WLC Commitment Policy

COACHES -- WLC coaches are subject to the same commitment policy as WLC players. Coaches are expected to attend scheduled WLC events and may not miss a WLC event to attend an outside club lacrosse event. As an all-volunteer organization, WLC understands that family conflicts may arise during the season. As a coach, if you cannot attend a WLC event, please coordinate with the other parent coaches to ensure adequate coaching and supervision coverage.

The Westfield Lacrosse Club ("WLC") and its coaching staff understand the increasing demands of club lacrosse programs during the spring season. WLC offers a strong overall experience and prepares players for high school lacrosse. Year after year, WLC has helped develop many of the best players on local club lacrosse teams. Because the board, coaching staff, players, and parents commit significant time and effort to each season, WLC expects players to prioritize WLC activities over club lacrosse during the WLC spring season. To maintain that priority, WLC uses a longstanding, escalating three-strike policy. The policy applies to missed practices and games and carries over to the next season if a missed event occurs at the end of the current season and cannot be enforced until the following season:

Strike 1: Missing one WLC event (a practice or game; each tournament game counts as a separate WLC event) for a club lacrosse event will result in reduced playing time in the next WLC game. The head coach will determine the reduction, subject to Board adjustment. For travel teams (5th-8th Boys and 6th-8th Girls), the reduction will be at least one-half of the next WLC game, subject to WLC Board adjustment.

Strike 2: Missing two WLC events for club lacrosse events will result in reduced playing time in the next two WLC games. The head coach will determine the reduction. For travel teams (5th-8th Boys and 6th-8th Girls), the reduction will be at least one-half of each of the next two WLC games, subject to WLC Board adjustment.

Strike 3: Missing three WLC events for club lacrosse events will result in the following consequences. A 2nd-4th grade player will be suspended from play for the next three complete games. A travel team player (5th-8th Boys and 6th-8th Girls) will lose their travel team position and be moved to the team below for the remainder of the current season. If the player is already on the lowest-level travel team, the player will be suspended from play for the next three complete games. If the three strikes occur at or near the end of the season, the player will have the opportunity to be evaluated for the following season and, once rostered, will be suspended from gameplay for the first three games of the next season, subject to WLC Board adjustment.

In all cases, the WLC Board reserves the right to increase, decrease, or condition any suspension based on the player’s individual circumstances. The WLC Board is the final arbiter of all suspensions.

WLC’s goal is a clear and enforceable policy. Please contact us with any questions. This policy applies only to club lacrosse. If you have conflicts with other non-spring sports, WLC also expects players to make WLC their spring-season priority and to work with their coaches to address those conflicts.

FINALLY, WLC has strong relationships with New Jersey private lacrosse clubs. If your player's club schedules events during the WLC season, please notify your player's head coach so WLC can address the issue with that club before it affects your player's WLC experience.