can i make the team?

[abu204]

hey didn't know where to post this but i thought this was probably the best place as a lot of coaches will read stuff from this section

basically i am going to oregon state next year on an exchange for a year from the UK, and i have started playing lacrosse..... and i love it!!!

i have a pretty good sporting back round, have been in the 1st team in pretty much all sports i've played since i was 9, mainly field hockey(not being arrogant though!) and i have picked up the game quite quickly(been playing for about 3 months now) can catch, throw, cradle shoot etc pretty well now. but i have only been playing mixed lacrosse, so no contact BOOOOO! but its not like i'm not used to getting hit cos i love the physical side of games and i used to play a lot of rugby

my question is do you think i have a decent chance of even getting a look in for getting on the team at OSU? i have read on this site about 'making a player out of an athlete is easy, but making a player into an athlete is hard' meaning that stick skills etc can be picked up and taught.....

will i just be passed over when i go to sign up, because i'm not experienced enough or do you think they might coach me and train me up? i know i can be good and i pick things up really quickly

what do you think?

p.s i'll be training with a mens team over the summer so i wont be a total newbie to the mens game when i go over there

[snell31]

you'll have to learn the different rule changes for the american game.

[WHEELAX2]

I'm sure you'll get a chance to try out.. and considering it's club, you will have a good chance at making the team..

I wouldn't worry so much about making the team, I would watch as much lacrosse as I could, play as much as I could, and work on shooting, stickwork, etc..

[abu204]

awesome, am really excited about next year! this summer am gona do loads of training - get even stronger and fitter, ive found its one of the easiest ways to make yourself better at sport

another thing is.... i dont have any lax equipement, just a helmet and stick - do you think i'll need to buy some stuff and take it with me? or will they have stuff they can lend me cos if i do take it stuff with me that'll take up A LOT of space in my alloted 2 suitcases i am allowed to take on the plane

[snell31]

i'd at least buy some gloves just in case.
you could always email and ask if they have equipment you could borrow.

side note- who do you play for in england?

[abu204]

no one!!

yeah i tried e-mailing but they are really slow to reply or just dont't reply! the thing is i've looked on their website andthey all have matching, gloves, helmets and i think arm guards............

[snell31]

thats probably because they get team issued kit.
what mens team are you training with this summer?

[ant1216d]

If you dont need equipment now then wait, buy it in the states cuz then it won't affect ur suticases.

[abu204]

nothing confirmed but am gona try and conact hitchin, about 2 hours away from me now, but i'm moving there whilst i'm away in oregon so can play for them all year round once i get back

so if its team issued does that menha i wont have to bring my own stuff? but what about when i try out, what will i use then?

[Longpole5435]

You should call Oregon, and talk to whoever is in charge of the lacrosse program. They would have alot of the answers you are lookign for.

[CTLaxer]

It's a club sport at OSU, so you should be able to be on the team. They can help you with equipment once you're there as well. I'd suggest you wait till you're in the states to get some as the rules are different as are the prices. To prep for the team, just work on your fundamentals (catching, throwing, shooting, etc with both hands), NCAA rules, as well as conditioning. There will probably be a steep cost to be a part of the club, so be prepared to shell out some money to join the team.

Aside from that, good luck!

[abu204]

steep cost? like how much?

thanks for the advice!

[iplaylax22]

ALOT MOST CLUB TEAMS YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING AIRFARE.

[The Doors]

playing club lacrosse is pretty expensive.....I play at a small B league and our dues are about 300 a semester, which isn't bad considering that the University of Texas charges 700 a semester and the University of Michigan charges 1500 a semester. That pays for everything outside ur gear and pads (ie league dues, travel, etc...)

OSU is a quality club so I would expect to pay about 1000-1500 a semester for lacrosse ( i dont actually know, im just spitballin here).

But as far as making the team, u should have no problem getting on it. Playing time will be another story considering many top quality A league people in the USLIA could probably play DII or DI NCAA lacrosse, but simply making the team should not be a problem.

[CTLaxer]

steep cost? like how much?

thanks for the advice!

