Philosophy
It starts with the fundamentals. In some cases very good players have poor fundamentals. That is like aiming to the right to account for that nasty hook in your golf swing. At some point it catches up to you and limits what you can do. It is also important that those fundamentals are learned with both hands. We will run drills with both hands to help reinforce the skills but it will be on the players to spend the extra time on the wall or a bounce back to get strong with their off-hand.
Practice will be a combination of getting in the reps with the stick on passing and shooting, coupled with situational game play, and a little bit of what my college coach always liked to incorporate that he called “disguised conditioning”.
We have 3 missions to accomplish
- Have fun
- Develop the skills that make a great player
- Learn and respect what makes the lacrosse community special
Playing Time
Playing time has become an interesting topic in youth lacrosse. Unfortunately a lot of it is driven by wanting more players on a roster to make more money. As a true non-profit, with no payroll, the money obviously doesn’t play a part in our process. At TRW, our approach seems to be a little different than some of the other options. I believe the responsibility is on the coaches. Playing time starts with the decision to select a player during tryouts and the communication with the player and parents at that point. A player making a team is also a coach making a commitment. On the flip side, parents are paying to have their kids play at a high level and some players can pull that level down. Not all players will play an equal amount. Not all players will always play in every game but the goal comes back to our mission, have fun, and nobody likes going to a tournament and watching their friends run up and down the field from the sideline.
Costs
TRW is about providing the kids the best experience. This is a true non-profit organization where every dollar goes towards the kids. A lot of clubs are non-profits but that comes after paying salaries, coaches, etc… We don’t have any salaries to pay, your money works for you. Another goal for TRW is to make things easier on parents, so instead of $100 here, and $300 there, we are trying to account for everything up-front. Everything below is already baked into the cost, including the equipment. We even buy the snacks:
The Usual:
- Hat
- Shooter Shirt
- Uniform
- Socks
Less Common:
- Gear Bags
- Team Jackets
- Rain Jackets
- Sweatshirts
- Sweatpants
- Winter Hats
- Long Sleeve T-Shirt
- Short Sleeve T-Shirt
- Shorts
- 2nd Shooter Shirt
- 2nd Pair of Socks
- Tents
- Banners
- Rain Jackets
- Flags
- Helmet Decals
- Video Services
- Long Sleeve T-Shirt
- Short Sleeve T-Shirt
- Shorts
- 2nd Shooter Shirt
- 2nd Pair of Socks
Uncommon to have any, let alone all:
- IMLCA Pro Account
- HUDL Assist
- Professional Videographer Shooting Games for recruiting highlight reels
- Tournament Game Film
- Team Flip Flops
- Custom Helmet
- Custom Gloves
- Custom Elbow Pads
- Custom Stick Butt Ends
- Player Posters
- Player Trading Cards
- Funded Team Party
- Tournament Snacks (Yep, no more trips to the grocery store when you forget the napkins from sign-up genius)
Gear
Below are some images of our gear. As you can see. Top of the line across the board.
Why Wolfpack?
When selecting a team name I wanted to pay tribute to the Native American roots of the game and also have something that just sounded like a great team name. I reached out to a good friend and old teammate that played for the Iroquois National Team to have him provide some detail around their culture. I wanted something that symbolized the aspects I feel are important and also wanted to be sure I didn’t go down the whole Redskins path by mistake. He provided great insight and was one of the first guests at our Jam Session where we spoke to 3 members of the Iroquois National team who taught the boys about the history of the game.
After sharing some of those ideas with coaches and friends, Coach Neverosky sent a picture of a wolf with the quote from Rudyard Kipling “For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” In Native American tribes, the wolf is associated with courage strength and loyalty. And so, the Wolfpack was born.
Donate
As a 501(C)(3) non-profit, donations are a great way to make the experience better for the kids. A lot of companies provide matching funds for 501(C)(3) donations. Every dollar helps and every dollar will go towards the team. Thank You!
Support
We would like to thank all of the people and organizations that have supported our efforts through donations, discounts, and their time. We have something fun for each of you each season. Thanks Again!
Links
Along the journey of creating The Wolfpack we have come across a few people that are supporting lacrosse The Right Way. Here are a few links to some of those:
- usalacrosse.com – Great people helping grow the game across the country.
- powelllacrosse.com – Powell has started providing some of our sticks and uniforms. Great company run by great people!
- warrior.com – Our custom gloves and elbow pads are all brought to you by our friends at Warrior Lacrosse.
- lacrosseunlimited.com – We have bought all of our gear through Lacrosse Unlimited. And our gear is strong!
- legendcaps.com – Great people with a great idea. Our entire team has custom Wolfpack butt ends.
- cascadelacrosse.com – Our helmets are custom made by the best in the biz.
- laxdrip.com – Trustworthy reviews and information about heads, shafts, gloves, and other equipment from someone that plays lacrosse.
