Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/10/08
US Lacrosse announced today that it will host a national championship at the under-15 level.
The 2009 US Lacrosse U-15 National Championship will be held July 6-10, 2009, at Cedar Lane Sports Park near Baltimore, Md. Sixty four teams (32 boys, 32 girls) will compete through pool and bracket play, with the ultimate winner being crowned as the US Lacrosse U-15 National Champion.
Created under the collective guidance of the US Lacrosse Youth Council and a committee of national youth lacrosse leaders, this championship event is open to any team and will provide the highest level of national lacrosse competition for U-15 boys and girls.
“Based on the success and positive participant and spectator experience of the US Lacrosse National Youth Festivals since 1998, US Lacrosse feels that it is best positioned to provide the highest caliber U-15 championship event possible,” said Joshua Christian, managing director of programs and services.
This competitive event does not take the place of the US Lacrosse Youth Festivals, which will continue to focus on providing quality opportunities for the majority of youth teams and players who are more focused on the experience of regional or national competition and camaraderie rather than the crowning of a champion.
Continuing efforts to serve as the leader in developing and growing the game, US Lacrosse examined the role it plays within the ever changing and enlarging landscape of youth lacrosse events.
Noel Ebner, U-15 Championship committee chair and past president of US Lacrosse’s Youth Council, explained, “The current market offers numerous playing opportunities that promise a wide range of experiences, many focused on profit over quality of experience. It is our responsibility to take a leadership role in launching the event to establish a benchmark standard of quality and experience.”
The first U-15 national championships will guarantee five full games for all teams on high quality grass and turf fields.
The tourney will feature 15 regions. Each region is allotted a specific number of teams based on youth participation and US Lacrosse youth membership within that region.
Teams will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the slots are filled within each region. Once all regional slots are filled, six total At-Large team slots (3 boys and 3 girls) will be filled in descending order from teams on the waiting list. If regional slots are not filled by March 1, 2009, all remaining slots will be deemed At-Large and filled according.
The participation fee is $1200 per team and online registration begins Dec. 10. rosters will be due May 1. Please see the event website or more information: http://www.uslacrosse.org/events/u15nc/