At ASU new players have to fork out $1500, after that it's cheaper, but not by much. You will also be responsible for fund raising to cover your travel expenses, pay for refs, cover tournament costs etc. The fundraising isn't bad, usually the team will have a house party or two and make some money doing that and then sell some t-shirts or whatever. But some teams do things differently, so be prepared to fund raise.

Most teams will have some sort of financial assistance. You can probably be put on a payment plan of sorts if you can't cough up all the cash at once. Talk to the coach or the club president if this is the case and see what they're willing to do. Most club teams will never turn players away that are truly interested in playing, so I'm sure something can be worked out. Good luck!

[abu204]

oh ok, so ur saying i could make it on the squad ie pad up for home games etc but wont necessarily make it onto the pitch?

[pinoyboy]

no you wont make it

[XxlacrossexX]

he is saying unless you work your butt off during the off season, you probably wont get a lot of playing time.

Pinoyboy, dont be so negative.
dont put down other fellow laxers

[pinoyboy]

lol...ok :(

[abu204]

oh - thats a bit of a downer, well i suppose at least i'll train with them and so become better so when i come back to england i can play for a team then.... but is it worth the money i will have to pay to join in the first place? mmmmmmmmm

[CTLaxer]

oh - thats a bit of a downer, well i suppose at least i'll train with them and so become better so when i come back to england i can play for a team then.... but is it worth the money i will have to pay to join in the first place? mmmmmmmmm

Don't listen to anyone on here that says you won't get playing time or that you won't make the team. I promise you most have no experience in these matters, or atleast not enough to be taken seriously. It's a club sport, players are not turned away because of their skill level or lack there of. So, even if you were the worst lacrosse player ever, you could still pay your dues, be on the team, and play lacrosse in college.

Don't listen to the naysayers and get discouraged/disappointed. Come out to the states, play some lacrosse, kick some booty. It's that simple.

[Park City Pole]

awesome, am really excited about next year! this summer am gona do loads of training - get even stronger and fitter, ive found its one of the easiest ways to make yourself better at sport

another thing is.... i dont have any lax equipement, just a helmet and stick - do you think i'll need to buy some stuff and take it with me? or will they have stuff they can lend me cos if i do take it stuff with me that'll take up A LOT of space in my alloted 2 suitcases i am allowed to take on the plane

Buy what you need when you get here and sell it off when you leave.... or ship it home and start a real team when you get there... I bet the exchange rate will kill you ordering it up and getting it sent over the pond, whereas the team will probabaly have an equipment source nearby, or put in an order in the fall....... Also my experiance was that club teams always seem to have gear floating around somewhere.. mind you it might be old as dirt but......

[abu204]

thanks mate, good positive advice - i'm gona restart my conditioning and training today!

[Park City Pole]

Don't listen to anyone on here that says you won't get playing time or that you won't make the team. I promise you most have no experience in these matters, or atleast not enough to be taken seriously. It's a club sport, players are not turned away because of their skill level or lack there of. So, even if you were the worst lacrosse player ever, you could still pay your dues, be on the team, and play lacrosse in college.

Don't listen to the naysayers and get discouraged/disappointed. Come out to the states, play some lacrosse, kick some booty. It's that simple.
I second al the above, yeah it's club, but in the northwest they run theprograms like for real. It's club in name only cause of that title nine stuff (run that through goggle.. Title IX). The team dues may be high, but you will likely have coaching and that means the better atheletes are gonna get game time.. As said get fit and be fundementally solid, they'll you show the rest. Plan on lot's of travel though cause they play all over the western US....
In case you wanted some more info here's the Laxpower link to the division that OSU plays in (Oregon State right.???) http://www.laxpower.com/update06/binmen/rating05.php
and last seasons details...
http://www.laxpower.com/update06/binmen/XORSXX.PHP

Oh yeah one last thing.. It can be somewhat wet in those parts.... lot's of rain and mud ball. I played in those parts 20 years ago, big fun and a great tourney in Portland every spring.


Oh and since my brain got a bit scrambled thursday pm, i'll add that the lacrosse guy probably doubles up as something else on the faculty (our club coach was a history prof who just happened to have come from Rutgers...). Also he may not respond to email right now cause thay may be on summer break....

