As you can tell quickly by the positive environment and vibe around our teams that the coaches create and players and parents are expected to embrace, we value and honor the place lacrosse holds in our lives to a significant extent. Our reverence for the game and how it has changes our lives as players and coaches is something we make sure to instill in each player in our program. This mindset is manifested off the field and on the field, respecting everything about the game.
With that being such incidences are unacceptable in Claddagh Lacrosse: unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, backtalk and protest to officials by players, and occasional (but quite rare) backtalk to and failure to follow the directives of coaches. As our mentors have told us that "you will miss lacrosse a lot more than it will miss you", we will not accept repeated instances of such from any member of our teams who plans to stay in our program.
We make it clear to the boys that there will be plenty of opportunity to make the wrong mental/emotional choices, and that it is not our place to retaliate or judge even the least tasteful actions of others we are competing against. This is something they will continue to encounter throughout their careers. Of course, these can be "teachable moments" where players learn at a young age how their respect for the game is shown to teammates, coaches, opponents, and officials alike. We welcome mistakes, but let's make sure our boys make a given mistake only once before learning the proper lesson.
Claddagh Lacrosse values all its members and families and we are invested fully in providing and maintaining a positive cultural experience for all while we honor the game we love.
