Date: Thursday January 16, 2014
December Minutes ratified
Treasurer: Treasurer not present. Steve stated that the Dick’s check is coming soon for $10,000.00 as NHYLA’s mainsponsor.
Boys VP: Kevin not present - Coaching Educational opportunities in Foxboro, Ma. on 3/8 and Maine 1/18. Towns need to certify coaches. March 23rd in Exeter at Exeter High School will be the local level 1 CEP clinic for both boys and girls. Londonderry Youth Lacrosse is having an equipment swap on 1/31. Check out LYLA’s website for more information.
Girls VP: Coaching Educational opportunities in Foxboro, Ma on 3/8 for level 1 and 3/9 for level 2 at the Sage School, Groton, Ma 3/29, Windham, Me. on 1/18 and Bifield, Ma on 3/30. VP expressed his feelings that the new scheduling will help with old issues on the girls side.
US Lax: Rule changes to note – ball standards set. All games have to use NOCSAE balls for US Lax to insure games / players etc. Very important to comply as there will be insurance issues and liability concerns if proper balls are not used. Nothing mentioned about practices and ball use. No horn on end-line or sidelines this year. Us Lax is trying to reduce violent collisions and unsportsmanlike conduct going forward. Contact made within 3-5 yards ok but if beyond that and intent is shown to create a violent collision, then penalties will be given. Removal of a player from the game if (4) personal fouls or (5) minutes for each player is being stressed again. Must notify VP when player or coach is removed from a game and explain why. US Lax will be hosting a PCA for parents at the Hampshire Dome through a grant. Times and date tbd.
North / South: To be held in Amherst on Father’s day weekend 6/14 and 6/15 at Amherst H.S. More details to follow.
Boys Officials: More rules discussion… no longer (1) handed checks allowed at any level. Penalties will be given even if the attempted one handed check is missed!No contact to the head at all (automatic 2 minutes locked in). Referee has discretion to go up to 3 minutes or player ejection!! No horns at any time. All substitutions will be on the fly. This applies to all levels. Home teams should plan on having balls on the sidelines now (help keep game flowing) and box has expanded from 5 yards each side of midfield to 10. Sportsmanship calls will increase. Looking to stress skill, speed and ball movement more than ever. Many rules are focusing on “the defenseless player”. The player being hit has to see you coming. 70% of all injuries have no flag generated by officials. Need more coaches to learn new rules for player safety. NOCSAE balls were discussed again. Rules interpretation meetings are still required and are free of charge to host. Need to sign up soon (funded through a NH chapter grant). One person from each of the boys and girls are required to attend and go back and explain rule changes to their organizations. Contact Wayne Demers to set up a boys training and Dave Pelletier for a girls training. There are(14) kids signed up for officials training in Londonderry. Still open in Laconia – need more people to sign up (only 5). You have to be age 14 and older by April 1st 2014. Classroom training and an on field training on 3/23 needed to become a youth official. There are +/- 100 youth officials returning for 2014. Parents or curious persons are always welcome to sit in on trainings. Exeter will be holding a coaches training clinic either on 3/16 or 3/23 for men & women. To be posted soon. Clarification made that all coaches (head and assistant) need to be at least (18) years old.Potential referees will have to spend $75.00 for class and the cost of uniform etc. Referees get $30.00 per game in year #1 and up after they acquire more field time in year #2 etc. They have to be (2) years older than they age group they are reffing.
Girls Officials: Dave not present - February training for women’s officials will be in Concord, NH. Location TBD but dates will be 1st or 2nd Saturday in February. Location will probably be NHTI and times will be 8:30-12:15. Coaches training will be on same day from 1-3 at same location.Updates to be posted online.
President:The year-end festival will be held in Londonderry on June 7 and 8. The season will start the Sunday of April 13th with games scheduled the Saturday of Easter Weekend (4/19) and no games scheduled on Memorial Day weekend. Each town is required to input teams in League Athletics so that Steve can run schedules. Put your teams in with divisions and assign your home fields. This needs to be done by March 1st. Dick’s is still the official sponsor of NHYLA. In return, we are asked to promote the NHYLA Appreciation Days at the (4)NH stores on 2/15, 2/16 4/15. 20% off all merchandise will be offered at all locations on those days. On 2/15 and 2/16 NHYLA will have tables set up at each location from 11-3 to help. Nashua location to be covered by Steve T, Nashua and Merrimack organizations, Portsmouth by Exeter on Saturday and Cocheco on Sunday, Keene location by Keene and Concord by John Stark and Bow.
The Competition Committee needs to meet to align divisions in early March. They will be monitoring the first (3) weeks and meet again to re-align if needed. Bow, Cocheco and Bedford added to the group.
Divisions have been set as follows: Girls U9 – (1) B division, U11 – A & B, U13 – A & B, U15 –A & B. Boys U9 – A & B, U11 – A, B1, B2 & C, U13 – A, B1, B2 & C, U15 – A, B & C. Fees for NHYLA and the festival will be due all at once at the beginning of the year for now on. $45.00 per team plus festival fees of $100.00 per for a total of $145.00 per team.
There will be a girls varsity coaching clinic for H.S. and youth coaches in Exeter on 2/2 from 9-1at Exeter H.S. Cost is $50.00 when pre-registered and $75.00 for walk-ups. You can pre-register at Exeter Youth Lacrosse’s web-site.
Motion to adjourn passed.
Next meeting Thursday, February 20th at 7:00 @ Moe Joes.