MEMBERSHIP BOOKLET

2015 – 2016 CLUB SEASON:

MIDWESTERN FORCE LACROSSE

SOUTHERN STORM LACROSSE

ROANOKE RAPIDS LACROSSE

LOCK NESS MONSTERS LACROSSE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION TO YOUR ORGANIZATION ………………….……………………. 3

2. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ……………………….……………………………….. 4

3. ELITE vs OPEN MEMBERSHIP …………………………………………………………. 5

4. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY …………………………………………………………. 6

5. COMMUNICATION ……..………………………………………………………….. 7

5a. EMAIL ……………..…………………………………………………………… 7

5b. TWITTER ………………………………………………………………………….. 8

6. TOURNAMENT TRAVEL …………………………………………………………………. 8

6a. SOLO TRAVELER …………………………………………………………………. 9

7. REGISTERING FOR EVENTS AND CLINICS ………………………………………. 11

8. TOURNAMENT TRAVEL – MOST QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE! ……….. 12

9. CLINICS AND PRACTICES ………………………………………………………………… 14

9a. PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS/EXPECTATIONS ……………………………… 16

9b. PRACTICE MEMBERSHIP LEVELS ……………………………………………….. 16

9c. REGIONAL PRACTICE CALENDAR ………………..……………………………… 17

10. NAVIGATING THE MFL WEBSITE ……………………………………………………….. 18

10a. FINANCIAL AND PERSONAL DATA MANAGEMENT and LOG IN…. 18

10b. CALENDAR and MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY LOG IN …………………… 18

11. TOURNAMENT ROSTERS ………………………………………………………………… 20

12. FORMS ………………………………………………………………………………….……….. 21

12a. MEMBERSHIP FORMS ……………………………………………………….. 21

12b. FORMSTACK …………………………………………………………………………. 21

13. RECRUITING ………………………………………………………………………………….. 25

14. TAILGATING AND VOLUNTEERING ……………………………………………….. 28

15. GEAR STORE ………………………………………………………………………………….. 28

16. VIDEOTAPING AT TOURNAMENTS ……………………………………………………… 28

17. TEAM CAMP AND BUS ………………………..……………………………………….. 29

18. FUNDRASING ……………….………………………………………………………………….. 29

19. CONTACTING STAFF …………………………………………………………………….……. 30

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INTRODUCTION TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

Midwestern Force Lacrosse and all its little sister clubs welcome you into the season ahead!

We are excited to have you and your family as part of our organization, where every athlete

can achieve success and take her game to the next level because we use only college coaches

and other professionals. There is no hidden agenda - we truly believe that every girl can

succeed with proper teaching. Our coaches help mentor our young girls into confident young

women – both on and off the field. Midwestern Force was started to give the player in the

‘non-traditional’ lacrosse areas of the country the same opportunity to improve her game and

be seen by college recruiters as the more traditional player. We have expanded to where we

are needed and have recently had players from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, New

York, Oregon, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

This booklet is designed to provide invaluable information to ensure this club experience is a

favorable one for you as the member, as well as make running a club efficient on our end. This

booklet outlines the various procedures required by all participants and their families, as well

as forms to be submitted and why they are necessary. Understanding the importance of why

these policies are in place and why your compliance is necessary will enhance the operation of

the club and provide the best possible club experience for you and your family.

Playing lacrosse is not the only aspect of membership with MFL. We want to develop your

daughter to have success in so many more ways – to be able to succeed not only as an athlete,

but also as a student and as an individual. We hope that her experience with MFL will give her

life skills that lead them to success both on and off the field – now and in the future.

We prepare every player to take their game to the ‘next level’, but the desire to ‘play on’ after

high school is not a requirement to of being part of our organization. We have the tools for

every player to make the Club experience her own – whatever the future holds!

We appreciate being given the opportunity to work with your daughter and look forward to

being involved with not only your daughter, but also your family for many years to come.

Welcome once again and be advised that we are always only a phone call or email away,

should you have a question. Please refer to the Contact Page later in this booklet.

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Code of Conduct and Player Expectation Form are part of the Membership Packet and are

to be signed and returned. There are separate forms for the Parents and the Player.

All players and family members need to represent not only themselves but our Club in a

positive manner.

Briefly:

Sideline Behavior Expectations:

1. No yelling at players from our team or other teams

2. No yelling at referees

3. Be supportive of all players

4. You are not the coach, so let our coaches do what they do professionally every day

Disgruntled with playing time or team placement?

1. Make this your daughter’s experience. The procedure is that we want the player to be

the first to approach her coach with questions regarding events directly related to

playing the game. The individual player needs to develop the confidence to discuss

situations that are controllable by communication. In this way, she will have

accountability for the outcome opposed to a parent try to fix it for her.

If the player still feels she is not comfortable doing this, then she needs to come directly

to Lisa and she will step in and assist to give the player a better line of communication

between the athlete and coach, and parent if necessary. Learning effective

communication skills now will help the player later when she must deal with a

professor, coach, supervisor or anyone later in life where direct communication is

needed. We are building skills for the future by empowering your daughter now.

2. If we feel that a parent is over stepping boundaries, disrespecting our coaches, other

parents, the club, our players or players from other teams we will handle it in two ways:

A. If the player is younger, we will talk directly to the parent about our concerns.

Parents will be advised that if the behavior continues, they will be prohibited from

attending games/practices and their daughter may also be removed from the

Club without a refund.

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B. If the player is older, we will talk directly to the player and then have them

address the behavior with the parent. If there is not quick and noticeable

improvement, then we will address the problem with the parent. Once again, as

above, both the player and parents will be advised that if the behavior continues,

they will be prohibited from attending games/practices and may also be removed

from the Club without a refund.

