How and when are teams selected?

U10, U11, U12 and U13 teams are selected during fall tryouts. For information regarding tryout dates and times, please visit our TEAMTIGER TRYOUTS section. U11 and U13 team evaluations will be handled by independent evaluators. Evaluation session will be 1-1/2 hours each and consist of a set of drills and scrimmages designed to determine lacrosse ability and athleticism. There will be a non-refundable tryout fee.

U14, U15 and Varsity teams consist of players that participate on Northport School District Teams. There are no tryout sessions. School district coaches will name players to U15 (JV) and Varsity teams based on regular season performance.

U9 (rising 3rd and 4th grade) tournament teams will continue to be handled by Northport Lacrosse Club and parent volunteers.

For more information about TeamTiger, we recommend you visit the TeamTiger TOURNAMENT TEAM and ABOUT US sections.

I have an 8th grader (U14). What about them?

In our first year, all 8th graders were part of the U15 (JV)  “tryout process.”  For 2011, we recognize we are in the envious position of having a lot of dedicated, talented lacrosse players and families entering our HS program so we need to adapt.

While there will be a U15 (JV) team, we’ve decided to also have a U14 team (should interest remain as high as it seems to be).  We are working out the details regarding team selection but we don’t think the process for U14 team selection will differ from U15 team selection — school district coaches will select both the U15 and U14 teams.  If there are enough 8th graders available and ready to play summer lacrosse, we will have a Northport team for them to play on.

Do I have to participate on a Northport Lacrosse Club spring team to play on a TeamTiger Summer Team?

Yes. U10, U11, U12, U13 and U14 TeamTiger Summer Tournament Tryouts and Tournaments are only available to active Northport Lacrosse Club members. To play on a U10, U11, U12, U13 and U14 TeamTiger team you must play on a 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th  or 8th grade Northport Lacrosse Club spring team.

To participate on a U15 and Varsity TeamTiger Summer Tournament Team, you must partipate on a Northport/East Northport middle school, JV or Varsity team in the spring.

All Player Development programs are available exclusively to Northport Lacrosse Club and Northport/East Northport school district lacrosse team members.

How much will it cost to play on a TeamTiger Tournament Team?

We will only know the exact cost once we determine what tournaments we will be participating in; however you should know we formed TeamTiger in part to be a more affordable alternative to other “select teams.”

It is expected that all players selected to a TeamTiger Summer Tournament Team will participate in all tournaments. TeamTiger will have a single price fee structure, so all players selected will pay one fee to cover the entire summer season. In other words we will not be accepting payment on a tournament-by-tournament basis. Instead, we will add up all costs including fees for all-tournament, field usage, administration, equipment, coaching stipends, and any other cost and divide it by the number of players selected.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Certain special High School Tournaments require the individual player to play and register separately. If selected to participate in those tournaments, additional fees may apply.
• Fees for U10 – U14 could increase if we decide to an out-of-state tournament.
• Hotel and transportation are not included in the TeamTiger Fee Structure.
  

What does U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15 mean and how do I know what teams to tryout for?

The “U” stands for “Under” and the adjacent number is the age. U11 is Under 11 years old, U13 is Under 13 Years Old and so on.

From a grade perspective the teams are grouped as followed:

U9: Rising 3rd and 4th Graders

U10: Rising 5th

U11: Rising 6th Graders

U12: Rising 7th

U13: 8th Graders

U14: Rising 9th Graders

U15: Rising 9th and 10th Graders

Varsity: Rising 11th and 12th Graders

The term “rising” was coined specifically for summer teams to help alleviate confusion regarding what grade your are speaking of when you are talking about summer teams … “Is it the Grade I was just in, or the grade I’m going into?” The grades noted above are the grades you are going or “rising” into.

PLEASE NOTE: While it is not permissible to play down a level, it is conceivable that a highly-skilled player could play up a level. This will be determined by TeamTiger staff.

Who will coach TeamTiger teams?

U10, U11, U12 and U13 Summer Teams will be coached by district coaches and college players with TeamTiger supervision to ensure a consistent and clear understanding of our philosophies.

U14, U15 and Varsity teams will be coached by a select group of district coaches.

How many tournaments will there be?

The number of tournaments will vary by team. For the latest information please visit TEAMTIGER TOURNAMENTS page. Please note, that the farther away from summer we are the less detailed the Tournament schedule will be. Final schedules will be accurate in mid to late spring.

PLEASE NOTE: TeamTiger believes in fielding the most competitive summer teams possible, but we also believe the number of tournaments and the locations of the tournaments should be determined with the goal of maximizing its contribution to player development. At most levels, we think 4-6 Tournaments in the Long Island area in the June/July time frame serve that goal. This has the secondary benefit of keeping it affordable and family friendly. For 2011 we are exploring the option of a single, out-of-state tournament.

Do I need to participate in all tournaments?

It is expected that all players that are selected to a TeamTiger Summer Tournament Team will participate in all tournaments. TeamTiger will have a single price fee structure, so all players selected will pay one fee to cover the entire summer season. Should a single tournament conflict with a summer vacation or other important family event, we will look at that on a case-by-case basis, but there will be no variance in the fee.

What if I’m not selected to a team or I can not commit to the tournament schedule?

If you do not play on a TeamTiger Tournament Team you still have many options. First, Northport Lacrosse Club plans on Open Lacrosse Nights through July. Details for open summer lacrosse will be distributed via Northport Lacrosse Club’s website — www.northportlax.com and their email newsletter — TigerMail.

There will also be great opportunities to develop your skills through summer camps and lacrosse training. Various types of one-on-one and group training session will be available through Brad Mclam — TeamTiger’s Director of Player Development. Information regarding the latest training options will be posted in the PLAYER DEVELOPMENT section of this site.

And finally, TeamTiger will promote select lacrosse camps including the Northport Lacrosse Day Camp and the Blue Hen Lacrosse Overnight Camp at University of Delaware. To get more lacrosse camp information please visit our LACROSSE CAMPS section.

Can I be a Northport Lacrosse Club spring coach and form my own team or go with another organization?

Last year the Northport Lacrosse Club decided to move away from parent-sponsored summer teams and asked TeamTiger to start a separately-run program that would take the perceived (real or not) politics out of the equation, so the answer to this question is, “no.”

While we can not control what choices parents make, we can say that the Northport Lacrosse Club and its board of directors is in lock step with the TeamTiger’s philosophy to the point that if a coach decides to form his own team or hand-select a few players for another program when a TeamTiger option is available, he or she will be asked to step down as a Northport Lacrosse Club spring coach.

That said, if interest-level at a particular grade is very low (not due to a separate effort to pull players away from TeamTiger), Northport Lacrosse Club will endorse a parent/coach to do what he or she can, to put together a summer experience for that grade. However, we feel strongly, that with the changes TeamTiger is making this year and the known interest-levels at the current youth levels, this will not be the case. We are in the fortunate position to have a lot of talented and dedicated lacrosse players and families at the 4th-7th grade levels.

I still have questions.

If you still have questions, please fill out our CONTACT US form and we will try and get back to you within 48 hours.