What is SP Lax Club?
SP Lax was formed as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to sponsoring and encouraging participation by middle and high school girls, primarily from Anne Arundel County, in national and international amateur lacrosse tournaments. SP Lax teams participate in these tournaments during the summer and fall.

Who are the principals of SP Lax?
The Board of Directors of SP Lax consists of individuals from Anne Arundel County who share the SP Lax Club philosophy regarding club lacrosse.  Our board members have a broad range of experience in lacrosse and business. 

What are the goals of SP Lax?
Ultimately, the goal is to provide an avenue for girls who may want to play lacrosse in college. Because of the high quality of play in the mid-Atlantic region, college lacrosse coaches often recruit at tournaments in our area. By playing against top competition in these tournaments, they have the opportunity to be seen by and recruited by college lacrosse coaches.

SP Lax Club feels that this goal is best met by having lacrosse be one part of a player's high school experience, and not the sole focus. Competing in other high school sports, meeting the demands of high school course loads, and having free time to spend with family and friends is often more important in shaping a player's character than just playing lacrosse year round. SP Lax Club emphasizes the ability of a player to lead a balanced life because experience tells us that colleges appreciate the well-rounded student-athlete. Therefore, we strive to strike that balance with our level of tournament and practice participation as described below.

How is the money collected from the players used?
SP Lax is a not-for-profit organization.  For the 2009 season we will charge 1) a try-out fee, 2) a membership fee, 3) a flat fee for all tournaments in the summer schedule 4) a uniform fee, and 5) a flat fee for all tournaments in the fall schedule. The membership fee pays for insurance, coaches, and other operating expenses.  The flat tournament fee is designed to pay for entry fees and other associated costs for the summer tournaments. Our directors are volunteers, who are not compensated for their service.  Our coaches are current and former college players, who are compensated for their work with the club.

Are players required to play in all of the tournament?
We have developed our tournament schedule to maximize quality exposure to college coaches and minimize the logistical and expense issues that can come with tournament lacrosse. Our tournament schedule runs from the first week of June through the middle of July. Overnight travel is typically limited to one weekend tournament. The 2010 & 2011 teams will play in six tournaments, the 2012 team five tournaments, the 2013, 2014 and 2015 teams four or five tournaments. Practices will be held one to two times a week during the summer season beginning in mid-May. There will be also be practice in October in preparation for the one or two fall tournaments.

We also limit the size of our teams to 19-23 girls to provide more playing time per player.

Therefore, with our compact schedule, minimal travel time, and reasonable roster sizes, the expectation is that each player commits to participating in every tournament on her team’s schedule.

How successful has this program been?
Success is measured in many ways - in the win-loss records of our teams, in the club alumni that play for or have committed to play for desirable Division I, II & III programs, and in the congenial, supportive atmosphere enjoyed by our players and their parents. As a young club, we are trying to achieve that ideal balance of enjoyment, competitiveness, affordability and skill development for our members.

We encourage you to talk to current and former SP Lax players and parents to see how we are doing.

In what tournaments does the club participate?
The following link takes you to our schedule for the recent 2008 Summer season. For the current 2008 Fall schedule go to the Tournament page. We anticipate that the 2009 summer and fall schedules will remain essentially the same. However, there is the possible addition of a fifth summer tourney for the younger teams.

Is anyone eligible to try-out?
All girls currently in grades 6 through 11 are eligible to try-out. Your geographic residence, school, past club affiliations, or years of experience, do not preclude you from try-outs. For the 2008 season, SP Lax rosters included players from 8 different high schools and 6 different middle schools. You must, however, attend try-outs on the scheduled dates to be evaluated.

Also, for insurance purposes, the sponsors of many of the tournaments in which we play require that each player be a member of US Lacrosse.  We therefore require all SP Lax players to join US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse membership information is available at www.uslacrosse.org

How are try-outs conducted?
Try-outs are held in mid-October over two Sundays to allow for everyone's busy schedules. However, we encourage players to attend both Sundays to allow us the most complete and fair evaluation of their abilities.

The coaches and officers of the club make selections.  To ensure that evaluations are as objective as possible: 1) we will seek the assistance of select knowledgeable third parties; and 2) if an officer/coach is a parent of a player on a team, that coach will not participate in the evaluation of the players on that team.  Among the factors on which players are evaluated is speed, athletic ability, strength, stick skills and scrimmage play. All girls who attend will be notified of the results shortly after tryouts are complete.

Placement decisions are final.

How do I register to try-out?
The dates, times, and location of try-outs are outlined in the Registration section of this website. We will send a confirmation of your registration by email. Any changes due to weather or unforeseen events will also be sent via email. There is a $25 fee for trying-out.