls Lacrosse Association (CGLA) for girls. Each league has several levels of competition, based on skill level and experience. The CYLA for boys primarily has Blue (recreational/beginner), White (intermediate) and Red (most experienced) Divisions. The CGLA for girls has 3 levels (A,B,C) based on grade, and within Level A has two levels of competition: Silver and Gold.
Q. ARE TEAMS BASED ON AGE OR GRADE ?
· Both the the CYLA (boys) and the CGLA (girls) are age-based leagues. No player in high school (beyond 8th grade) can play youth lacrosse, regardless of age.
Q. CAN GIRLS PLAY ON BOYS TEAM AND VICE VERSA ?
· RMSLC does not allow girls to play on boys teams, and the CGLA does not allow boys to play on girls teams. Girls rules and boys rules are quite different, and the club feels it is best to develop players within their own rule set.
Q. WHAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA DOES RMSLC COVER ?
· RMSLC primarily serves north Lakewood, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Westminster and Genesee Park.
Q. WHERE WILL GAMES BE LOCATED ?
· The Storm currently play homes games at Long Lake (boys) and Maple Grove (girls). There are approximately 50-60 youth lacrosse clubs along the Front Range from Pueblo into Wyoming, and west into Summit County. The CYLA and CGLA try to schedule younger grades in the Metro area, but older grades may have to travel to play games.
