Our Philosophy - Rec Program
Maryland Lacrosse Club (MLC) has been a part of the Baltimore youth lacrosse scene since the 1990s. Our program focuses on the development of the whole player--meaning we emphasize the importance of teamwork and character just as much as we develop individual skills and team strategy. We believe that athletics--and lacrosse in particular--can teach boys a variety of valuable lessons about teamwork, resilience, and dedication (among other things), and in our view those lessons are best taught by expressly discussing and emphasizing them as part of practice. We hope that your son's experience on the lacrosse field will complement the character development lessons he receives in the classroom and at home.
In making decisions for our Rec program (clinic through Tyker), we are guided by several principles:
Kids should play multiple sports. MLC encourages our players to participate in multiple sports and to avoid single-sport specialization at a young age. From a lacrosse perspective, we believe participation in other activities is important for fostering creativity on the field and protecting against over-use injuries and burn-out. More importantly, we believe young athletes should have the time and space to try a variety of sports and foster a love of competition.
Youth sports should be fun. While sports offer a variety of educational and character-building benefits, the reason that sports are a great vehicle for those messages is that they are and should be enjoyable. We aspire to develop a love for the game in our players that will fuel their participation in the sport for years to come.
More is not always better. While we offer a high quality lacrosse experience with excellent coaching, we believe in providing time for players to enjoy being children away from the lacrosse field. We do not compete off-season to allow players the opportunity to play other sports and activities. Our in-season schedule allows for several off days per week to allow for rest, to lower the chance of burn-out, and to avoid overburdening families.
At-home work is important. While our official practices (where we teach skills and strategy) are limited, we do strongly encourage players to practice their skills at home. An additional 30-50 minutes/week will help your player’s skills improve dramatically. This can be done in small chunks alone, but it is also a great opportunity for you to spend some time with your child (and—honestly—no lacrosse experience or skill is necessary to help them improve!). Please check back for our forthcoming Skills Development Page for more information and ideas.
Age-Appropriate Activities. Players should be put in a position to learn and develop their skills. Factors like field size, number of players on the field, and legality of body checking can have a significant impact on player experience. It simply does not make sense for seven year olds to be playing NCAA rules on a full-sized field. We generally agree with USA Lacrosse’s recommended age-based rule modifications, and we endeavor to participate in competition opportunities that align with these recommendations.
Players should have the opportunity to compete. Young players cannot improve sitting on the sideline. Accordingly, all team members should get a meaningful opportunity to play in games. (In the rare occasion where a player remains disengaged from practices and games and does not demonstrate an interest in competing or working hard, we may recommend that a player’s participation be limited to practice due to safety concerns and in the interest of fairness to the players who wish to play. Additionally, we discourage signing up your son against his wishes.)
Practice should be meaningful. Practices should develop both players’ skills and game awareness over the season. We plan our practices to ensure players are moving rather than waiting in line and that players have a ball in their stick as much as possible.
High Quality Coaching. We select coaches who will create a positive and supportive atmosphere to help our young players build confidence. Head coaches all have significant coaching experience (and, in many cases, are also current or former teachers/educators). Each team also has enthusiastic and caring assistant coaches (most of whom have substantial experience themselves). Our program directors also provide support planning practices and suggesting drills. Our teams often practice together to allow for players to interact with multiple coaches and gain exposure to different tips and coaching points.
Participation should be affordable. While there are many financial costs associated with running our program, we strive to keep costs low and pass those savings on to MLC families. MLC is a non-profit entity, and there is no for-profit venture associated with our program (unlike some other youth sports organizations). All of our coaches are unpaid volunteers.