Parents and Players,

Welcome to the 2014 lacrosse season. The rest of the coaching staff and I are very excited to get going with you all next week. I have attached a few schedule and eligibility notes below.

Week 1 Schedule: We were very fortunate to be able to schedule some full-field indoor time at Champions Hall in Edina for our first Monday and Tuesday practices. In previous years we have been confined to small gym spaces. The time was offered at a significantly discounted rate thanks to the generous contributions of one of their founders Marty Probst.

Practice will run from 6:30 to 8:30 AM both days. Players should plan to arrive around 6:00 AM so that they can be geared up and ready to go 15 minutes prior to practice start.

I recognize that this schedule will not work for non MPS athletes who are in-school and may be difficult for some parent's work commute schedules. We made the decision to go as early as possible in the hopes that parents who need to drive their kids can do so prior to work obligations. We appreciate your flexibility here, the early spring season often requires this.

What To Bring: Players are expected to wear full equipment which includes a mouth guard and cleats. Returning players should wear their assigned practice jerseys and shorts. We are in the process of ordering practice gear for new players which should be available by week 2.

Age Levels: Our final registration numbers are at a really solid 64. While it is a great number it is less than we originally projected. As a result, we have decided to run Varsity, Junior Varsity and U15 levels. Like last year, we will not offer a team at the 9/10 level. What this means is that all sophomores will be playing at either the JV or Varsity levels and are required to register formally with the Minneapolis Public Schools. My sense is that most if not all 10th graders are already registered this way. If you are not please contact me immediately. You will still be able to practice during the first week but need to get paperwork moving quickly.

Overnight Retreat: I will be sending a detailed itinerary and logistics for our overnight retreat later today.

Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there is anything else that I can help with. Emily Winter is also available for help.

Sincerely,

Aron