Remember the behavior of the player and the parent (both on and off the field) have a

big impact when a college coach is deciding if she wants to invite a particular player to

be part of her team. Players that come with baggage are not welcomed into programs!

ELITE vs OPEN MEMBERSHIP (Pink/White)

The Club does not require a ‘tryout’ to join – all players are welcome to grow their game with

the best teachers we can find! We know that players are coming in at all levels and yet there

is a place for every girl! To achieve this end, we offer two membership levels: ELITE and OPEN.

Within the OPEN membership there are two options OPEN PINK and OPEN WHITE.

The major difference between Elite and Open levels is in terms of the commitment that the

player and her family are willing to make. All Elite teams compete by Year of Graduation.

The Elite player must attend the required tournaments and practices for her Year of

Graduation (YOG). All required tournament fees are included in the membership fee.

Open players are on a pay as you play system and will register for tournaments on a waitlist. If

there is an opening on the age appropriate Elite team, then the waitlisted player will have an

opportunity to participate. All waitlisted players will be contacted by a day or two after the

itinerary form is due to let them know what their status is for that venue.

Players registering for the Open PINK club membership are committing to attend both the

Midwest Cup in the Summer and the MidAtlantic tournament in the Fall (these tournament

fees are included in the Open Pink membership packet.)

Open White pays the basic membership fee, waitlists for the opportunity to participate in a

particular venue and then pays for any event as they go.

All membership levels pay the same fees, with Elite being all inclusive, Open Pink including two

tournaments and White complete a la carte. All summer clinics/practices are included in all

membership levels; however, there is an upcharge is an Open player wants to participate in a

Fall Elite Clinic/Practice.

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There are evaluations for team placement on the Elite teams, but no cuts. Elite players

compete strictly by YOG as well as Open waitlisted players. Open teams for Midwest Cup and

MidAtlantic will be mixed YOG.

ELITE COMMITMENT: Elite membership is capped by YOG. Once the Elite teams are

filled, there will be a wait list, and those players can opt for OPEN membership. If an

Elite player fails to fulfill her obligation of attending the required practices and

tournaments, she may be moved to Open membership and continue her club

participation there. Elite members now must attend 75% of all of the summer practices

and then all fall and winter practices unless excused.

OPEN COMMITMENT: Open membership is a unique experience for every player

determined by what she wants to put in to get out of her club. Players are not required

to attend tournaments – but are encouraged to do so. They also are not required to

attend specific practices - but are once again encouraged to participate in all the Club

has to offer! As detailed above, if there are vacancies on Elite teams, those spots may

be offered to OPEN players who have waitlisted for the venue.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

1. All families are fully responsible in full for any and all fees. After committing for the

upcoming calendar year and making the initial deposit - your membership fees are

collectible regardless of whether the player opts to continue to participate or not. The

payment plans are a no-interest benefit we offer our families to manage fees, but

ultimately you are responsible in full. We have no refunds.

2. Fees for non-sufficient funds are the responsibility of the player.

3. All tournaments fees for Open and Elite players as well as Camp, Clinic and Solo

Travelers are non-refundable once registered

As a Club, we are required to purchase our team slots in the tournaments almost a year in

advance. Registrations for the tournaments we attend sell out within minutes of opening.

We make a commitment to our members to assure that they are in the best tournaments

available for exposure to the college recruiters. When a player joins the Club and opts for the

Payment Plan, she has an obligation as well to the Club who has already paid her tournament

fees. We often have turned away players once an Elite YOG category is filled. Open

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membership fees are also considered to be non-refundable. We do not accept charge backs in

any case. All unpaid fees are collectible in full or handed over to an outside collection agency.

If there are extreme circumstances that limit a player from participating once she has joined

the club, contact Lisa directly. In some rare cases a credit can be carried, but the player is still

responsible to complete the full payment plan for her membership level that year.

IT IS THE PLAYER’S/PARENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP A CURRENT CREDIT CARD (or CHECKING

ACCOUNT) ON FILE AT ALL TIMES. IF THE CREDIT CARD EXPIRATION DATE CHANGES, CALL

EITHER LISA OF KATHY TO MAKE THE UPDATE (UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CANNOT DO THIS

YOURSELF). THE SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS USE THE NEWEST CARD ON FILE WHEN CHARGES ARE

MADE.

COMMUNICATION

As a Club, EMAIL is the main method of communication. Therefore, every player must provide

an email address that works (does not spam out or shut down because it is full), accepts

attachments and will be checked regularly by both the player and the parents.

IT IS THE PLAYER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP UP WITH COMMUNICATIONS FROM US!

EMAIL

MFL uses Constant Contact as our main mass email provider. Do not hit UNSUBSCRIBE, unless

you never want to receive an email from us again! It is very difficult to undo this function.

When the Club is in season, there will be regular emails. If you don’t seem to be receiving

them – check your SPAM box. If using Outlook, or another software program, you may need

to go back to the email provider to do this. To be assured of receiving our emails please add

the following addresses to your email contacts: midwesternlax@yahoo.com,

mfl.lacrosse.documents@gmail.com, kkimmerling@sbcglobal.net, marybullardfee@gmail.com

It is suggested that you create folders within your email to save club correspondences.

If you are using an email address that has limitations (won’t accept attachments, etc.),

consider obtaining an additional email account with GMAIL, etc. MFL will send out email to

any address that you provide.

The Club really tries to limit the amount of email that you will receive. While some

correspondences will be very general and sent to the entire club (so they might not really be

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just for you), others will be very specific and you may be in the small group receiving the email.

This is often determined by YOG, geographic area, tournament participation, etc.

It is the player’s responsibility to keep their personal account current, including updating email

addresses. The Email list is updated monthly from the data that you have provided and is

usually run at the beginning of each month.

