2015 Year End Report. Gloucester Minor Lacrosse Association. October 21, 2015 Authored by: Rampley, Greg

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1 2015 Year End Report Gloucester Minor Lacrosse Association October 21, 2015 Authored by: Rampley, Greg

2 2015 Year End Report Gloucester Minor Lacrosse Association Dear GLA Members, Please find enclosed the 2015 Year End Report for the Gloucester Minor Lacrosse Association (GLA). Our House League program offered recreational lacrosse to more than 280 youth players and saw a number of parents and past players step up as first time coaches. Overall, 2015 player registration numbers decreased 24% to 422 players. The decrease in registration mainly impacted the house league & paperweight programs and is something that the 2016 GLA board will need to address going forward. In an effort to build on our player and coach development program, we offered three separate training clinics for players/coaches. We received overwhelming positive feedback and will look to expand these offerings in Our first clinic at the end of April and coincided with the GLA House League kick-off. It was run by the Jr B Griffins coaching staff, focused on the basics and helping house league coaches/teams get the season started on the right foot. The next two clinics in May & June were run by Sr B Axemen players Tim Bergin, Mark Vradenburg and Jordan Joncas. Our competitive teams had strong tournament play with a number of first and second place finishes. Notably, our Midget Girls competitive team won a silver medal in the A Provincials, while our Midget 1 Boys team overcame long odds and captured the silver medal in the B Provincials. Three GLA members (Camryn Gallagher, Kristen McKay and Hayden Fox) were selected to play for Team Ontario and participated at the national championships. Cameron Badour, a graduating midget player, was selected 10th overall by St. Catherines in the 2015 OLA Jr. A draft held in January. Our year-end survey had a 30% response rate, with respondents equally split between house league and competitive families. Responses were very positive with 90% very much enjoying the lacrosse season, 96% feeling they received value for cost, and 6% indicating they were not likely to return. 1 This year the GLA made a number of catch-up equipment purchases (jerseys, jersey bags, goalie equipment, first aid kits) as part of an effort to move back to a periodic cycle of retiring and replacing association supplied equipment. This required the club to use some of its fiscal reserve to fund the purchases and resulted in the club operating at a loss for the 2015 season. It is anticipated that we will need to continue this effort to replace additional equipment/jerseys (beyond the traditional refurbishment cycle) again in Sincerely, Greg Rampley President Gloucester Minor Lacrosse Association

3 2015 Season Highlights There were 283 players involved in the 2015 GLA house league with 15 boys teams across the Tyke (3 Teams), Novice (4 teams), PW (4 teams) and Bantam (4 teams) divisions; and 4 girls-only teams across Novice-PeeWee (1) and Bantam-Midget (3). There were 136 players were involved in the GLA competitive program which consisted of 9 minor teams (7 Boys teams, 1 Girls teams) and the Griffins Junior C team. Overall, our registration numbers decreased from 548 players in the 2014 season to 421 players this season. The following tournaments were won by our competitive teams: o Niagara-on-the-Lake Invitational Tyke (D/E) & PeeWee 2 (D/E) o Caledon Bob Patching Memorial Novice (B/C) & Midget 1 (B/C) o Nepean Knights 19 th Annual Invitational Midget (B/C) Three GLA members were selected to play for Team Ontario (Camryn Gallagher Midget Girls Box, Kristen McKay -Midget Girls Box, Hayden Fox Midget Boys Field). Graduating midget player, Cameron Badour, was selected 10 th overall by St. Catherines in the 2015 OLA Jr. A draft held in January. 2

4 Registration The 2015 season saw 421 players registered to play lacrosse in the GLA. Despite offering online registration, early bird discount fees, four dedicated registration sessions, and registration at all winter lacrosse sessions, the number of players registered decreased 24% compared to The decrease was mainly concentrated in the house league and initiation programs. Registration was also impacted by not having sufficient players to operate a midget boys house league division or an intermediate girls competitive team in GLA Player Registration by Division

