Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: What equipment will we need?
ANSWER:
(FOR BOYS)
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Mouth guards are mandatory for games for boys and girls. No player will be allowed to play in a game without a mouth guard! As well, the players must wear their mouth guards during practice. Because they are MANDATORY for practice and games, it's not a bad idea to pick up a few extra mouth guards to carry with you. Mouth guards are very inexpensive (one or two dollars at the most) and can be picked up at any sporting goods store. Please make sure your child has fitted the mouth guard to their mouth before the first practice. There should be directions on the package. If your child wears braces, you may want to contact your orthodontist to see what they recommend your child use to protect their teeth. Also for boys we recommend the guard that attaches to the face mask to reduce lost mouth guards.
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All players in the boys' league are required to wear a lacrosse helmet, shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, cup and a mouth guard. Rib pads are optional. HOCKEY EQUIPMENT IS NOT LEGAL FOR LACROSSE.
(FOR GIRLS)
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All players in the girls' league will be required to wear a mouth guard. Please read note 3 above.
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Eye protection is mandatory for all female players.
(BOYS and GIRLS)
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Make sure your child has soccer style cleats that are comfortable or lots of running. We also recommend that they have a turf type shoe as a back up because we sometimes go through periods of dry weather in the spring and when the ground is very hard, shoes with cleats can cause injury and lead to shin splints.
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It's a good idea to have a water bottle at practice and games.
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If your child decides to play in the goal, we will have a complete set of the necessary goalie equipment for use during games and practices.
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Be sure to label your ball, stick gloves, elbow pads, helmet with your name.
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Each child will need a lacrosse stick If you need assistance looking at different brands and styles, please ask your coach.
QUESTION: Is equipment expensive?
ANSWER: A full set of equipment including helmet ($100), mouthpiece ($2), and shoulder pads ($35), gloves ($50), elbow pads ($30), stick ($50) and cleats ($35) will cost $300 and more depending on what you purchase. Remember, helmets will fit your child for several years. The prices are provided as a small guide for you. BEFORE YOU BUY EQUIPMENT, talk to coaches and parents who may have equipment. Lacrosse is a sport where hand-me-downs are quite common!! For beginner players (K-4), we have some equipment that can be loaned with a deposit.
QUESTION: Where do I get Lacrosse equipment?
ANSWER: Lacrosse equipment must fit properly to provide correct protection, until you understand fitting issues we recommend going to a lacrosse supplier that can ensure equipment fits right. While Dick's Sporting Goods, Sports Authority do carry equipment, we have found they are OK to use for general stuff that does not need to be checked for fit. The most critical will be the boys helmet and girls goggles. There are also MANY web sites for ordering. Some we have found success with are: www.QCLAX.com , www.laxworld.com. Again, talk to parents, coaches, Ocean lacrosse board members, etc who may have insight on places to go.
QUESTION: When are games?
ANSWER: Over the past few years the numbers of regular season games has increased with the addition of more local clubs to play. We now average about 10 games for each team. Game for boys and girls can be ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. Much like little league and unlike soccer you may play a lacrosse game one week on Tuesday and Saturday and the next week it may be Thursday and Sunday. A lot of this is driven by field space availability for us and the clubs we play. On average teams are on the field 3 days a week.
QUESTION: Where do we play games?
ANSWER: Home games are planned to be at the Intermediate School field
There will also be several away games for each team. Away games will require traveling around the Central Jersey area if you need assistance in arranging carpooling or rides, please contact your team coach.
QUESTION: Are there tournaments?
ANSWER: Yes, tournaments are typically scheduled for Saturday or Sunday. Each team will play between 3 and 6 games per tournament. Please plan on spending the entire day at most tournaments it's a blast! Tournament entry fees ARE INCLUDED in your registration fee.
QUESTION: How will we know if games or practices are cancelled?
ANSWER: Please check the Team's mail massage box on the club's voice mail system for the instant news like game or practices cancellations due to weather or other issues. Our web site will also be used to communicate information that may be unique to your team.
QUESTION: When will we find out our games schedule?
ANSWER: Game schedules and directions will be posted on the website as soon as they are available, most likely in March. Each team member will be given instruction on how to retrieve game schedules off the web. Keep in mind that game locations and times change during the season so it's important to check an updated schedule throughout the season.
QUESTION: When does the lacrosse season begin and end?
ANSWER: The season starts in early March and ends in mid June.
QUESTION: When and where are practices?
ANSWER: Each team will practice on average two or three times each week. Practices will begin the 1st full week in March. Practice times vary based on each coaches availability. However, your coaches are instructed by the Clubthat they need to select a practice schedule for the season this will help everyone plan their spring as best we can. Monday through Fridays; typically starting at 5:00 for most teams during march (no daylight savings) and starting about 5:30 PM after daylight savings. (typical length of practice is 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
QUESTION: Where are practices held?
ANSWER: We practice at the following locations: The Ocean Intermediate School.
QUESTION: What if my child's soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. overlaps?
ANSWER: Some athletes play other sports, so if there's a one or two-week overlap in seasons that's okay. Make sure you attend as many of the practices you can and be sure to communicate this with the coach.
QUESTION: Does my child need to be at every practice?
ANSWER: Attendance at each practice and game is expected. Practices are crucial for preparing for games. It is expected that if a player misses a practice they will be excused by a parent ahead of time; either by note or message to the coach. Children that are new to the game should make every effort to attend all practices. There is a lot to learn not just from a fundamental aspect of the game but team plays and game rules.
