Player Development!
Player development comes first — for first-timers and experienced players alike. It does not matter if you have never picked up a stick, play for a local program, or travel. Our coaches are here to make you better at lacrosse.
Our curriculum is built around meaningful reps in every part of the game, so improvement is not left to chance. Wherever your skill level is today, the goal is the same: leave a better player than you arrived.
Coaching!
Most recreational leagues — flag football, basketball, soccer — run on volunteer coaches. Those coaches are the backbone of youth sports. Lacrosse is different. Starting players on the right track takes coaches who know the game, and as players improve, IQ and technique need a higher level of experience.
At United, we staff each age level with the strongest lacrosse coaches we can find. You do not have to coach. You can be a parent. Our Director of Lacrosse, Chris Malone, vets every coach against his standards before they step on the field. When you register, your son enters our curriculum with experienced coaches, not a rotation of volunteers.
Structure!
Each age division has a lead coach who owns practice plans and roster assignments, backed by enough coaches for one per 7–8 players.
Players are grouped by skill — competitive and developmental — then placed on teams so competition stays balanced. Close games are the point. Tougher competition is what keeps players improving.
Because development comes first, players can move between divisions when the level is no longer the right challenge. A player can start in the developmental division and be promoted to competitive.
Leagues run 10 practices and 6 game days: 21 hours of lacrosse instruction. The United curriculum uses that time for a high volume of reps, building lacrosse skills and athleticism together. Kindergarten is scaled to the age: eight 1-hour practices, with games built into the drills.
Competiti0n
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Development Divisions
It all begins with putting players in an environment to learn and develop lacrosse skills and IQ. New and newer players focus on mastering the basics while progressing their skills to enable them to compete in live action. Development level players should be working hard toward being promoted to the competitive level division.
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Competitive Divisions
The players in our competitive divisions not only have higher level skills, but work hard to improve every practice. Competitive level players invest in their fun by giving great effort and being coachable. Coaches design practices to increase decision making speed and game IQ at this level. Coaches have higher expectations and hold players accountable. Games in this division are fast and physical.