***TOURNAMENTS - There is a FINAL DETAIL SHEET that is emailed to each participant for the

specific tournament. THIS EMAIL IS ONLY SENT OUT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESSES PROVIDED ON

THE ITINERARY FORM THAT WAS RETURNED FOR THAT TOURNAMENT. IF YOU WANT A COPY

OF THE EMAIL IN YOUR INBOX, PROVIDE THE EMAIL ADDRESSES! If you are not attending the

tournament, you will not be receiving correspondences for it.

TWITTER

MFL uses Twitter to communicate at tournaments and for last minute practice changes.

Please set up an account with TWITTER and follow MFLMAMA. PROMISE: you will not be

bombarded with tweets - as they are sent very sparingly!

There is also the Twitter feed on the MFL home page.

FACEBOOK

Any changes or cancellations will also be available on our Facebook page which also has a live

feed on our homepage of the website.

TOURNAMENT TRAVEL

All players need to submit a TRAVEL ITINERARY FORM no later the posted due date (usually

about thirty days before the event). This applies to all participants for Tournaments and other

events as stated. It does not matter who you are traveling with – parent, chaperone or solo!

No exceptions!!

***THIS YEAR WE WILL HAVE HARD LINES IN THE SAND IN TERMS OF DEADLINES. ITINERARY

FORMS ARE POSTED AND AVAILABLE WELL IN ADVANCE OF A VENUE ON OUR CALENDAR.

THESE NEED TO BE FILLED OUT IN THE REQUIRED TIME FRAME REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE

ATTENDING OR NOT AND INDICATE IF YOU ARE NOT ATTENDING.

If an athlete or family does not complete the required paper work in the required deadline

they will not be allowed to participate.

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1. Travel forms are a check and balance system for us, showing attendance

confirmation - letting us know exactly who is going and with whom, where they are

staying and full contact information. This confirms the rosters and gives us notice of

last minute changes that may impact the Club and the individual teams.

More importantly it assures you that if your daughter is hurt and we cannot find you,

we will still be able to address her immediately to keep her safe.

2. Players are not rostered if the player does not complete paperwork as required and

they will NOT participate. Because we as a Club have an obligation to submit our

paperwork (rosters) to the tournament holders in a timely manner, we will fill

positions on Elite teams with Open Waitlisted Members if available. There are no

refunds if a player forfeits her spot on a roster because she failed to submit her

itinerary in time. This is our final confirmation that a player is truly attending the

venue.

3. Itinerary Confirmations:

A. Immediate Confirmation: When an itinerary form is submitted, an immediate

email is sent to the first email address on the list. It will have a copy of all the data

you submitted. SAVE THIS!!

B. After the itinerary form has been processed, a final confirmation that all the

information is complete and the player has been placed on a team. This email will go

to all the email addresses on the itinerary form. This final confirmation will usually

be closer to the tournament date. SAVE THIS TOO!!

4. SOLO TRAVELER - these are players who travel SOLO – without a parent or other

chaperone. It is their responsibility to get to the tournament and then the Club will

get them back and forth from the tournament site to the hotel and then back to the

airport. They share one quarter of a hotel room. All SOLOS need to travel with their

own Cell Phone and Credit Card and have cash for meals. The Club is only

responsible for the SOLO once she arrives at the venue and until she dropped off for

her return. If a flight is cancelled or delayed, there will be no one from the Club

available to help her, so this is only an option for the mature player/traveler.

Only HIGH SCHOOL players are able to travel as SOLOS. The fees for Solo travel are

not included in Elite membership fees - this is an additional registration for all players

and only includes the cost of the hotel room and transportation at the venue. Meals,

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travel to and from the tournament and sometimes airport to hotel transfers are

additional/the traveler’s responsibility. SPACE IS VERY LIMITED.

Solo travelers- DO NOT MAKE AIRPLANE RESERVATIONS until you have registered

and paid for your part of the room. We have a limited number of spaces available for

Solo travelers and you are not guaranteed a spot until you register. There are no

refunds if you decide not to use the room. Solo travelers need to submit a copy of

their airline confirmation. Before the tournament, they will be provided with

information on who will meet them at the airport. There may be an extra charge for

transfers from the airport to the hotel, depending on the venue.

There are published times when the Solos are expected to arrive and depart from a

venue. If travel plans fall outside these parameters, or if a flight is delayed, be

advised that the Solo may be required to take public transportation to the hotel.

Solo travelers are assigned a room and are not to switch, as we need to know exactly

where they are. Solos are not permitted to leave their room after bed check or leave

the hotel by themselves - ever! Nor may they leave the fields or go to dinner with

another family unless clearing it with Lisa, Mary or Kathy – not their coach. This will

not be a problem, just that we need to know where the Solos are at all times. All

Solos should also have Lisa, Mary Fee, Kathy and their coach’s phone numbers in

their cell phone. This is especially necessary because, if they are delayed when

traveling to the tournament, they need contact the person who is picking them up at

airport. (We also monitor on flight tracker).

*The Solo Traveler has complete responsibility to be ready to depart for the fields

on time – and to eat breakfast.

* All Solos need to print off a copy of the FINAL DETAIL SHEET and bring it with

them.

Keep in mind that the Solo Traveler must be mature enough for the experience. This

is not a babysitting service, nor is it expected that the Solo will need any kind of

discipline. Keep in mind that the Solo may be at the tournament for the entire day,

because the Club does not have the resources to shuttle these girls back and forth

during the venue, and should be prepared for a long day!

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REGISTERING FOR EVENTS AND CLINICS

Tournaments (including Jamborees and Play days), Camp, Solo Travel, Camp Bus

To register for any event, go to the MFL webpage and click on Event Sign Up. There will be a

menu of all available venues.

ELITE MEMBER: To see what events are included in the YOG membership, go to the

webpage and click on the tournament link.

Any tournament that states that the YOG participation is mandatory is required for Elite

members. Remember that these mandatory tournaments fees were already included in the

membership fee.

