HISTORY OF YAC BOYS LACROSSE
The Yorktown High School Lacrosse Program is one of the oldest and most successful programs in the Country, having produced as many High School and Division I Collegiate All America, and Major League Lacrosse players as any other program. The tremendous tradition and pride of the Yorktown Lacrosse Program goes back to its start with the program’s beloved benefactor, the late Charlie Murphy. The lacrosse culture, developed through Mr. Murph, offers unique experiences and relationships to the members of the Yorktown Lacrosse community. The YAC Youth Lacrosse Program serves as an entry to this unique culture and community, and has a responsibility to help preserve the tradition and pride established through Mr. Murph and the rest of the Yorktown Lacrosse community.
This incredible success of the Yorktown Lacrosse Program creates high expectations in parents and players, starting at the youth level and increasing as players move up through the program. All too often parents and players look to YAC to mold players into All America caliber, rather than enjoying the experience. The YAC Lacrosse Program, however, cannot be expected, and should not be used by its coaches, to create All America players. Such high status comes only through a players’ physical gifts, and own love of the game that creates a desire to play and learn beyond YAC Lacrosse. It is impossible to predict high school and collegiate success at the youth level, as so many unpredictable factors such as physical maturation, skill development, and interest determine such success. The YAC Lacrosse Program therefore feels that all players should get significant playing time at all levels of its youth lacrosse program. The program is not designed to focus on select players, or give an inordinate amount of playing time to any player, including children of coaches.
The goal of the YAC Lacrosse Program is to teach its players basic lacrosse skills while allowing them all to have fun and gain a love for the game, so they want to play lacrosse on their own and come back to play next year.
All grade levels from 3 through 8 will field equally balanced teams. In addition to these balanced teams, the 5/6 and 7/8 will have a travel level (Husker) team for those players looking for a more competitive level. Further explanation of each level of YAC Lacrosse Program, including tournament play, is provided on the YAC Lacrosse website under www.yacsports.org and then click on the Boys Lacrosse link.
YAC Lacrosse also recognizes that a youth lacrosse players’ skill level and commitment can change dramatically from 5th grade through high school - proficiency in elementary or middle school does not guarantee success in the future, and skills can improve dramatically over such period. Accordingly, all players at each level will be allowed to play different positions, even if this decreases team competitiveness. The focus on all levels of YAC Lacrosse is on teaching and fun, not wins and losses
To help maintain this focus throughout the YAC Lacrosse Program, the YAC believes that it is important to implement a Code of Conduct for its youth lacrosse players, coaches and players’ parents, to encourage and foster appropriate behavior and values, and maintain the tradition, pride and culture begun by Charlie Murphy and fostered by the rest of the Yorktown Lacrosse family. While the attached Code of Conduct is designed to help accomplish this, it is up to each player, coach and parent to do their best to help make the childrens’ youth lacrosse experience fun and instill in them the values to preserve the pride, tradition and success of the Yorktown Lacrosse Program.
