What is Bear Creek Lacrosse?

• Bear Creek Lacrosse is a non-profit, volunteer based organization dedicated to spreading the great sport of lacrosse.
• We emphasize teaching the sport of lacrosse, while simultaneously teaching young athlete’s positive life skills.
• We partner with US Lacrosse and the Arapahoe Youth League (boys)/Colorado Girls Lacrosse Association (Girls) to participate league play within the “Central” Colorado region.

Who coaches for Bear Creek Lacrosse?

• We have a mix of parents and young men who volunteer their time.  Almost all of our coaches have either coaching experience and/or lacrosse playing experience.
• Some of our coaches have completed the US Lacrosse certification program, while others are pursuing this certification.
• All of our coaches are required to complete the Positive Coaching Alliance "Double-Goal Coach: Coaching for Winning and Life Lessons" course.
• All of our coaches must complete "Concussion" training
• All of our coaches must pass a confidential background investigation.

My child has never played lacrosse.  Can he/she play for Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse?

All kids Grades K through 8 are welcome to play for Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse.  We have experienced coaches who do an amazing job teaching inexperienced players the skills, rules, how to honor the game of lacrosse.


Are there different levels of competition?
Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse is a member of the Arapahoe Youth League (AYL) which  has several levels of competition, based on skill level and experience.  The AYL has Blue (beginners), White (intermediate) and Red (most experienced) Divisions. 

2021 Spring Age Teams

When is Lacrosse Played?

• Full Team Lacrosse
• Boys Play in the Arapaho Youth League play versus other Colorado teams.
• Full Equipment on full sized lacrosse field. (Approximately the size of a football field) for Grade 3 and up
• Full Equipment on Small Sided Fields Grade 1 and 2
• Limited Physical Contact through Under 12
• Emphasis on developing basic skills, learning the game, and team building

• Light Version of the Spring Season
• Full Team Lacrosse
• Boys Play in the Arapaho Youth League play versus other Colorado teams.
• Full Equipment on full sized lacrosse field. (Approximately the size of a football field/Younger Players play on a reduced size field)
• Limited Physical Contact through Under 12
• Emphasis on developing basic skills, learning the game, and team building

My Child plays another sport.  Can he/she play for Bear Creek Lacrosse?

Bear Creek Lacrosse openly welcomes your two-sport young athlete.  In fact, the experts say that kids should not focus on a single sport and encourage multi-sport participation.
 
How do we know what team our child is on, and when his/her practices are?

• Team rosters, practice schedules, and locations will be posted on the website.
• Rosters typically are not finalized until late February (Spring) and players will likely be moved from one team to another up until this point.
• Coaches will also email their teams soon after receiving their rosters, which is typically late February.
• You can view these rosters by clicking on the "Team Pages" tab at the top of the website, and then clicking on "Rosters" on its dropdown menu.  Rosters can only be viewed by Bear Creek members, so you will need to log in at the bottom of the page.
• Our plan is for most of our teams practice at Schaefer Athletic Complex (Kipling & Hampden) during the Spring Season.  The fall season will use an alternate field.

How are teams formed?
Placing new or beginning players on a team is much easier than returning players.  We try to group beginning or less experienced players together on teams that will play in a division appropriate to their experience level.  Arapahoe Youth League (AYL) our parent organization is based on age and expected competitive level.  Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse has to choose from three general levels for each age group in Red (advanced), White (intermediate), and Blue (basic).

In the event that we have too many kids for a single team, but not enough for two teams we use the date and time that you registered/paid your deposit to determine who is placed on the team.  You may have been informed that your team is having try-outs and that you do not have to worry about registering.   This is only true in the event that there are enough kids to have more than a single team at a particular age group.  When we have only one team at a particular age group that teams roster will be formed based on first come first serve.  This same strategy would be used for more than two teams as well.  For example, if we have 45 kids sign up and our teams are 18 players per team.  Only the first 36 kids registered would be placed on one of the two teams.

We receive requests for new players to be grouped with returning players.  In many cases, it is difficult to grant these requests as returning players are usually part of teams which already have full rosters.  Furthermore, we believe that players develop more rapidly and have a greater comfort level when they are placed with teammates of similar experience and ability.   

