Q: What are the differences between “Rec” and “Club” lacrosse?

A: Historically, a “rec” team was a community-based team with the goal of developing young players and
teaching fundamentals. Rec teams typically play close to home or in “in house” leagues. Oftentimes, rec
programs would offer more advanced travel or “all-star” teams for families that wanted more competitive play.

As lacrosse has exploded in popularity in the past twenty years, so has the proliferation of club lacrosse.

Club lacrosse is different from the recreation/community-based model that many of us grew up with.
Club teams tend to be run by private organizations and are often for-profit organizations. Club
organizations tend to cater to players who want to play lacrosse more than just during the spring season, want more focused instruction, and want to play at a more competitive level. Club programs
also tend to be much more expensive than rec programs.

Q: What is Ville Lacrosse?

A: It is a fun, competitive division of Catonsville Youth Lacrosse that is available to players and families that want a little more instruction and competition, and are willing to make a bigger commitment to
lacrosse. The Ville provides the community of Catonsville with access to club-level lacrosse (but without
the sticker price of traditional clubs).

We provide talented youth lacrosse players the opportunity to compete with their friends. We make it easier on families by offering local practices (no weeknight trips up the beltway for practice!). We
believe in offering the benefits of club lacrosse (e.g., more focused instruction and competitive play)
without the drawbacks (e.g., cost).

Q: How is Ville Lacrosse different from CLC Rec Lacrosse?

A: Ville Lacrosse is designed to help boys and girls players who love the sport of lacrosse and want to
make a more significant commitment to learning the game. Ville participants will have access to more focused instruction, and more competitive play. CLC Rec Lacrosse is best suited for families who enjoy lacrosse, but don’t want to make as significant of a commitment. Some of the key differences between
Ville and CLC Rec:

• Ville teams have tryouts, and participation is not guaranteed. CLC Rec does not have tryouts, and available to everyone.
• Ville teams practice/play year-round. CLC Rec is spring only.
• Ville teams will play in local club leagues, such as the Greater Howard County Lacrosse Conference (GHCLC) League. CLC Rec will play in an in-house league or the Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association (MYLA) league.
•  Ville teams will play in 1-2 Summer tournaments. CLC Rec does not (typically) participate in Summer tournaments.

Q: Who coaches Ville lacrosse?

A: We are a volunteer-based program, and most of our coaches are parents of children. However, these
parents have significant experience playing/coaching lacrosse at the high school and college level. We
are very proud of the experience our coaches bring to the Ville.

Q: What does a typical Ville Lacrosse experience look like?

A: Tryouts are held in July each year and teams form shortly thereafter. Typically, Ville teams will
practice once a week during the Fall and some Ville teams will participate in a Fall tournament. Ville
teams also have indoor sessions during the Winter months and some teams may play in a Winter indoor
league. In the Spring, Ville teams practice twice a week and will participate in Club-level leagues. Finally,
most Ville teams participate in two or three Summer tournaments. Players are expected to also practice on their own (i.e., wall ball/rebounder) to improve their skills.

Q: My son or daughter participates in other sports in the Fall and/or Winter. Will this be a problem with being a member of a Ville team?

A: While the Ville provides lacrosse instruction and activities outside of the Spring and Summer
tournament season, attendance at those activities should not come at the expense of an in-season sport. We encourage multi-sport athletes! That being said, attendance in the Fall and Winter is required provided there is not a conflict with an in-season sport.

Q: What about other sports during the Spring and Summer tournament season?

A: We require that members of the Ville prioritize lacrosse over other sports during our season. Playing
for the Ville requires a full commitment to lacrosse during the Spring and Summer tournament season.
During the Spring and Summer tournament season, it is not acceptable for Ville participants to miss lacrosse for out of season sports.

Families who would choose to miss an in-season lacrosse practice or game for an out of season sport are a better fit for the CLC Rec program.

If you have any specific questions about attendance in-season, please discuss with your team’s coach before accepting a position on a Ville team. Please carefully consider the commitment to your child’s
Ville coaches and teammates before accepting a position when offered.

Q: How much of a financial commitment is Ville?

A: Ville Lacrosse prides itself on providing high level coaching and play at a price point that is palpable to
area families. The costs of leagues and tournaments are divided evenly amongst the players on the team to cover those costs and are offered at a deep discount against other clubs in the area.
The exact costs vary year to year but, on average, it’s about $400-$700 dollars to participate for a year. We
collect the initial dues in the Fall, and then have another assessment in the Spring. Uniforms are a
separate fee and tend to cost about $75 dollars for the year. We try and not change the uniform design year to year, so players may not have to purchase a uniform each year. Participants are responsible for
providing their own equipment (i.e., stick and protective gear).

Q: I still have some questions about Ville Lacrosse. Who can I reach out to ask those questions or get more details?

A: clcvillelax@googlegroups.com