FYL Tryout Policy for Spring 2025 Season
Farmington Youth Lacrosse Inc.
Tryout Policy Spring 2025 Season
Tryouts will be held for “A” or “B” team placements for 12U/14U teams, when registration numbers dictate multiple teams and the Girls/Boys Director and coaching staff elect to proceed with a tryout. All registered players will be placed on a team. The tryout process and procedure are governed by the FYL board. Evaluation scores and explanations for players other than your own child are considered confidential. This policy was developed in sincere effort to:
1. Achieve the most accurate player placement so that all FYL players can compete in the best environment for them to succeed and grow in the game of lacrosse
2. Provide players and parents with transparency in the tryout process,
3. Provide a set of standards to assure a high degree of fairness and objectivity in the tryout process.
The following general rules apply to tryouts:
• The number of teams established will be based on registration.
• Players must make every attempt to attend the tryout date. If there are unavoidable conflicts in attendance (i.e. illness / injury / emergency) please contact your coach. When possible, an evaluation of that player will be scheduled for another time early in the season. In other circumstances, players that are unable to attend tryouts will be placed on the “B” team.
• Teams will be determined and balanced using a combination of evaluation scores and team-specific positional needs.
• Every player trying out will be evaluated and considered for placement on the “A” team regardless of their placement in prior seasons or prior lacrosse experience
• Throughout the season Coaches will continue to watch player development and may choose to have a player on the “B” team play with the “A” team for some games / tournaments.
• Evaluators will have extensive lacrosse background/knowledge and may consist of coaches from other teams within FYL, High School lacrosse coaches and/or independent evaluators (College players, outside coaches etc.) All evaluators will be approved by the FYL board and will be unbiased, in that they do not have a direct connection or relationship with players they are evaluating.
What will the “tryout” look like?
• The tryout will be an extended practice (2 hours). Drills will be run by the Coaches for that age group. Drills will be familiar to players, attending indoor practices will help prepare players for tryout. Evaluators will attend to observe, score and take notes. Coaches will not participate in evaluating or influence evaluators, they will only be running the practice.
• Upon check-in players will indicate if they are trying out for a specific position, Goalie, Defense, Attack, Midfield. Players can indicate if they are unsure or play multiple positions. This is to ensure that teams have a distribution of players in all positions of play.
• This tryout/practice will be split into two parts
1. Skills evaluation, where players will participate in drills that showcase fundamental skills, passing, catching, cradling, dodging, shooting, ground balls etc.
2. Scrimmage or small group play, where players will be evaluated in a game-like situations to determine off-ball skills, tactics, hustle, communication, field awareness and sportsmanship.
• Players will be evaluated on the following:
1. Stick skills (Passing, catching, shooting, ground balls, cradling)
2. Athleticism (Speed, agility, power)
3. Hustle & Effort
4. Lacrosse IQ (Field awareness, dodging, defense, clearing, communication)
5. Character, Confidence, Community
• Evaluators will score each player in the 5 evaluation areas and the scores will be totaled across all evaluators. If an evaluator misses scoring a player that score will be filled in by averaging the other evaluators scores for that area.
Parent Guidelines
Please understand that any tryout process is imperfect and that there is a subjective element to the process. Evaluators do make difficult decisions, but FYL has created what it believes to be a fair process that relies on our volunteers doing the best they can. We understand that tryouts can be stressful for players and parents, we aim to make this process as easy as possible. Please help us by following these simple rules with your child.
1. Always stay positive with your player
2. Please do not sideline coach or yell to your child during tryouts, if you do plan to stay and observe please sit quietly on the sideline.
3. Trust that our goal is to put every player onto the team that will give them the best opportunity to succeed this season.
4. If you or your child have any questions or concerns about these tryouts please reach out the Boys/Girls Director at FYL directly.
2025 FYL Boys Director: Ken Angle farmingtonyouthlax@gmail.com
2025 FYL Girls Director: Aly Wiser, alywiser@gmail.com