Frequently Asked Questions
Who Runs the Port Moody Lacrosse Association?
The Association is run by dedicated volunteers. Executive positions are elected at the Annual General Meeting which is held in the Fall. The club is run in accordance with its Constitution & Bylaws. The current executive is listed here and can be contacted by email during normal hours. ALL FAMILIES ARE ASKED TO VOLUNTEER IN SOME CAPACITY. Your team needs a Coach, Assistant Coach, Team Manager, Trainer, Doorpersons, Concession people, Fundraisers (50/50), carpoolers and someone to supply game reports for the website. In addition, your association will try to host a tournament for each age group during the year. Each team will supply volunteers for its own tournament. Duties could include BBQ, timekeepers, scorekeepers, 50/50, booster table, concession or other duties. When your Team Manager asks for help please step forward and VOLUNTEER your time. Many hands make light work!!!
Do I Have to Live in Port Moody to Register?
According to BCLA rules, you are to register in your local Association which is where you live. PMLA serves Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra. But, If you have played in Port Moody for two seasons (because you lived here and moved) then you can be grandfathered and you will belong to Port Moody. Port Moody as well as Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam are all “NO RELEASE” associations. That means it will not be possible to play away from your home association because they will not accept you and likewise we will not accept their players. You have the right to appeal to the highest but be warned it costs money and if you are released you will go where the league needs you to go first and where the player wants second.
How Old Does My Child Have to Be?
The divisions are universal in Minor Lacrosse and are based on your child’s age in the calendar year he registers. They are as follows:
- 6U/Mini-Tyke: ages 5 and 6
- 8U/Tyke: ages 7 and 8
- 10U/Novice: ages 9 and 10
- 12U/Peewee: ages 11 and 12
- 14U/Bantam: ages 13 and 14
- 16U/Midget: ages 15 and 16
- Junior B ages 17 to 21
What Equipment is Needed?
Refer to our Equipment Page for details and refer to our page The Game of Box Lacrosse – Canada’s National Summer Sport for local sports stores specializing in lacrosse. Other questions just contact our Equipment Manager.
When Does the Season Start?
Specific dates can be found on the Events Calendar but… generally the season begins as the soccer season comes to a close and the school year winds down for Spring Break and continues until playoffs are over in the summer. So a commitment is required for at least one practice per week and sometimes multiple games in a week for the season starting in March and ending about July 1 for 6U/Mini-Tyke and 8U/Tyke. It is a short and very intense season involving travel to other communities in the Lower Mainland. The younger kids stay closer to home while the older boys might have away games anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Each team will receive a home game time and a practice time for a day of the week (or weekend) from our association floor scheduler. During the week these times will be in the evening while on the weekend they could be anytime from morning to evening. Your away games are held at the rival associations home game time in their assigned home rink and we have no control over those times.
Who Will My Child Play With?
Box Lacrosse is generally made up mostly of boys so girls participate on a co-ed basis in the lower divisions 8U/Tyke and 6U/Mini-Tyke. Occasionally there are enough girls registered at a division level to form a girls team but this does not occur that often in our small club. At the start of every season evaluations and team formation occurs. The kids participate with other kids in their division in a series of stations designed to rate their skill level. Every attempt is made to impartially rate where your child is now. Be aware that kids can change quite a bit from year to year. The evaluations are used to help the coaches form teams. At the 6U/Mini-Tyke and 8U/Tyke levels, every attempt will be made to form balanced teams. Requests to play with specific kids may or may not be able to be accommodated. At Novice and above the teams are tiered and rated as A1, A2, B or C (house). These teams compete against similar teams from associations within the Lower Mainland. The season starts off with a period of comparison to make sure the team evaluations were correct then the regular season is played. At the end of the season the best teams in each division compete in provincial playdowns and then compete to be provincial champions at the Provincial tournament. Occasionally a couple of kids are invited (or apply) to participate on the Provincial Team and represent BC in the National tournament for Peewee and Bantam Levels.
Forming Teams and Time Commitments
After a general assessment period in March/April teams are formed. For 6U/Mini-Tykes and 8U/Tykes every effort is made to balance teams. At this level the kids generally practice once a week and that will be assigned. They will also receive a home game time. Every week they will have a game at that time at home. What you don’t have control over is your away games. These are in another town and according to their home schedule. Your scheduler and manager will do their best to get all your games in. Sometimes their are cancellations and makeup games. The result is that occasionally you will have multiple games in the week and then a slow week, etc. Do your best, and let the coach know at the beginning of the season how difficult attending is going to be for your player. Coaches like lots of communication and he’ll see if he can help out. Every effort will be made to accommodate friendships at this level but you must let us know before the teams are formed, don’t leave it too late.
At Novice and above, the teams are tiered, so you have higher ranked teams with higher skilled and experienced players all the way down to beginners. The higher your tiering the more is expected of your player. Attendance is a huge factor so please indicate to the evaluators / coach if attendance is going to be difficult or not as a result of your schedule or the kids schedule (playing hockey, soccer, etc.). Your son or daughter will be placed on a team that will require less attendance of him/her to allow him/her to make the other conflicts. We still would like your player to make games and practices to get better but everyone has to be realistic. Everyone is busy. It is only fair to other kids and their families that want to make the time commitment and dedicate themselves to the “A” team that they know they and all the kids on the team will be at every practice and game. It is difficult to accommodate friendships because of tiering. The best we can do is allow a more advanced player to play down with his friend rather than allow a less skilled player move up to a higher level. We must be fair to all the kids that want to play for the rep team.
What are the Games Like?
Box Lacrosse is exciting and Canada’s official summer sport. It looks much like hockey with lines and positions yet involves a lot of running like soccer. Depending on the age level, contact may or may not be involved. Modified rules in younger ages categories include: players being rotated in 3 minute shifts; when the ball is turned over the defending team must clear the offensive zone; minimum number of passes must be attempted before a shot, etc.
Box lacrosse is a physical sport and injuries can and will occur. The rules are there to protect the flow of the game and the players, yet it takes some getting use to when little Billy is getting knocked around the first couple of times. It is an adjustment for the player and the parents. The rules allow for more contact as the kids get older yet excessive or illegal contact will be punished according to the rules. The lower levels are officiated by referees who are generally players only a few years older than those they are officiating. This progressive system continues into the higher ranks where many times adults will be handling the older players. While officials on the floor receive a stipend for each game they work, remember they are learning and have various degrees of experience and sometimes mistakes can be made. Abuse in any form of any officials will not be tolerated at home or away.
What is This Field Lacrosse Game All About?
Near the end of the season in June, you will notice that some of the kids begin signing up for Field Lacrosse. The game is played outdoor on turf and the season goes from September to February with one practice a week and a game on Sundays. The sport requires no extra equipment but it keeps your kid playing and progressing as a player. You will find it is populated by lacrosse purists, soccer kids and the hockey parents and kids all move on to hockey and are missing. The result is the game is a little less intense and many of the kids would say it is even fun. Port Moody, Anmore, Belcarra and Coquitlam kids all belong to the Adanacs Field Lacrosse Association and our club makes up about a third of the registration. For more information on mens and female Field Lacrosse click here.
Can I Play Lacrosse at School?
Yes, in the Tri-City area a number of high schools participate in High School Field Lacrosse. The season runs from October to March and culminate in a High School Provincial Championship.