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posted 10/08/2017
Hampton Roads Lacrosse League (HRLax) and Coastal Sports Management/Southside Lacrosse League (SSLL) Joint Announcement
Southside Lacrosse Families,
As you know, Hampton Roads Lacrosse (HRLax) published an RFP in August requesting proposals from responsible parties to assume all or part of league management of HRLax Boys and Girls Youth and High School Programs. With the current and prospective growth of lacrosse in Hampton Roads, the HRLax Board of Directors recognized the need for a professional organization to ensure quality in player development, coach training, and scheduling.
HRLax received proposals and heard presentations from several local and well known national organizations and had the opportunity to ask detailed questions during an extensive review of proposals. The League held several meetings and discussions to review the merits and fit of each proposal in order to select the most qualified party.
We are pleased to announce that the HRLax Board of Directors voted to accept the proposal submitted by Coastal Sports Management / Southside Lacrosse League (SSLL) to assume the operation and management of the boys and girls youth leagues, effective immediately. HRLax will continue to operate and manage the spring boys and girls High School Leagues.
Jess Stevenson, President of HRLax said, "After many years of successful league operations and countless hours of volunteering by our staff and the many selfless lacrosse enthusiasts before us, we are excited to partner with a professional organization to deliver a better and more focused youth lacrosse experience. We expect both leagues, Southside Lacrosse League Youth and HRLax High School, to place a premium on "local" play on Southside and Peninsula, to accelerate the growth of the game and better support our efforts towards VHSL status in all cities in Hampton Roads."
HRLax boys and girls youth lacrosse players in 8th grade and below and qualified coaches on both the Southside and the Peninsula will be integrated into the SSLL structure. HRLax will discontinue all youth programs in the Hampton Roads region in order to focus solely on the boys and girls spring high school leagues.
SSLL will continue to align youth teams into current high school team zones in order to establish more high school team affinity. This approach is intended to facilitate the development of a “feeder” system for experienced lacrosse players into each high school team while engaging the respective Boosters Clubs and high school coaches in the process. The current HRLax Boys and Girls Youth League Commissioners, Melissa Strickland and Catherine Hardy, will continue in those roles with SSLL.
Frank Logan, Founder of Coastal Sports Management and SSLL, said, “Over the last 12 years I have enjoyed working with the numerous dedicated people who maintain a shared passion for the game of lacrosse and have worked tirelessly to enable more players and families to participate in the sport. This new structure is another positive step in making the sport more accessible and inclusive. I’m looking forward to continuing the effort to grow the game within the US Lacrosse “Athlete Development Model“ (LADM) framework.
One of the mutual goals of HRLax and SSLL is to gain Varsity High School League (VHSL) status for lacrosse in our public schools. Both organizations believe that this new approach will be a strong positive step in that direction. SSLL and HRLax plan to collaborate in an effort to gain VHSL status and grow lacrosse in Hampton Roads.
Both organizations look forward to a smooth transition for Spring 2018 teams and games and will be providing detailed information in the weeks ahead.
Thank You,
Frank Logan
President, Coastal Sports Management