If an elite member opts to participate in an event outside her package, she will need to

register on the MFL website under Event Sign Up. This includes Solo Travel.

Do not register for any event inside the YOG package as the Elite member is expected to be

there. You will not receive a refund for your error, but a credit will be carried on your account.

OPEN MEMBER: All Summer and Open Fall practices are included in this membership level.

Go to the MFL webpage and click on the tournament link to see what venues the player is able

to participate in.

Open White members register a la carte for all tournaments by completing a waitlist request.

When a spot becomes available, the family will be contacted – go to Event Signup and remit

payment at this time.

Open Pink members have the Midwest Cup and MidAtlantic tournament included in their

membership. All other tournaments require admission via the waitlist – same as above.

Preseason camp, solo travel, Fall Elite clinics, etc. are all add-ons for this membership level.

Open members play by mixed year of graduation for the Midwest Cup and in the MidAtlantic

tournament in the fall. If player gets pulled from the waitlist they are notified and charged. To

avoid getting closed out of a tournament, Waitlist early!

MIDDLE SCHOOL MEMBER: Middle School members register a la carte for all middle school

tournaments, preseason camp, elite clinics, etc. on the MFL website. Middle School members

are not permitted to participate in the Solo Traveler option.

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Go to the MFL webpage and click on the tournament link and follow the directions above.

When the team is filled, a wait list will be made available. To avoid getting closed out of a

tournament, register early!

When registering for tournaments, be sure that you are eligible to participate for your YOG and

that you really wish to attend. There are no refunds if you change your mind, but we will carry

a credit if you made a YOG error! There are no refunds or credits for Solo Travel cancellations.

If the fees for a Play day or Jamboree are included as part of the membership package, only the

Formstack registration is needed. A player is not included in the venue until she registers on

Formstack – See Full Calendar.

TOURNAMENT TRAVEL – MOST QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE!

Who is attending this tournament?

ELITE – if it is mandatory, the player is expected to be there – just complete the itinerary form.

OPEN and optional Elite tournaments- register at Event Sign Up. Receipt for payment verifies

that the player will be placed on a team – send the itinerary form.

If the tournament is not listed on the Event Sign Up menu, then it is FULL and the waitlist will

be activated. The waitlist form will be on the Events and Detail Calendar. If/when a spot

becomes available – the player will be contacted by phone to see if she is still interested in

attending. If player passes, then her name will be removed and we will go to the next name

on the waitlist. Players can also remove their names from the waitlist by resubmitting the

form and choosing the CANCEL option.

Once a player confirms that she still wishes to attend, the player will then need to go to Event

Sign Up and register/pay, and then submit an itinerary. Itinerary Form due dates will be

modified, if necessary, for waitlisted players.

We strongly caution waitlisted players not to purchase airline tickets until a spot on a team is

confirmed. While we try to place waitlisted players on teams, there is no guarantee that this

will happen because openings only occur when another player must cancel. We do not have

the ability to ‘pick up another team’ at the last minute – so register early and avoid getting

shut out!

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Where should we stay?

There will always be a team hotel for the tournament -this is where the staff and solo travelers

stay. A block of rooms will be available at the team hotel (sometimes more than one hotel) for

families to reserve. All this is done by the families; MFL only provides rooms for Solo travelers.

Refer to the Events and Details Calendar for the specific venue to see how to reserve a room.

Most of the hotels in the area will sell out months in advance, so this may be your only

opportunity to stay close to the venue. There will be a unique code or URL address for MFL

families – you must use this code or URL to receive the team rate for the room. Be advised

that there are a limited number of rooms in the block and when they are sold out, we do not

have the ability to obtain more. Also, the block will close on a specific date and any

unreserved rooms will go back into the hotel system.

If you have reserved a room within the block and then do not need it, please do not cancel. If

you do that, then MFL has lost the room – it goes back into the hotel general reservation

system. Our team blocks always sell out and there may be families who were unable to get

into the team hotel and could use your room. Please send an email to Kathy and she can help

‘transfer’ the room between families. (If you need a room, let Kathy know as will, but be

advised that you need to reserve a room somewhere else, as very few of the families give back

hotel rooms.)

Players and their families are not required to stay in the team hotel – it is just an option that

we make available to our families, especially because of the overwhelming demand for hotels

for some venues. No matter where a player stays, she is still responsible for being at the field

on time for her game – which is usually about one hour before the actual scheduled game

time. Distance and traffic are not an excuse for being late.

How do we get there?

Plane, train or automobile, doesn’t matter how, just so the player gets there safely and on

time! Players have employed all methods and modes of transportation and that is why the

itinerary form is so necessary. It has happened that a player arrives by air and is met and stays

with their parent and then departs by car with another family… A solo may travel to the venue

with one family and then depart with another family. We have seen every combination over

the last ten years.

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Air travelers – refer to the Events and Detail Calendar to find guidelines for arrival and

departure times for each tournament. We do not have the final schedule until a week or so

before the venue. The departure time takes into account advancement into playoffs for all

players. Unfortunately, MFL is not psychic and cannot pinpoint what a particular team’s

schedule will look like in advance.

All players are expected to be at all games for their team! Travel arrangements are no excuse -

so plan accordingly. Players travelling together will not be placed on the same team solely for

the convenience of their travel schedule. Players who have not received permission to depart a

tournament early and miss their scheduled games will be subject to disciplinary action.

Players are required to meet up with their coach/teammates one hour before the scheduled

game time.

When a player has completed all her scheduled games, she is permitted to leave. This includes

each tournament day, as well as the final day of the tournament. Neither the player nor her

family is required to check out with MFL staff before they depart.