5 House League Program Summary The house league program is the cornerstone of the GLA. Each and every year our goal is to operate a fun and organized program that is enjoyable for everyone involved (emphasis on FUN). Our focus is on fair play and improving the lacrosse skills of all players involved. There were 222 players involved in the 2015 regular house league and 61 girls involved in the girls-only house league. The 2015 house league season ran from mid-april until the end of June. Players by House League Division Initiation Program 8% Bantam 24% Girls House 22% PW 16% Novice 19% Tyke 11% Paperweight & Peanuts The GLA Initiation program is designed for the Peanut (birth year 2011 or 2012) and Paperweight (2009 or 2010) age groups. The program encourages children to be active and have fun while being taught basic lacrosse skills through a variety of drills and games. The program was led by Samantha McDonald & Steve Nolan and a number of dedicated volunteer coaches worked very hard this year to make sure the initiation program ran smoothly. Their efforts are greatly appreciated! The program was run out of Armstrong arena on Monday and Wednesday evenings between the end of April and the end of June. Registration for the program decreased to 22 players in 2015 (was 45 in 2014). This will be a priority area for the GLA to re-invigorate in

6 Regular House League The 2015 GLA House League program consisted of 15 teams across the Tyke (3 Teams), Novice (4 teams), PW (4 teams) and Bantam (4 teams) divisions. Sort-outs began in mid-april and regular season play started in May and ran until the last week in June. Teams had 1 practice and 1 game per week on average. Balancing after the first two weeks of the season was limited to the Bantam boys division. In the house league championships: o Tyke 2 and Tyke 3 teams treated fans to a tight and exciting game. The Tyke 2 team, coached by Dan Hennhoeffer, held off a valiant comeback attempt by Ben Cassan s Tyke 3 team, to win the game 7-5. o The Novice final was a back and forth affair with a number of lead changes. The Novice 3 team, coached by Laura Butterworth, Phillip Johnson and Mike Kennedy, overcame a 5-2 deficit to come from behind and win 6-5 in the final minutes of the 3rd period. The Novice 2 team, coached by Adam Burpee, Curtis Cruikshank and Pat Hogue, never gave up and came close to tying the game in the final minutes, but it wasn t to be. The team showed a lot of heart and grit and has a lot to be proud of. o The PeeWee final saw PW 3 take on PW 1. The teams were evenly matched throughout the regular season with the margin of victory less than 2 in all three games. The finals were a hotly contested affair with PW 3, coached by Scott Hodge and Blair Christie, pulling away 9-6 to win the championship game. o In the Bantam final, Bantam 2 took Bantam 1 in a match that feature two long time GLA volunteer coaches behind the benches: Sacha Gagnon and Adam McClelland. Bantam 2 built on an early lead and claimed the championship with an 11-4 victory. Congratulations to each of the house league teams on an exciting and successful season! The following coaches & managers were instrumental this year, making sure their teams (sometimes two teams) ran smoothly. Their efforts are greatly appreciated! Division Tyke Novice PW Bantam Coaches/Managers Chris Barbeau, Louis Clement, Dan Henhoeffer, Adrian de Koning, Amy Louisy, Josee Crete, Ben Cassan Joshua bishop, Louis Clément, David Crosbie, Sarah Lilius, Laura Butterworth, Sarah Mifflin-Bloom, Hermann Hennessy, Adam Burpee, Philip Johnson, Rene Frigault, Curtis Cruickshank, Mike Kennedy, Nicholas Longval Patrick Brookes, Thomas Holland, Scott Hodge, Noel Harrington, Rene Frigault, Chris MacRae, Patrick Ranger, Blair Christie, Leo Ricci, Nicholas Longval Adam McClelland, Connor McClelland, Sacha Gagnon, Kyle Newman, Ben Gagnier, Martin Gagnier, Aerie Biafore, Jacques Menard, Michael Kealey, David Hammell 5