QUESTION: What clothes should players wear to practice?
ANSWER: each child will get a practice jersey as part of the registration fee; this must be with your child at all practices. Any comfortable athletic clothing is fine for practice. Remember that layering is always a good idea. While it might be quite warm at 4:00 p.m. when we start practicing, it usually gets pretty cool when the sun starts to set. A rain jacket can often come in handy. Uniforms should never be used at practice.
QUESTION: How is registration run and how are roster spots awarded to players?
ANSWER: We have now moved to an on line registration process but our club policy is unchanged. We always give a returning player a grace period to register for the following season. Typically, this is one month from the day we start the registration process. New players are placed on a wait list and will be offered a roster spot based on availability. The number of coaches that volunteer is related directly to the number of players we can accept.. (EX: if the club had twenty-one (21) 7th grade players and they all return for the 8th grade season, we would only have one (1) open spot as we lock our rosters with a maximum of 22 players. This is done to ensure a quality experience for the kids and parents and coaches. Should we have 8 or 9 8th graders on a wait list, we will be contacting ALL 8th grade parents to volunteer to coach so that we can accept all the kids and run 2 teams.
QUESTION: Confirmations: Will I get a confirmation of registration, team assignments, etc.?
ANSWER: We will send a confirmation of registration and you will be notified of team assignments once they are finalized. We will assume you use emails and encourage your use of our web site. It is essential that we have the correct email and phone numbers for you.
QUESTION: When will we know about practice times, coaches, team assignments?
ANSWER: We hope to start assembling teams in early January and have that complete by February 1st. The reason it is so important to get registrations in now is so these types of decisions can be made and communicated to parents as soon as possible.
QUESTION: When will we know if child's coach from last year will be coach for this year?
ANSWER: No coach is authorized to commit to coaching any specific child except their own child. Coaching assignments and team configuration will start in early January and we target completion by February 1.
QUESTION: When will rosters come out?
ANSWER: Mid-to-end of February - dictated somewhat by flow of registrations
QUESTION: When will uniforms and other purchases arrive?
ANSWER: Uniforms will be distributed the week before the first game. They are your uniforms to keep and maintain.
QUESTION: Do you need volunteers?
ANSWER: The success of our season depends on the willingness of our parents to help out. There are many areas for parents to volunteer. If you are interested, please view the volunteer's page on our web site. If you do not volunteer you will be assigned to an area as needed by your team or the club in general. Everyone is expected to provide more than just funding support to this club.
QUESTION: What is your refund policy?
ANSWER: All registration fees are final! Any refunds must be approved by the OYLAX board. The only exception is if someone pays and there are no roster spots open.
QUESTION: My child already belongs to US Lacrosse. Why do I have to sign up during registration?
ANSWER: For club insurance reasons we require a new membership each fall so that we can ensure that all our players are covered thought-out the season.
QUESTION: Why are the levels determined by grade and not by age?
ANSWER: The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) determines the rules for youth lacrosse and although minor modifications can be made by the league, the OYLAX Club chooses to conform to the grade level rules.
QUESTION: What is the policy for boys playing at a different grade level?
ANSWER: Sometimes there are not enough players to complete a roster at a grade level so we will combine grade levels on one team. This is only done with board approval and the team must compete at the highest grade level of kids on that team. Players can play UP but CAN NOT Play DOWN. in other words, if we are playing a 7th grade game, a 6th grader can play in that game if needed to fill a roster but an 8th grader can not play.
QUESTION: We live outside of Ocean Township but all the teams where we live are full. Can my child play on a OYLAX team?
ANSWER: Yes. Lacrosse does not yet have district boundaries like other sports. There are rules regarding recruiting but if the appropriate team from your area is full, or if there is no youth program in your area he/she can play for OYLAX.
QUESTION: I watched a game and was a bit confused, what are the rules?
ANSWER: Lacrosse rules are fairly complex at first glance. We refer you to an excellent web site: http://www.laxrules.com/
QUESTION: How do we communicate within the club?
ANSWER: In an effort to reduce costs we are eliminating most paperwork and are rapidly moving to all computer-based information.
QUESTION: Will there be directions to away games on the website?
ANSWER: Yes. Away game directions will be maintained on our site.
QUESTION: What will be posted on the website?
ANSWER: Practice and game schedules, field directions, camps/clinics, links to local games and organizations and current events for the club. News flashes, lost and found, registration information etc.
QUESTION: Who do I contact if I have a roster correction?
ANSWER: Email your change to the Club Administrator. It's important to keep the club updated with the most current email address and correct insurance information for your child.
QUESTION: Who do I contact if I want to help or have a suggestion?
ANSWER: You can email our Club Administrator who will then pass on any information to the organization.
QUESTION: Why are some of the teams we play so far away? Other sports my child plays don't play games that far away unless they are at a competitive level.
ANSWER: There aren't as many organizations that sponsor lacrosse in this area as like, football or baseball, etc. That is due to the number of children playing (That is changing quickly) and the number of adults who have interest and experience in lacrosse volunteering their time to develop the sport. Most of the organizations sponsoring lacrosse (including the OYLAX) are barely able to get the coaches they need for the kids who want to play. As the sport grows we will undoubtedly have more organizations that are closer to Cherry Hill involved in the sport.
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