CLINICS AND PRACTICES

All participants must submit a registration form thru Formstack. If a player fails to register by

6:00AM the morning of a scheduled clinic and shows up at the practice (without a pre-

registration on Formstack/practice calendar) THEY NOT BE PERMITTED TO PRACTICE and WILL

SENT HOME. We MUST have players to register so our practice plans and teachers match up

with the numbers attending.

ALL MEMBERS - Do not register on the MFL Webpage under Events Sign Up; this site is for

collecting fees and the fees for the practices are already included in your membership. The

exception to this is Elite Clinic participation for Open and Middle School members.

All Practices/Clinics now are open to guest for a fee and they remit payment under event sign-

up, clinics then go to calendar and complete the online registration form.

Why are Club practices now open to the Public?? Answer: by having an open practice/clinic we

are permitted to have D-1 coaches!!

Practices are posted by two seasons: Summer Season and Fall Season. In general, practices

are designed to teach fundamentals and build skills and knowledge of the game. There will

not be extensive amounts of scrimmaging in these sessions.

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Summer Practices begin in June and run thru the first week in August.

This summer we have a new practice set up in the areas best represented by the Club

membership. The Summer session will consist of four groups of three consecutive

days/evenings of practices. All members need to plan 75% of summer practices to remain in

good standing. For areas with less Club development, there will be three - 6 hour clinics or

Mini camps over the summer months, usually on a Sunday.

To see the schedule for your area go to the MFL website and click on CALENDAR. CLICK on the

REGIONAL CALENDAR AT A GLANCE. Details about the session and the FORMSTACK

registration link pop up when the cursor is placed over the session.

Fall Practices and Elite Clinics start back up in September. Open, Middle School and Bridge

have one practice a month included in their membership. They are held regionally and

advance registration is required as in the Summer. Elite members must attend one open

practice and one elite clinic per month.

Clinic Fees for Open members and Guests:

All Summer and Open Fall Clinics are included in every membership level.

Fall Elite Clinics are included in their membership and available to the rest of the club for a

$30.00 upcharge.

All Clinics are now open to Guests for $99.00 for the series of three in the summer and then

$65.00 per clinic in the fall unless otherwise advertised. Remit payment on the MFL webpage

under Event Sign Up and complete the Formstack preregistration form.

ANY GUEST WHO JOINS THE CLUB WITHIN 10 DAYS OF ATTENDING A CLINIC WILL RECEIVE A

CREDIT FOR THE COST OF THAT CLINIC TOWARDS HER MEMBERSHIP FEE!!

INCLEMENT WEATHER – nothing we can do about this except keep your daughter safe and

send out a TWEET if the session needs to be cancelled or shortened. Unfortunately, we cannot

reschedule these sessions.

PRACTICE CANCELLATION – If there are not enough players registered for a particular session,

it may be cancelled at the discretion of the MFL staff and site coach. To avoid being turned

away at a practice all players must register by 6:00 AM the morning of the session. After the

registration closes, if there aren’t enough players registered, the session will be cancelled.

These sessions will not be rescheduled. If a site continues to be underutilized, it will be

dropped and the players in that area will need to participate at another site.

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PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS/EXPECTATIONS

ELITE MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND TWO PRACTICES OFFERED EACH MONTH-ONE

OPEN AND ONE ELITE. OPEN and MIDDLE SCHOOL MEMBER SHOULD ATTEND THE PRACTICE

EACH MONTH AND ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE ELITE CLINIC.

Attendance is taken for all practices and clinics. Players are not required to attend a specific

site as long as they meet the attendance requirements for their membership level.

A member may attend any practice at any site and is not restricted to just the number of

sessions in her region!! This is your club, use it to the fullest!!

Why all the forms and registrations???? It helps us know in advance for our practice plan and

staffing. There is no additional fee for the Summer and Open Fall practices and the summer

practices are meant to be flexible but please remember you can only get out of us what you

put in for yourself! Remember, Elite members are committing to attend 75% of the practices.

If we do not have enough players register to be able to hold a particular practice, you will be

contacted thru the email addresses you provided on the registration form. A tweet will also be

sent out.

PRACTICE MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

HIGH SCHOOL and MIDDLE SCHOOL

Summer practice season is 3 SESSIONS A WEEK OVER 4 DIFFERENT WEEKS unless in a modified

region, i.e. Michigan. Fall season sessions depend on the player’s membership level.

YOUTH

Practices are only during the summer and have a different schedule from the older members.

It is currently only available in the following areas:

Central Ohio - Upper Arlington and New Albany (sites TBA)

Northeastern Ohio Cincinnati, OH Charlotte, NC

DEVELOPMENTAL

Summer season in Indianapolis, IN, St. Louis, MO and Lexington, KY will be a modified

schedule.

Regional practice sites are designed to accommodate the players where they live. As the

demographics of the Club membership change from year to year, so do the practice sites.

Sites can be added or removed in the best interest of the membership and the Club staff at

any time.

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Summary of All Practice Sessions for the 2015 -2016 Season:

HIGH SCHOOL and MIDDLE SCHOOL: YOUTH PROGRAMS: Atlanta → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Knoxville, TN → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Michigan → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Carolina → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Summer 2015 (Charlotte) Roanoke, VA → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Cincinnati, OH → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Summer 2015 Columbus, OH → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Summer 2015 (Upper Arlington and New Albany) Northeast Ohio → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Summer 2015 Lexington, KY → Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Summer 2015 (starting summer 2015) St. Louis, MO → Coming soon TBA Indianapolis, IN → Summer 2015 Elite (Ohio) → Fall 2015(Additional fees for Open and MS members)

Regional Calendars at a Glance: (available on the MFL Calendar webpage)

Click on Regional Site (in green) to access detailed calendar

Click on the date to access the details for the session including the Formstacker registration

link. Be sure to include any email addresses where you want to receive communications about

this session.

