Parents and Players,
Hard to believe that our Annual Overnight Retreat is right around the corner. We are all very excited about it. I am writing to update you all on a more detailed schedule for the weekend as well as to encourage you all to register for the retreat via the MAYLA website as soon as possible. I apologize for not doing so sooner.
Retreat Overview: This will be our fourth year visiting the Mt. Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington. The retreat started as a way to make Spring Break a bit more fun for the guys who were staying in town for practice (Spring break is traditionally during the second week of the season). Each year we have found that the retreat does far more than just entertain. From a tactical stand-point there is no better way to refine systems / skills than to spend 3 days straight working on them. Most importantly, the retreat helps to bring our team together. Players begin to trust each other more. They develop more empathy and understanding and also learn to work together. Again, the results have always been pretty incredible. Other notice it as well. Each year the staff at the retreat center rave that our players are the most disciplined, polite and respectful group they have each year.
Schedule Overview:
Arrival - Thursday April 21 - We will depart from SW high school at 4:00 p.m. Players should pack and bring their bags to school so we can leave right away. Charles Clendenen is working on scheduling a bus pick-up. A car-pool may also be considered to save on bus costs. My guess is we will go with a bus since pulling together a car-pool my be tough on short notice. I have also seen your kids drive and it scares me....
Departure - Saturday April 23 - Our 9/10 players have games at 10:00 a.m. conveniently located right up 35 in Lakeville. Parents are asked to arrive at the retreat center on Saturday to pick-up players and bring them up. The rest of the players will remain through 3:00 p.m. Again, we will bus or carpool back-up and be back in town by 4:00 p.m.
*A detailed itinerary can be found below or under "Documents" on the home page of this website.
Attendance / Cost: It is my sincere hope and expectation that all players attend the retreat. More than skill development, the retreat is about team development. If the whole team is not there we cannot do that. Furthermore, I would hate to have players sitting at home missing out. I realize that many players may have family or religious events planned. I also realize that cost may be an issue for some players. As with all other issues I ask that players communicate their issues on this with me or their respective coaches. There are plenty of solutions. The retreat center is only 45 minutes away. While we hope that players can stay for the entire time continuously, getting picked-up / dropped off is an option.
Registration: Right now we only have about 20 players formally registered for the retreat. I am guessing this is simply due to lack of information on my part. Apologies again for the delay. I would like to ask that all players register or communicate issues with me today or tomorrow at the absolute latest. We need to communicate numbers to the retreat center staff so that they can plan our meals. Please register as soon as possible or let us know that you will not be able to attend.
A parent permission slip can be found under "Documents" on the home page of this website. Please print this out and bring it to practice or to check-in at the bus on Thursday.
Sincerely,
Aron Lipkin
Homegrown Lacrosse Non-Profit
Minneapolis Boys H.S Lacrosse
cell 612-237-9242
office 612-823-3919
www.homegrownlacrosse.org