[FOeilax17]

I didnt even know oregon had a lacrosse team

[abu204]

oregon state - yeah they obviously do! so when you say its a 'club sport' what does that mean? as it isn't as big as say football, no tv coverage like, so it won't be as huge and competetive for places?

[CTLaxer]

oregon state - yeah they obviously do! so when you say its a 'club sport' what does that mean? as it isn't as big as say football, no tv coverage like, so it won't be as huge and competetive for places?

It's a competitive club league. As a matter of fact, playing a year for an MDIA club team uses up one of your years of eligability for NCAA sports. Don't let the fact that it has the word "club" associated with it fool you into thinking it's a bunch of guys drinking beer and throwing the ball around in the quad. It is very serious. There is a national tournament, there are championship rings, the championship game will be televised. You will be traveling across the country to play opponents from other schools. The team will consume a lot of your time.

The cool thing about club teams in college is that they are taken seriously and play competitively (some teams could compete with NCAA teams), but at the same time, since it's a club sport it's open to just about anyone interested. So basically you get the benefits of lower tier NCAA ball, without the hassle of recruiting or pure skill based selection.

[abu204]

awesome, that suits me perfectly........basically next year doesn't count towards my degree back in the uk - all i have to do is pass, so time taken up with lax and 'the frat experience' should occupy my time well, its gona be one hell of a year!!

also thats cool about travelling it'll be a good way to see some more of the states, but do all subs travel?

man i'm gona work my *** off now, and then when i get there i'm not the type of sportsman to be happy on the bench, i wanna be out there on the field kicking some good ole US of A butt, UK style!

[Park City Pole]

awesome, that suits me perfectly........basically next year doesn't count towards my degree back in the uk - all i have to do is pass, so time taken up with lax and 'the frat experience' should occupy my time well, its gona be one hell of a year!!

also thats cool about travelling it'll be a good way to see some more of the states, but do all subs travel?

man i'm gona work my *** off now, and then when i get there i'm not the type of sportsman to be happy on the bench, i wanna be out there on the field kicking some good ole US of A butt, UK style!

Yah maybe I didn't make it clear that "club sport" is only the way they have to fund the program. If you didn't look into Title IX, which basically states schools must have a proportional number of varsity (read NCAA) sports oportunities for women as for men..... It makes funding and financial aid very complcated for schools with football teams. It's much more detailed but that's Title IX in a nutshell. So.... to offer additional sports like lax, big schools set up a club program, where funding is mostly student derived (originally these clubs were a bunch or guys who went to administration and begged for money.. that's how we did it at Whitman College in the 80's), and the school adds funds on a descretionary basis from non atheletic dept sources. Competition for these funds is fierce, cause they are open to any campus organisation.
Anyway back to club lax. You will NCAA rules in all respects. You will pay a team fee, it will cover the operation of the team. You stated that they had matching uni's, which isn't surprising as I understand that leagues up there are real sticklers for uniformity... right down to compression shorts I've been told, be prepared to pay out of pocket for that most likely although they will have a deal set up with a supplier somewhere . There will be some form of faculty oversight. He may or may not be an actual coach, you will have one of those but he most likely will not be out of the atheletic dept, unless he's getting his compesation out of other funding... refer back to Title IX.... Travel at that level will be a function of how many they can take in the van or cars or whatever form transportation takes, factored in with which students can get the time to leave... There is none of the "famous" academic laxity at the "club sport" level.
Your final comment indicates that you should have no trouble "makeing" the team, you'll just have to figure out where you fit in....... Have a ball!

[UVAlaxer432]

If you believe I believe :idea:

200TH POST!!!

[Park City Pole]

I didnt even know oregon had a lacrosse team
Nearly all of the schools in the Northwest have club teams, but no varsity programs, thanks to the aforementioned Title IX... Lax in the northwest has been growing for over 20 years. A large number of high school programs also exist, especially in the Seattle area.... Then there's British Colombia.........

side note.. for those that aren't familiar with Title IX here's a google result...
http://www.google.com/search?q=Title+IX&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial

[abu204]

thanks guys, still dont knwo how much these dues are - tried to contact one of them where there e-mail is listed on their site, but haven't had any reply : (

but yeah i'm sure i will have a ball, an di'll keep you guys updated with my preogress if i make the team!

thanks again