At the beginning of the Formstack form, it will ask you if this is the first time completing the

form, if it is an update or if you wish to cancel your registration. When the update is checked

off, the prior registration will be deleted from the session. If you check that you need to

CANCEL, an email will be sent asking you to verify that you do indeed need to cancel. (There is

no penalty for this; just we need to make sure that you checked the correct box.) You can also

send a preemptive email to mfl.lacrosse.documents@gmail.com to let us know that you did

intend to cancel. Either way, there is communication for every cancellation.

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NAVIGATING THE MFL WEBSITE www.midwesternforcelacrosse.com

FOR LOGIN PURPOSES, THE MFL WEBSITE HAS TWO SECTIONS: FINANCIAL AND CALENDAR.

YOU CREATE YOUR OWN LOGIN FOR THE FINANCIAL SIDE AND YOU ARE ASSIGNED THE LOGIN

FOR THE CALENDAR/DIRECTORY SIDE. (THE FIRST ‘LAYER’ OF THE CALENDAR IS ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT

LOGGING IN – TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE NEXT ‘LAYER’ REQUIRES A LOGIN)

Upon joining the club, every member must fully complete the Manage Account Personal Data

Section. During this process, you created your personalized Log In.

FINANCIAL AND PERSONAL DATA MANAGEMENT and LOG IN

USERNAME – is the email address you provided when you entered your personal data

PASSWORD – was selected by you (If you forget your username or password, it can be reset by calling Lisa or Kathy)

The Manage Account gives you access to your full membership data and daughter’s profile.

Please keep this current especially for email addresses! We create email distribution lists

monthly from this data, so if you get a new email, you must go in an update your account.

You also need to need to keep current with your financial data. Our system uses an ABS

(automated buyers subscription) - the auto pay program uses the credit card or banking

history you have on file. If you are not current, when auto draft occurs, the charge will not

process. When this happens, the Club is charged fees by the processing company and will pass

the fees for denied credit cards and returned checks to your account. Remember once again

you are responsible for all fees in full regardless of participation and with no refunds. The Auto

draft will continue until completely satisfied.

CALENDAR and MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY LOG IN

USERNAME – email address for Mother - you provided when you entered your personal data

PASSWORD – MFL2016 - new members (this cannot be changed and matches the year you

joined the Club – those members with MFL2012 will stay the same and etc. years)

(If you forget your username it can be

reset by calling Lisa or Kathy)

After logging on you will see View

Roster and View Calendar

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1. VIEW ROSTER - FULL MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY - INCLUDES FULL CONTACT

INFORMATION FOR ALL CURRENT MEMBERS—this can be found under the heading

“Rosters.” This directory also has a third layer of information that we use for recruiting

purposes and includes grades, test scores, other sports, etc. – keep this current so that

your daughter can be well represented.)

2. VIEW CALENDAR – EVENT DETAILS CALENDAR – The next layer of this calendar is

unlocked and will provide all required forms and information as it pertains to each

event, including the unique block codes for the team

hotels.

The link to the Itinerary Form can be found on this

calendar. Use the dropdown menu to quickly sort

events.

Click on the left GREEN date to view password

protected data.

There may also be a file that can be downloaded for

some events behind the GREEN date.

BE RESPECTFUL OF THE CLUB’S PRIVACY. REMEMBER THAT THE INFORMATION

THAT YOU CAN SEE AFTER LOGGING IN IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE

PUBLIC AND IS ONLY TO BE USED BY CLUB MEMBERS.

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TOURNAMENT ROSTERS

There are no formal tryouts for the Club and there are not cuts – every player is welcome

here! For the Elite player, there are multiple teams for any YOG and placement on a particular

team is based on multiple criteria and not skill alone. The players are rostered by the coaching

staff and no position is permanent. The player’s skills and showcasing needs are always

changing and so there may be adjustments made to the team rosters in the best interest of

both the team and the player. If that does occur and the player has questions – then SHE

needs to talk with her team coach to see why the adjustment is being made. There are many

reasons for these changes throughout the season.

ELITE TEAMS are by YOG with an occasional exception based on venue, age of group and

injuries.

OPEN TEAMS are mixed YOG and are solely determined by the signups for that venue.

Tournament rosters cannot be released until all Itinerary forms are submitted. If a form is

overdue, it is assumed that the player is not attending and the rosters will be adjusted.

Rosters are not final for Champions Cup until the coaches have set them at team camp.

It is suggested that you contact the College Coaches a week or two in advance and let them

know that you are attending the tournament and that you will follow-up with your final game

schedule.

Some tournaments require that we submit a preliminary roster months in advance so that

they may obtain waivers, etc. on the participants. As a result, you may get a request for

waiver or other information from them. Do not worry about your team assignment - just

check to see if your YOG is correct.

The players are being showcased at the tournaments – and do this best by playing hard. The

teams are seeded so that they should win and lose games. The score does not matter at these

events – the level of play and commitment on the field does!

Most of our instruction is done on the sidelines, so if your daughter is looking to see what she

should be working on, then SHE NEEDS to connect directly with her coach. Stick work

instruction is our number one priority – even during tournaments.

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FORMS

MEMBERSHIP FORMS

Required forms to be turned in to complete the membership process:

1. Authorization to Treat (including copy of current insurance card)

2. Code of Conduct - Parent

3. Code of Conduct - Player

4. Player Liability Release

5. Copy of US Lacrosse Membership (update as needed during the year)

6. Payment Plan Agreement and other Financial Responsibility

7. Membership Booklet Receipt

The documents are found on the membership page – download, print, sign and return by snail

mail to the address on the form. A player may not participate in any Club activity until her

complete membership packet has been received. The player will receive a confirmation when

her membership packet is complete (SAVE THIS EMAIL FOR YOUR RECORDS!)

FORMSTACK

The Club uses FORMSTACK to make collecting the necessary paperwork easy for our members.