When combining teams from previous years, mixing and matching age groups to fill rosters, and with returning players the process is impossible to perfect.   Team formation is difficult for players, coaches and parents.  Every new season we must attempt to balance a series of competing objectives in order to produce rosters.  A partial list of these requests:  

• Coaches and parents desire to have the most competitive team possible
• Parents request to carpool
• Parents belief that teammates should have equivalent skill level to their son
• Parents wish to watch with their friends, regardless of their child’s skill level.
• Players wish to play with their friends, regardless of friend’s skill level
• Organizational requirement for balanced roster sizes

In a perfect world we could accomplish each of these requests, unfortunately team placement can’t work that way.   We will work diligently to create rosters that work for the most teams/kids.  In most cases, these rosters are final and changes are not likely. 

Furthermore, we may utilize input from our tryout process to determine placements for our duplicate age group teams.   Please note that players do not have to participate in tryouts, we will automatically assign these players to the appropriate level team on the basis of their experience and coach input from previous seasons.

We recognize that some parents may not agree with their son’s placement, as they may have a different evaluation on their son than his previous coaches or I have.  Sometimes we make mistakes.  So we hope that parents will recognize that our goal is always to place a player on the team which will give him the best opportunity to develop and succeed. 

One of the most common request is for a players' parent to request to play up.  Here is a collection of information that may be helpful.

Should a 7-year old play on a 10-year old team?  (Click to Read)

10U: Should My Child Be ‘Playing Up?”

The Race to Nowhere in Youth Sports (Click to Read)

3 Myths that are destroying the Youth Sports Experience for our Kids  (Click to Read)

Should Your Child ‘Play Up’?

In general, Bear Creek will not move players based on skill.  Occasionally, we may need to move players to adjust for too many players or not enough at one age group.

We understand that you have a choice and appreciate your continued support of Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse, as we continue to grow each season.

What if I'm not placed on the team I wanted my child on?
We hope that your son/daughter continues to play lacrosse.  However, if your child drops after you registration closes you will be charged $100, you may also be liable for your son/daughters uniform if it has already been ordered.

What is the Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse Uniform?

• The Uniform 2016 will be purchased directly online from Boathouse and includes:
  • Reversible tank style game pinnie/jersey with team name and player number
  • Game Shorts (Optional for U7-U9 Teams)
  • Purchases will only be available from February 8 to February 21st.
• Players numbers will be assigned.
• Players will keep their uniforms and they should be able to use them for 2-3 seasons; depending on care and your child's growth.

What equipment does my child need?

• Boys must have a boys lacrosse stick, helmet, gloves, shoulder and elbow pads, cup and a mouth guard.  We also recommend cleats and a water bottle. Hockey gear is not acceptable for use.
• You can purchase equipment from one of the local sporting goods stores.  You can often find discount coupons on our "Documents" page.

Should I purchase any specific brand of stick or equipment?
Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse does not endorse any specific brand of stick or equipment, but we do recommend that you purchase a white helmet. 
 
I have a question about lacrosse rules?

Click to view/download the US Lacrosse Youth Rules & Best Practices Guidebook for Boys

Click here to view 2020 AYL House Rules about game length, stick lengths, checking rules and more...

Click to view/download the US Lacrosse Youth Rules & Best Practices Guidebook for Girls

Where to buy equipment
Equipment can be purchased at most sporting goods stores and several lacrosse specific stores are also a good source.

Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse Sponsors:

• Dick's Sporting Goods -

Gear up for lacrosse season at Dick’s Sporting Goods! Through the BCJSA partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, families can save throughout the year on lacrosse items. Click on the coupon here and save on the best brands in the business – Warrior, Harrow, Brine, STX, Cascade, Maverik – and many, many others. Dick’s Sporting Goods is a great resource for all of your lacrosse needs including sticks, helmets, cleats, gloves, pads and everything else to keep you one step ahead! And, keep an eye out for a special discounted shopping day for all BCJSA lacrosse families before practice starts.

Other Lacrosse Retailers

• Breakway Lacrosse
• Dicks Sporting Goods (A Sponsor of Bear Creek Junior Sports Association and Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse)
• LaxWorld
• Lacrosse Unlimited
• Play-it Again Sports
• Players Bench
• Rocket-it Pocket Lacrosse Heads and Shafts  (Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse Sponsor)

 
Who should I contact if I still have a question?
For questions about the Bear Creek Youth Lacrosse programs, please email Dan Guenther at "; ename="