Lacrosse league seeks more players

The CYL, California Youth Lacrosse League, is looking for players to join the fast-growing sport.

Rory Doucette, a coach and league employee, said the league’s 2009 schedule will feature teams for boys from first to eighth grades and girls teams for third through eighth graders. Teams from La Jolla, North County and other areas of San Diego practice several times per week and play competitive games on the weekends.

Welcoming to beginners and experienced players alike, lacrosse is a fast-paced sport that has been growing across the country, Doucette said.

A typical practice runs about 90 minutes and is meant not only to refine the skills needed to be successful when playing but also to promote a positive learning experience for the children involved, he added.

Practice starts with a stretching period, followed by low-intensity drills that are usually focused on stickwork, to get the players warmed up. Practice then progresses to half-field focusing on the designated fundamental for the day.

Towards the end of most practices players go into full field “gamelike” action that might be controlled scrimmage where coaches will stop the play and instruct the kids about certain situations they may find themselves in during a game, Doucette said. Some scrimmages are much less controlled and often simulate real games, with a timer and scorekeeper, he added.

Teams are still accepting registration. The cost for the season, which runs from mid-February to early June, is $300.

For information on registration and the local teams and coaches, go to