Example URL: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?0000000-5NBKOx9wDm

Each form has a unique URL and is not reused.

Some computers may retain the data that was previously typed, and if this applies to you, then

the task will be easier. Itinerary Forms, Practice Registration, Waitlist, Camp Bus and Waivers

are some of the ways that MFL uses this service.

Completing the Formstack Form:

1. All starred (*) areas must be completed. If anything is missed, the form will not go thru and

you will not see the confirmation page. Should this happen, go back and look for a highlighted

area. (In this case the Cell Phone is missing)

HINT: Be sure that the data is in the standard format (ex: Phone xxx-xxx-xxxx)

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2. At the end of the form, you must click on SUBMIT to submit the form.

3. When the form is successfully submitted, the Thank You screen will appear.

4. Finally, you will receive an immediate email confirmation that your form was submitted.

This email will include a copy of all the data submitted on the form. Each form will generate a

separate email and the name of the form will appear in the Subject Box

and contain a copy of the data entered into the form. SAVE THIS EMAIL FOR YOUR RECORDS!

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5. Waivers can be ‘SIGNED’ on the form and are legally binding – just like credit card signatures

at the store!

6. The form can be saved for up to one month. Refer to the screen shots below. Be sure to

save the URL that appears in the THANK YOU page. This is unique and there is no way to look

it up later.

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RECRUITING

MFL players compete at the highest level and are exposed to College Coaches at every venue.

The Recruiting process is an important part of your membership in the Club and in the

responsibility belongs to the PLAYER – not the parent. Recruiting is not a horse race and every

girl can go on to play in college if she wants. MFL treats every player as if she plans to take her

game beyond high school. This is not a requirement for membership in the Club – many girls

join to learn the game and become a better player.

Recruiting is ultimately the player’s responsibility. Be advised that one parent or responsible

person within the family needs to take on the project to mentor the athlete thru the process.

Below is a general time line (which is changing daily, but still somewhat the same) based on

when a player begins the networking process:

1. All High School players - current freshmen to rising seniors need an athletic resume.

If you need an example, email Lisa midwesternlax@yahoo.com

All freshman need to schedule the ACT or SAT in the Spring of that year. Do not fret

about how you do. We need it for a marker. Most players have had enough math by

Grade 7 or 8 to successfully take the test, but the improvement in vocabulary is a

lifelong process! Request a copy of the test booklet and the player’s answers so that

areas that need improvement can be identified early while there is still time for

improvement.

Most Sophomores and Juniors need to have a second and third set of scores.

2. All High School players need a set of about thirty schools: D1, D2 and D3 that meet the

criteria of what they want to study and are not based solely on the school’s lacrosse

program. REMEMBER THAT EDUCATION COMES FIRST!

The Princeton Review is a great resource to search on general interest being science,

math, liberal art, or allied health majors. The College Board webpage is another very

useful starting place.

3. THE DRAW

MFL gives the Rising Junior (uncommitted only), Rising Sophomore (uncommitted only)

and Rising Freshman classes a copy of The Draw , a yearly publication that is an

invaluable source of information for the current lacrosse season, but unfortunately

becomes obsolete by the end of the year. The Draw is usually available in March and is

mailed directly to the member. It can also be purchased thru the store front.

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4. Once the player has created a list of schools that she is interested in, then a general

email needs to be sent to each coach, specific to that school and program. Nothing

formal – just:

….Hi, my name is SUZY SMITH and I want play lacrosse in college and after reviewing

schools I think that your school would be a great fit….

Attach your athletic resume and email the Head Coach, copying the Assistant Coach(es).

The email address can be found on the school’s athletic webpage under staff directory

or on the sports home page.

DO NOT SEND THE EMAIL TO MORE THAN ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME – this is a definite

turnoff! Think SPAM….Yes, this means that you will be sending out many emails!!

Many players keep a spreadsheet to keep track of when they have corresponded with a

coach. This is a great resource to use for the recruiting process!

Also, the player is encouraged to email the coach about anything positive in her school

life – academic and extracurricular as well as sports – Coaches want well rounded

players on their teams and will be delighted to hear that you got a speaking role in the

school play or that you were just invited to join the National Honor Society! Just

anything positive to keep on their radar and stand out from all the other girls who are

also emailing this coach!

PRIOR TO EVERY EVENT, THE ATHLETE NEEDS TO EMAIL THE COACH(ES) with HER UNIFORM

NUMBER, GAME TIMES, AND NAME OF TEAM AS WELL AS HER NAME SO THEY KNOW TO

COME AND WATCH HERE. THE COACHES THAT COME TO THE GAMES ARE THERE BECAUSE

PLAYERS HAVE INVITED THEM IN ADVANCE!

COLLEGE VISITS

As the player begins to look at the schools that interest her, she needs to schedule visits to

meet the coach. This can be done by calling or emailing to set up an appointment. The

coaches from D1 and D2 programs cannot call you back or email you until July of your Junior

summer, so refer them to Lisa for a response.

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All of these steps are important and the more the player is involved with the recruiting during

the earlier years of her club membership – the more opportunities will come her way. Each

college program is recruiting on a different time line - so do not get all worked up - because

recruiting is now from the Summer of 8th grade all the way thru the current 12th graders. No

one is ever done so always stay in constant contact because things change.

PARENTS - THE COACHES ARE RECRUITING YOUR DAUGHTER - NOT YOU!

As a parent, you should mentor and help, but not do the research or email a coach. The coach

can tell if the email is from the parent or the player – they really can!

Coaches talk to each other and compare notes on potential recruits! They know when the

parent is trying to get recruited - rather than the player!

Also, considerable thought should to go into selecting the schools that interest the player,

based on what she wants to do in the future (career) and not just emailing every school that

has lacrosse. (If she wants to be an engineer, then a liberal arts school may not be the best

choice.) The player also needs to take into consideration the school size, location, distance

from home, cost, etc. to find a good fit for her and her family.

