How to Start Lacrosse in Your Community!


Step 1: Contact Lacrosse Nova Scotia (LNS)


Administrative Coordinator: Natasha Burgess  425-5450 ext 370
Website: www.lacrossens.ca
E-Mail: nburgess@sportnovascotia.ca


Lacrosse Nova Scotia
c/o Sport Nova Scotia
5516 SPRING GARDEN RD, Suite 311
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 1G6


Step 2: Evaluate Your Resources

•   What time of year is your facility available? 
•   Is there a Volunteer base already established, or can you establish one? 
•   Is there some Lacrosse experience in your area? 
•   Can you build from a minor hockey association's volunteer base? 
      ► Lacrosse and Hockey are great sport complements 
•   Can you get help from a local recreation council? 
•   Do you have a high school gym? 
•   What is your population base? 
      ►  Under 12 
      ►  Under 16 
      ►  Under 19 
      ►  Over 19


Step 3: Select a Discipline

          Lacrosse can be played in three disciplines. Think about which one may be best for 
          your Community:

          • Interlacrosse
          Plastic sticks, soft ball, non-contact, co-educational, can be played in any size
          indoor or outdoor facility; excellent school program or simply a recreational game 
          for any age group.

          • Box Lacrosse
           Contact sport, played in an arena or an outdoor box, played by players from (7) years
           old up to Masters (over 35) – Minors include Midget players (15-16) and down; Seniors 
           are Intermediate Players (17-18) and up. Currently in Nova Scotia most Box Lacrosse 
           is played in the HRM under the jurisdiction of the Metro Minor Lacrosse League. New 
           Lacrosse Associations are springing up in Greenwood, Truro, Antigonish and Sherbrooke    

           · Field Lacrosse
           Contact sport played on fields (Football size), played by players from 11 years old up 
           to Masters (over 35), normally played 10-a-side, but there is also 7-a-side version available. 
           The Women’s version of the sport has no equipment, and the game is non-contact; Field
           Lacrosse also provides the opportunity for US scholarships in both the Men’s and Women’s 
           Field games. Six Universities play in the Maritime University Field Lacrosse League and an
           active fall field lacrosse league is underway in Halifax.


Step 4: Hold a Meeting

Select a time and place to hold either a PROMOTION MEETING or a LACROSSE I
NTRODUCTION WEEKEND. The promotion day or night meeting would be to promote
the idea of having a lacrosse program. This approach will also help you gauge the
amount of support from volunteers, including coaches and officials. LNS will help run
and organise coaching and referee clinics and LNS help and promotional material can
be provided. Ask around, Lacrosse was huge in Nova Scotia in the seventies and there
may be parent volunteers in your neck of the woods that know how to play!


Step 5: Advertise

►  Request interlacrosse or box sticks through the LNS stick loan program 
►  Seek LNS website coverage or start your own website using LNS’ relationship with 
      GoalLine sports management systems. 
►  Request LNS promotional brochures, flyers and guidelines to use in your marketing
       and promotion of your lacrosse plans. 
►  Talk to your local minor hockey association and have a flyer included in their mailouts
       or place notices on their websites 
►  Talk to your local radio and newspapers 
►  Contact your local media outlets and give them details of your plans to get the
       maximum coverage. 

Step 6: Start Playing

After evaluating your response to Step 4, you can continue in Year One with a simple
drop-in program, where you introduce the Interlacrosse, Box Lacrosse or Field Lacrosse
to the schools. You could start a house league for lacrosse, either contact or non-contact
in your first year or you could start a full-fledged association through the LNS. Once kids
start playing the game they will never want to stop. Investigate opportunities to get parents
involved with family sessions or parent - player fun games.


Step 7: Evaluate

♦  Conduct a wrap-up session at the end of Year One, evaluate the program, and plan Year
    Two. This can be as simple as listing what went right, what went wrong and areas to improve.
♦  Certify your coaches and officials by having LNS Technical personnel come out and hold clinics. 
♦  Request further assistance from the LNS to help establish a viable lacrosse association. 
♦  Investigate ways to keep Lacrosse alive by inviting pro players to visit your community.