Southwestern Youth Association Sports

About SYA Lacrosse

SYA Warriors and Lady Warriors Lacrosse offers two seasons for boys and girls. Our primary season is spring with team play for boys and girls from age 5 through 14. Our fall season is based on instruction and training with some scrimmaging. 

For the Spring season, our boys are divided into the following age groups: Under 14(14U), 12U, 10U, 8U & Boys Little Scoopers (Age 5-7). A player’s age group is determined by his age on August 31 of the calendar year most recently completed. For example, if your son was nine years old on August 31, 2012, he will be placed in the 10U age group, since he will be under 9 years old on August 31, 2021. Girls are grouped by grade, Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th, 7th & 8th. Age and grade groups are divided into the skill levels of  A – highly skilled, B– moderately skilled, and C– skilled, and beginners.

We participate in the Northern Virginia Youth Lacrosse League (NVYLL) during our spring season, and compete against 24 other youth lacrosse organizations in the Northern Virginia area including: Alexandria, Algonkian, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Braddock Road, Chantilly, Dulles South, Fairfax Police, Falls Church, Fauquier, Fort Hunt, Great Falls, Herndon, Loudoun West, Massassas, McLean, Prince William, South County, Spotsylvania County, Springfield, Stafford, and Vienna.

All information pertaining to Warriors boys’ and Lady Warriors girls’ lacrosse can be found here. If we are missing something, please let our Commissioner DeAnna Hughes know. Thank you.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

How can I help? 

Annually, we have multiple positions we need to fill in order for Southwestern Youth Association Lacrosse to be successful.  We are 100% Volunteer Powered and proud of each volunteer

There is always a need for:

· Coaches for Boys and Girls - head and assistant coaches for all ages/grades 

Additionally, we currently need these board positions:

· Equipment Assistants - assist with distribution and collection of rental equipment 

· Field Commissioners - assigned a weekend in the spring to supervise the field for all games at that location for a given day. May be handled by each team at home games.

· Fundraising and Sponsorships Coordinators

· Website Coordinator- technical person to make this site look professional and up to date

· Secretary- take minutes at meetings

We anticipate growth this spring, so if you are reading this and are willing to help, let us know early. Many Thanks!

Contact us at commissioner@syalacrosse.org


Seasons

The Warriors and Lady Warriors main seasons take place in the spring, typically between March and early June. We compete in the Northern Virginia Youth Lacrosse League (NVYLL).

The NVYLL game schedule will begin the weekend of March 25th and goes through May 20th. The boys typically play an 8 game schedule usually on Saturdays; the girls play 8 games on Sundays, however, it is possible to have games on either day of the weekend. After the regular 8 game season there are playoff games held prior to Memorial Day weekend. There are no games held on Easter weekend or Memorial Day weekend. All teams will have at least one "double-header" weekend during the regular season where they will play one game on Saturday and one game on Sunday. The season will be completed and the championships held prior to Memorial Day weekend. The emphasis is on teaching at the U8 & K-2 age groups; therefore, there are no playoffs at that level nor scores kept. Our home field is the artificial “Pro Turf” at E.C. Lawrence Park.

SYA hosts clinic in the fall on Sunday afternoons normally starting the weekend after Labor day in September through the end of October, with makeup dates due to weather cancelations in November. It is designed for boys and girls new to lacrosse (novice or first year players) as well as those anxious to pick up their sticks and work on their skills for the upcoming Spring season.  We will be coming together to have a fun and safe place to get the kids on the field and get our community together. All players are grouped by age for boys (8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U) and by grade for girls (K-2nd, 3rd/4th, 5th/6th and 7th/8th).  We will do our best to make the days fun filled for all age groups and skill levels.This is an instructional season with some scrimmaging against neighboring programs, if they are available. The focus is training and fun. Please click on the QUICK LINKS FALL SEASON for more information.

Registration

Registration typically opens on December 1 for Spring and May 1 for the fall.  Since the number of teams we field is limited by the number of coaching volunteers we can gather, we recommend registering early to avoid wait lists and possible non-placement. We try our best to place every registrant on a team; however, we do have to consider team size limits and playing time.

