Lacrosse:  The Fastest Game on Two Feet

Knox Youth Sports Lacrosse

§  Spring & Fall Leagues offered

§  Instructional/Developmental Focus

§  Grades: K-8th - Also offer a 7v7 High School League in the Fall

§  Location: Lakeshore Park for practice, games vary

§  We welcome and encourage new players to the sport!

Lacrosse, “The Fastest Game on Two Feet”, is North America’s oldest sport and Americas fastest growing youth sport. 113 new college sponsored programs have been added in the past three years alone. Staying ahead of the curve, Knox Youth Sports added boys lacrosse six years ago and girls four years ago. Its culture has certainly found a home. In December of 2018, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) voted to add lacrosse as a fully sanctioned high school sport beginning in the ’21-’22 school year for both girls and boys.

Players and families that are new to lacrosse join each year and tend to stay involved with us for years and beyond due to the fun and the friendships built. Lacrosse combines aspects of soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, and field hockey. It is fast paced, fun to watch, fun to play, and can be high scoring.

Our teams are volunteer coached by very passionate (understatement) coaches that are committed to growing the sport and giving players, new and returning, the best experience they can. Many of our coaches have played or continue to play at various levels (youth-college) and/or have appropriate certifications. They thrive off working with interested and motivated players. Fun, fundamentals, respect, personal responsibility, and sportsmanship make up the core of our teaching-based programs. Players will learn how to pass, catch, cradle, dodge, shoot, attack, defend, and groundball: how well they can do it will depend on how hard they work at it. Our coaches work to create numerous options for all skill levels and positions with a positive attitude approach. There is a lot of continuous running in lacrosse. Players will get their exercise in.

If you have any questions, please reach out to head coaches Scott Ostendorf ([email protected]) for boys or Clay Aalders ([email protected]) for girls

Boys Lacrosse

AGES: KYS boys lacrosse is open to children ages 5-14.  Players will be divided into age groups (8U, 10U, 12U and 14U).  We welcome and encourage new players, even those who will be seeing and holding a lacrosse stick for the first time. Our coaches especially love coaching new players and giving them the chance to love and excel at the “Fastest Sport on Two Feet”.

Please contact coach Scott Ostendorf for any questions regarding sign ups.

Any boy who wants to try lacrosse for the first time is welcome to up to 2 free practices to see if he likes the sport before committing.

Spring Season:  Late February to Mid May
- 8U Starts March 22nd
- 10U & 12U Starts March 2nd
- Middle School Starts February 16th
Fall Season: Late September to Late October
Practices/Games: Two Practices and One Game per week.  
Location: Practices will be at Lakeshore Park and other locations.  Games will be held at Lakeshore Park, Farragut and John Tarleton Park.

Equipment
All players are required to wear a full set of equipment as described below:

§  Mouth guard

§  Stick

§  Helmet (NOCSAE approved)

§  Shoulder pads

§  Arm pads

§  Gloves

§  Protective cup (required for goalies and defensemen)

§  Mouth guard (repeated for emphasis, every player needs a properly trimmed and fitted mouth guard)

Optional

Cleats (lacrosse, soccer, or agile football style) are recommended.

Please contact coach  Scott Ostendorf with any questions or for advice. We may be able to help save time and money. Play It Again Sports may have equipment sets that can be rented for the full season for a great price. Note: we have some loaner equipment and scholarship-type options for those in need of assistance: please contact Coach Ostendorf.

Cost

Fall and Spring Seasons: $125 for 8U, $200 for 10U and 12U and $225 for 14U. Registration fees include a matching team jersey for each player.

For more info and/or to join the e-mail list and stay informed on KYS boys lacrosse events, please e-mail coach Scott Ostendorf.

Girls Lacrosse

Knox Youth Sports Girl’s Lacrosse is an at-large middle and elementary school program for girls that do not have lacrosse at their schools for their age groups.  It appeals to girls from all sports backgrounds and their families.  It’s fun to watch and even more fun to play.  Current participants have played and continue to play basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, track, dance, tumbling, cross country, and a host of other sports.  We are very blessed that the girls really seem to enjoy playing with each other, treat each other very well, and that there are so many enthusiastic families.  Girls tend to get comfortable with each other quickly in our program.

Any girl who wants to try lacrosse for the first time is welcome to up to 2 free practices to see if she likes the sport before committing.

Coaches in both age groups are very enthusiastic and love the game.  They are all volunteers and most have children playing on our teams.  Coaches have played before at various levels, attend conventions/clinics, and have certifications up to Level 2 US Lacrosse Coaching Certification.  All our coaches have the same goals for the girls; fun, safety, sportsmanship, skill development, personal responsibility, and long term involvement. 

Girls will leave the KYS program able to play the game and taught how to play it right.  Most girls end up sticking with it into high school.  If girls come to practice, they will play in games.  Parent participation is very welcome.

Schools represented in the program recently included:  A.L. Lotts, Alcoa, Bearden Middle, Bluegrass ES, CAK, Cedar Bluff (MS & ES), Concord Christian, Copper Ridge, Hardin Valley MS, Home School, Karns, Nature’s Way Montessori, Northshore, Rocky Hill, Sacred Heart, Saint John Neumann, Sequoyah, Webb, &West Valley.  We would love to add more.

Girls Elementary School Lacrosse

(K-4th grade) $125 per season.  Practices will be held at Lakeshore Park.  Some games may be held nearby in other parks.

Spring:  March-Early May. Practice is from 6:15-7:15 on Mondays and Thursdays

Fall: The fall season begins in September and runs through October. Practices will be Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-7PM

Each season includes 10+ practices and fun games inter-squad and against other clubs. Fee includes jerseys and team equipment.

Girls Middle School Lacrosse

(5th-8th grade) Practices will be held at Lakeshore Park on Lyons View Pike.

Spring: $215 Season is January 21-May 4. Practices will be Mondays and Thursdays 6:15-7:45pm. We will practice Saturday mornings in January and February mostly at Lakeshore but a few will be at St. John Neumann or Tarleton Park off Sutherland from 9-11.  In mid-March we’ll continue practicing 2 nights a week, and have home and away games on Saturdays. We'll have 10+ games, many in multi-game play days. Spring games will include some day trip travel. We play games against public and private school programs.

Fees includes uniforms, officials for games, field rentals, and team equipment.

Fall: $175 Season begins in late August and runs through October. There may be some practices held at other locations.  Fall season will be from August-October (possibly the 1st week in November).  Practices will be Tuesdays & Thursdays from 6-7:30. There will be games against local teams.  Fees include jerseys, referee fees, team equipment, field rentals.

Equipment Needed

§  Stick: (be sure it's specifically a girl’s version which is quite different from boys).  Please reach out to us before buying one and we will be happy to guide you to the right stick for your little one, often for less. 

§  Goggles or Sports Glasses:   to protect eyes, MUST be SEI certified ASTM F3077 (it will say it on the goggles).  Women’s helmets are an option for girls now instead of goggles.  Cascade and Hummingbird are the only approved providers.

§  Mouth Guard (must be colored, not clear, any color will do). 

§  Cleats.  Optional but recommended:  There are Lacrosse cleats but soccer cleats are fine and that’s what most girls wear. 

§  Gloves:  Optional and not protective:  very few girls wear them outside of cold weather protection.

Gloves are optional and not protective (more for cold weather—most girls prefer not to wear them).  We have some loaner gear for new girls to borrow to start/try it out except for mouthpieces.  For more info and/or advice on any of the above, feel free to ask the coach - Clay Aalders ([email protected])