Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Capital Lacrosse Club?
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The Capital Lacrosse Club is one of the most competitive clubs in the country and is comprised primarily of players interested in playing women's lacrosse beyond high school. The Club’s goals are to develop high school lacrosse players through high quality coaching and tournament play, to develop highly competitive elite teams, and to help players find and explore options for playing college lacrosse. The Club puts an emphasis on participating in tournaments which will allow the Club’s players to be seen by college coaches.
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What level of participation is expected of each family? (See Player Commitment Below)
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Capital Lacrosse Club is largely a parent-run organization. There are many ways that families of a player can get involved, which may include volunteering as team or tournament managers or participating on the Board of Directors. At a minimum, it is expected that each family will assist those managing tournaments and club functions by helping with logistics, food and drink, and site clean-up.
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What level of player commitment is required?
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There are very few legitimate reasons to miss a club commitment. Each player and one of her parents must sign the Capital Code of Conduct form acknowledging the expectation that each player will attend ALL practices, ALL tournaments and ALL team functions. Summer programs and family vacations are not reasons for excused absences from Club functions. If a player is unable to make the required commitment, she will jeopardize her position on the team and participation in the Club. The Club generally completes the summer season by late July. Tryouts for the following year are held during Mid July.
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How much does participation in the club cost?
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For the 2019-2020 season, the total fee per player is $2,750.00 which covers all practice, tournament, field and coach fees. Additional costs that are not covered in the annual fee include transportation, hotel and meal expenses. Financial aid may be available. Inquiries may be directed to the Board President.
When and where are practices held?
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Fall practices (September through November) are generally held on Sundays. Late spring and summer practices (June through late July) are generally held on weekday evenings (one to two per week). Practices are held at various sites in the Washington, DC area including Alexandria City, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Montgomery County and the District of Columbia. Field space is a challenge for all youth sports, and CLC is making an ongoing effort to find and secure the best available fields throughout our region.
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When and where are tournaments?
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Tournaments are scheduled throughout the fall and summer and are selected to provide the best opportunities for the Club’s players to be seen by as many college coaches as possible. Many tournaments are in the local Washington-Baltimore area, but each year a few tournaments will require more distant travel with overnight stays. To obtain a current tournament schedule, look at the Tournaments section of our website.
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Will each player have sufficient playing time to showcase her skills?
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Team rosters are formed in order to allow each player the opportunity to showcase her skills. In all games and tournament situations, playing time is at the discretion of the individual coaches but should be a minimum of a half of every game (which may be a combination of time over a game) among players in good standing. Playing time may be negatively affected by player attitude, attendance, effort, and coachability.
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What assistance with the college recruitment process does the Club provide to the individual player and her family?
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CLC assists players in a variety of ways, including responding to and contacting college coaches on behalf of players, providing assistance in completing recruiting forms, and acting as a guide through the recruiting process. Information sessions regarding college recruitment are held for all players and their parents.
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What happens if my daughter is injured and cannot play for a significant portion of the season?
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As long as a player remains in good standing with her team and the Club, she will be afforded the same support all players receive in the recruiting process. Due to the significant fixed costs of running the Capital Lacrosse Club, no refunds will be available to players who are injured or otherwise cannot play. Players accepting an invitation to play for the Club are liable for the full year’s fee.
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What happens if a returning player is injured and cannot participate in tryouts due to that injury? Will she have to tryout?
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All players seeking membership in the club must complete a rigorous tryout and evaluation period. Occasionally a returning player will become injured in such a manner that she is unable to fully participate in the evaluation process. In such cases, the player will be placed on the same team that she had played on during the immediate preceding season. Once cleared to participate fully, the injured player will be evaluated for appropriate placement on EITHER the Blue or Orange team for her graduating class. Upon returning to active play for evaluation, the player will be subject to the same expectations as all other players in her graduating class.
In all cases it is the expectation that the player attend CLC activities while unable to play due to injury or illness, provided that attendance does not risk further injury to the player, adversely affect recovery from the injury or illness, or expose other players to a contagious illness.
A player should notify the Directors about her injury or illness as soon as possible, and seek guidance from the Directors, coaches and trainers/doctors as to whether it is appropriate to attend certain activities.