Cougars Frequently Asked Questions

When is the season? The season starts in March, and ends sometime between late May and mid June depending on tournaments.

Do the Cougars Participate in a league or have in-house teams? The Cougars are a member of the Chester County Lacrosse League. Our U9 division is an inhouse division with teams that play each other, but they also participate in some travel tournaments and play days.

What ages are the kids? The Cougars serves kids from 7 to 15 years old who are not in High School and playing on a High School Team. The divisions are broken down based on a kids age as of 12/31 of the year prior to the start of the season, for example for the 2007 season the age groups are based on a child's age as of 12/31/2006. There are 4 divisions, Under - 9 (U-9), Under -11(U-11), Under - 13 (U-13), and Under - 15 (U-15).

What areas do the kids come from? The Cougars are mainly from the Methacton, Spring-Ford, and Perkiomen Valley school districts, but we do accept players from other areas that do not have a youth program to participate in. The closest youth programs to our area are Norristown and Phoenixville.

Is Lacrosse a contact sport? Yes Lacrosse is a full contact sport, but at the youngest age level we will be fielding in-house teams to provide an environment where children can learn the skills of the game with little or no contact. The higher the level of skill, the less hitting you will see in a game.

What equipment do we need? Each child is required to wear a lacrosse helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, arm pads, a mouthpiece, cleats, and a cup. A Lacrosse stick is also required. Hockey Helmets are permissible only at the U-9 level. Hockey pads or football pads are not suitable for Lacrosse. Rib protectors are optional, and Football rib pads are suitable for use in Lacrosse as well.

Does the Cougars Organization provide equipment? All equipment is the responsibility of the child. A jersey will be provided to each child as part of their registration fee. There will be a starter package of equipment available at a discount price from our equipment supplier at registration. There will also be some used equipment available for purchase at registration.

How many kids play for the Cougars? The Cougars started in 2000 with 40 children and 2 teams. In 2005 we had over 280 kids playing on 14 teams.

Where do the kids play? We have home field locations in Lower Providence, Upper Providence, and Worcester townships.

How often do the kids practice and play? On average we practice 1-2 nights a week until the season starts, after that time, most teams will practice one night a week and have one or two games per week. The older divisions may practice twice a week even after games start. The days of the week for practices and games varies from division to division, and is not known until the league schedule is distributed in late March.

Is everyone assigned to a team, and how are the teams assigned?

Everyone who completes a registration by the announced registration date will be placed on a team. The U9 and U11 division are divided into teams that are as equally balanced as possible. The U13 and U15 divisions are divided based on skill level and are entered into the league at different levels based on skill. There are A, B, and C levels at U13 and A and B levels at U15. Decisions are made for team placement after the first few practices. All teams play travel games in the Chester County League.

Can my child participate in another spring sport and still play Lacrosse? We have many children that participate in multiple sports and there are teams available for them that require less of a commitment, and where it is OK to miss some practices or even a few games. The 'A' teams at the older divisions do require a full time commitment to Lacrosse, and players will be expected to attend all practices and games unless they are ill, or having difficulty with their school work.

What is the game like? Lacrosse is a fast moving game played on a field similar to a Soccer field. There are 10 children and a goalie on the field for each team at one time. The ball is passed, using a stick, from player to player with the intention of scoring on a net guarded by a goalie.

How can my child join the Cougars? We hold registration once a year for the spring season only. The registration is announced on this web site, and flyers are distributed to the elementary schools for the school districts listed above. Returning players are also notified of registration via an e-mail. This years registration is on November 16th 2006 at the Ursinus College Field House from 7-9 PM.

What if I still have questions?  If you still have questions that are not answered on this web site, send an e-mail to Chuck Denecke at cdenecke@comcast.net. If it is a common question we will also add it to this list.