We typically hold our Player-Parent Meeting prior to the assessments taking place- usually in February.  We discuss expectations for the upcoming season. Our most recent Player-Parent briefing can be accessed here.


Equipment

Equipment issue will be held the last 2 weeks of January for the Spring season and the last weekend of August for the Fall season.

Boy's Equipment:

Each player is responsible for providing their own required equipment listed below:

· Boy’s Lacrosse stick. We recommend sticks similar to the STX Boys' Stallion 50 Lacrosse Stick.

· Helmet (recertified at least every two years)

· Shoulder Pads. New rule for January 1, 2022 season- all boys shoulder pads must be a NOCSAE ND200 certified product, please visit the SEI website (https://www.seinet.org/search.htm) and look at the commotio cordis protection certified options.

· Elbow pads

· Gloves

· Mouthguard - (clear mouthguards are NOT permitted)

· Cleats- rubber only, no metal. Turf shoes are allowed

· Protective cup and supporter (highly recommended)

· Rib Pads (optional)

You can rent the helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, and elbow pads during the registration process. Our rentals do not include: a stick, mouthguard, cleats, protective cup, or rib pads. Those items must be purchased by you prior to the season.

 

Girl's Equipment:

Each player is responsible for providing their own required equipment listed below:

· Girl’s Lacrosse Stick. We recommend sticks similar to the Under Armour Girls' Futures Mesh Complete Lacrosse Stick.

· Protective Eye Wear. New rule for January 1, 2021 season all girls goggles must be a NOCSAE ND200 certified product, please visit the SEI website (https://www.seinet.org/search.htm) and look at the Eye Protection for Women’s Lacrosse certified options.

· Mouthguard (without a strap - clear mouthguards are NOT permitted)

· Cleats- rubber only, no metal. Turf shoes are allowed

· Gloves (optional)

You can rent the protective eye wear during the registration process. Our rentals do not include: a stick, mouthguard, cleats, or gloves. Those items must be purchased by you prior to the season.

For more information on equipment be sure to check the USA Lacrosse website to ensure your equipment meets regulations: https://www.usalacrosse.com/equipment. If you are looking for information on SEI/NOCSAE certified face masks and chest protectors you can view that here: https://www.seinet.org/search.htm#sections=NOCSAE_collapse3,NOCSAE_Lacrosse_collapse31.

Equipment collection is the responsibility of the parents. We request parents wash equipment and jerseys after the last game and return it during one of the equipment collection days. We will return deposit checks once equipment and jerseys are returned in a reasonable condition. Deposit checks will be cashed within two weeks after season’s end if equipment is not returned during one of the equipment collection days.


Player Assessments

Player assessments are typically held on Saturdays and Sundays in February beginning the first weekend of February. Assessments are very important for correct skill level placement. We take pride in our assessment process. The more assessments a player attends, the better the evaluation by the coaches. Proper player placement ensures more fun, more adequate playing time, and a better chance for all to succeed and return to play another season. We expect players to attend as many assessments as possible.  Assessments are typically held outside. We schedule multiple assessments because we expect weather to impact some, and understand that many players are still participating in winter sports.


Team Selection

Team Selection takes place among the coaches after assessments are complete. Head coaches will notify their players and inform them about team practices, which typically begin in early March, and are scheduled around the coaches schedule. “A” skill level teams typically practice three nights per week. “A” skill level teams are very competitive and require a full commitment from players, parents, and coaches. U14 and U12 “B” skill level teams also typically practice 3 nights per week. All other teams typically practice 2 nights per week. Our practice fields are usually E.C. Lawrence Park and Centreville High School, with our Fall Program operating out of Pope's Head Fields.

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Contact SYA
Office Location:
5950 Centreville Crest Lane
Centreville, VA 20121
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 471
Centreville, VA 20122
Phone: (703) 815-3362
Fax: (703) 815-2180
E-mail: admin@syayouthsports.org