About Gorilla Lacrosse - www.gorillalaxva.org
Gorilla Lacrosse (GL) is a youth lacrosse program based out of western Fairfax County, VA. The program is being established to allow boys to have fun and play lacrosse at a higher level, while promoting multi-sport athletes and addressing some of the major problems with youth sports; including pay-to-play, overuse injuries, and burn-out. Players and coaches are expected to come from many of the neighboring rec lacrosse programs in the area.
GL is an endeavor of CYA Lacrosse to provide a different kind of club experience than many of those in the region, but players do NOT need to play for CYA. We are powered by our parent organization, the Chantilly Youth Association, which enables us to hold down our costs and provide a great experience by utilizing their many resources including administrative, financial, and facility.
Player Commitment
Players will make a year-round commitment to the team which will include:
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They must play a fall sport other than lacrosse.
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They must play a winter sport other than lacrosse.
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They must play for their local rec lacrosse club in the spring.
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They will attend as many of the GL practices as possible throughout the year when they don’t have a conflict with their other sports. Other sports take priority during those seasons. (GL will have 1 or 2 practices a month throughout the year, and 2 or 3 a week for several weeks leading up to and during the tournament seasons).
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They will play in 2 or 3 tournaments in the summer, and 1 or 2 tournaments in the late fall.
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Self-guided practice plans will be provided on a monthly basis to encourage players to compete amongst each other within small groups as they develop their individual skills.
We do not expect players, nor do we want the players to completely dedicate themselves to the sport of lacrosse and Gorilla Lacrosse. However, we do hope the players will learn how a little extra effort and hard work on their own will help both themselves and their team improve, and therefore will result in having more fun when they play the game. It is also our strong belief that the skills and abilities they develop by playing other sports, under other coaches, and with other teammates will transfer over to the lacrosse field when they return making them better lacrosse players.
All players must be members of the US Lacrosse Association. This is a requirement of most of the tournaments we will play in. You can obtain this registration at www.uslacrosse.org.
Gorilla Lacrosse Commitment
We look to provide a fun learning environment throughout the year for the boys to enjoy the game of lacrosse and become better players. We will do this while understanding that these young boys and their families have many different interests and other commitments.
Playing time – It is our belief that if you are paying to have your son be a part of the club to become a better lacrosse player and have fun, then they need to play in games to make this happen. We believe players need to play to get better, and will attempt to provide all players significant, if not equal, playing time throughout the tournaments. That being said, we also want to win games and advance in the tournaments we play in. We leave it to our coaches discretion as to how they allocate playing time in the fourth quarters and overtime in order to win games.
Costs
The current estimated cost is expected to be $700-$950 a year. (Several other clubs in the area range from $1,800 to $3,000+.) Our cost includes uniforms, tournament fees, field rental, coaching, and other miscellaneous costs. Players must provide their own equipment. We are in the process of establishing a team discount for helmets and gloves if families are interested in purchasing those, but this will be optional.
Team Info
GL will field teams for the 2021-22 club lacrosse season in the following graduation years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028/2029, and 2030/31.
Practice Locations and Times
Field space will be available in the Chantilly/Centreville/Herndon, Virginia area for practices.
Practice dates and times will be posted as soon as available. Initial practices will start in mid/late May, but some coaches may be able to get out earlier for optional practices.
Schedule
Tryout Dates
Tryouts will be held in March for Summer 2021. We will post the exact dates, times, and locations at www.gorillalaxva.org. All kids interested are welcome to try out. You do NOT have to be a CYA player. There are a limited number of slots available, as we want to keep teams at a manageable size so the boys get adequate playing time. All players must register for tryouts through the CYA registration system at http://chantillyyouth.demosphere-secure.com/_registration#welcome
Practices
Coaches will schedule practices in September, October, and November. Players are expected to make their fall sports a priority if there is a conflice.
Tournaments
Teams will likely play between 2-4 tournaments during the summer, and 1-3 tournaments in the fall. Tournaments are typically held within a drive of a couple of hours, although some may require a hotel stay. (Travel and hotel expenses are not included in registration fees).
Refund Policy
Even though Gorilla Lacrosse is a part of CYA, financially it is a stand-alone program and needs to be self-sufficient. Being part of CYA Lacrosse allows us to leverage lower costs and provide easier administration. However, all fees are final. We do not offer refunds once committed.
For additional information please contact Coach Tufts at Tom@GorillaLaxVA.org