GRADES - KEEP THEM UP BECAUSE MORE THINGS CAN HAPPEN WITH GOOD GRADES!!

Please remember that all of the coaching and administrative staff of MFL is here to support

the player and her family. The main objective is for her to have overall success at the next

level – where ever that takes her. So look, listen, ask, take advice and learn because Lisa and

her staff of college coaches are completely involved in the process and often have knowledge

about specific programs that are obvious to the player who is trying to be recruited. Also, the

MFL coaches are active college coaches and can guide the player to the program level where

she will play, contribute and have an overall positive experience.

No club should promise that your daughter will get the absolute school of her dreams. MFL

stresses that there is a home for every player who wants to go on. But once again remember

– the education received at the college should always be the priority.

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TAILGATING AND VOLUNTEERING

At the tournament tailgates, MFL provides fresh fruit, water, healthy snacks and various other

healthy things for the players. The tailgate is designed to keep the girls going between games

– but is not meant to be a meal. The tailgate gives the players and their families a place to

congregate and get to know each other as well. Please roll up your sleeves and help with set

up and tear down for each event. There is a nominal fee charged to each player when she

travels to her first tournament; this covers her for the entire membership year. In return, MFL

will purchase the items for the tailgate and replenish as needed. Players who know that they

will be attending a tournament may also go into Event Sign Up and take care of this directly.

We are always looking for people who are willing to get sponsorships thru marketing of

products from companies such as Gatorade, Cliff Bars, and etc.

GEAR STORE

The Club offers a store with an assortment of items for lacrosse to support your club, keep

yourself warm and travel in style. Some items are available year round while others are

ordered periodically. There is usually an order placed for personalized items so that they will

be ready for delivery at camp and for the first tournament in the Fall. Non-personalized items,

if they are available, will be shipped as ordered. The store can be found the home page of the

MFL webpage.

VIDEOTAPING AT TOURNAMENTS

MFL offers the players the opportunity to be recorded by a professional videographer while

playing at tournaments. This is done in two sessions: Summer and Fall. The focus is on the

rising Sophomore/Freshmen classes as the rising Seniors and Junior classes were recorded

during their rising Sophomore year. The videographer travels with MFL and records only our

players’ games! This service is highly recommended for the Elite rising Sophomore class, but

other players can sign up for the service as well. To register - go to Event Sign Up and choose

which session you would like to have recorded. Katie Shannon, who does our filming used to

be a college coach and now has her Masters in film. She also can do directly with her

individual highlight tapes for a reasonable cost. For more information on Katie go to home

page of website.

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TEAM CAMP AND BUS

There is a TEAM CAMP in June that is scheduled for the week leading into the first tournament

of the summer. Players typically arrive on Sunday and then depart in time to participate in the

tournament. This camp is held on a College Campus and is required for Elite members and

highly recommended for Open members. Guests are invited as well – either as individuals or

as a team (15 players – Coach boarding fees waived).

Once again this year, we anticipate having busses bring the players to camp from both

Northeast and Central Ohio and also Atlanta. There will also be a bus to take the players from

CAMP to the tournament where they will meet their parents/chaperones.

CAMP fees are included in the ELITE MEMBERSHIP – just submit the itinerary form. Open

members and guests must register for CAMP at Event Sign UP and then submit their itinerary.

The BUS is an additional fee for ALL players who wish to use this service. Registration can be

found at Event Sign Up; there is a separate signup for coming to vs departing camp. There is

no return bus to Ohio or Atlanta; the bus after camp only goes to the tournament. Those

players who take the bus to camp, but do not go on to the tournament are responsible for

their own transportation home.

FUNDRAISING

MFL is a very lean organization, but does not want to see any player unable able to participate

in the club due to financial circumstances. If the player is willing to hustle, there are

fundraisers out there that can be carried out as a family.

If any family is willing to take on a role to help with fundraising please let us know. We are

always looking for ways to help families help themselves. Do you know of a fundraiser that we

can recommend to our families?

The Club has been doing the GL scripts card (gift cards) fundraiser for many years.

If you are interested in participating or need more information on this program contact Lisa.

Another good fundraiser is selling HoneyBaked Ham gift cards. Contact your local store for

more information.

There are many fundraisers available to both groups and individuals. If you have a favorite,

please let us know and we will pass it on!!

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CONTACTING STAFF

MFL Webpage: www.midwesternforcelacrosse.com

TWITTER: follow MFLMAMA

Register for texts - it requires an extra step to send the tweets to your cell.

You can also follow tweets on the MFL webpage

Club contact for all MFL Coaches and Club questions: midwesternlax@yahoo.com

EMAIL ADDRESS BOOK: Please put all contact email addresses into your address book to help assure that you

will receive club emails.

Peter Mitchelides

Club Owner

Email: pmitch528@aol.com

Lisa Mitchelides

Executive Director

Recruiting Director

Email: midwesternlax@yahoo.com Cell: 330.697.0081

Kathy Kimmerling

Behind the Scenes, Travel Coordinator and Southern Regional Director

Email: mfl.lacrosse.documents@gmail.com Cell: 734-476-4046

Mary Fee

Onsite Coordinator and Midwestern Regional Director

Email: maryfee@insight.rr.com Cell: 614-354-7540

Wren Caples

Onsite Coordinator and Atlanta Regional Director

Email: wrenhousedesigns@comcast.net Cell: 770-630-4922

Elbert Enrique

Onsite Coordinator and Northeastern Ohio Regional Director

Email: elbertenrique@gmail.com Cell: 330-280-7258

Jaime McGuire

Onsite Coordinator and Southern Ohio Regional Director

Email: jamie.mcguire26@gmail.com Cell: 513-828-9865