7 Girls-only House League The GLA operated a Girls-only house league consisting of 4 teams (one Novice-Pw and three Bantam- Midget) and played games against other Ottawa based girls-only HL teams. Regular season play started in May and ran until the last week in June. Teams had 1 practice and 1 game per week on average. The Novice-Peewee girls team was comprised of 18 mostly brand new players. The girls came together throughout the season and finished off by winning the house championship in their division. The GLA Bantam-Midget girls house league teams finished placed 1, 2 and 3 in the regular season and Team #3 won the playoffs. This season represented a great initial step in growing the girls box lacrosse game in Ottawa. Competitive Program The GLA holds competitive team tryouts each year in early April. As a member of Zone 5, the GLA competitive teams play a zone game schedule against other Zone 5 clubs including Akwesasne, Cornwall, Kahnawake, Kingston, and Nepean. Most of the competitive teams competed in four (4) tournaments and the Ontario Provincial Lacrosse Championships ( In the 2013 season, 130 players were involved in the GLA competitive program which consisted of 10 minor teams (7 Boys teams, 3 Girls teams) and the Jr C team. The association also hosted an OLA coaching clinic on May 3 rd & 4 th for both level 1 and level 2 coaches across the zone. Boys Competitive Teams The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Tyke Boys competitive team was coached by Chris Lamoureux & Todd Morrison and managed by Ian Woolridge. The team won gold at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Invitational tournament and silver at the Ray Broadworth Memorial tournament (Gloucester). The team finished the regular season with a record and improved their preseason ranking of D to finish the season rated C. The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Novice 1 Boys competitive team was coached by Chris Geekie & Trevor Dubien (non-parent) and managed by Erin Paczek. The team won gold at the Caledon Bob Patching Memorial tournament and silver at the Ray Broadworth Memorial tournament (Gloucester). The team finished the season with a record and improved on their preseason rating of C to finish rated B. The Gloucester Griffins 2015 PeeWee 1 Boys competitive team was coached by Sean Derraugh, Marc Clement, Doug Taylor, & Chris Byrne and managed by Celiene Nadeau. The team competed in the Innisfil Wolfpack Shootout, Newmarket Conrad Rollings Memorial (A/B), Ray Broadworth Memorial, Nepean 19 th Annual Knights and provincial tournaments. The team finished the season with a regular season record and a rating of C. The Gloucester Griffins 2015 PeeWee 2 Boys competitive team was coached by Sean Somers, Marc Allen, & Shawn Doyle and was managed by Derrick Lee. The team competed in the NOTL Thunderhawks Invitational Lacrosse (won gold), Northumberland Nemesis Clash, Ray Broadworth Memorial, Nepean 19 th Annual Knights and Provincial tournaments. The team finished the season with a regular season record and a rating of E. 6

8 The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Bantam 1 Boys competitive team was coached by Ben Albert, Chris Byrne, Ryan O Sullivan (non-parent) and managed by Jennifer Young. The team competed in the Innisfil Wolfpack Shootout, Northumberland Nemesis Clash, Gloucester Ray Broadworth Memorial, Nepean 19 th Annual Knights, and Provincial tournaments. The team finished the season with an record and a rating of C. The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Bantam 2 Boys competitive team was coached by Sacha Gagnon. The team was formed at the end of the GLA House League season from select house league players as a way to encourage current house league players to consider the GLA competitive program post-bantam as we currently do not offer a Midget boys house league. The team competed in the Ray Broadworth Memorial (Gloucester) and finished with a record of The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Midget 1 Boys competitive team was coached by Brandon Fournier (nonparent) & Curtis Singleton (non-parent) and managed by Jennifer Lortie. The team competed in and won the Caledon Bob Patching Memorial & Nepean 19th Annual Knights tournaments. The team also competed in Peterborough Laker Classic, Milton Mavericks 26th Annual Invitational, Gloucester Ray Broadworth Memorial (won silver) tournaments. The team finished the season with a record and won silver in the Provincial B finals. The Gloucester Griffins 2015 Midget 2 Boys competitive team was coached by Craig Thanasse (non-parent), Michael Kealy and managed by Kris Laframboise. The team competed in the Northumberland Nemesis Clash, Gloucester Ray Broadworth Memorial, Nepean 19th Annual Knights and Provincial tournaments. The team finished the season with a record and a rating of D. The team was also the top fundraising competitive team, raising more than $1100 for player & coach development in the GLA. Great job guys! Girls Competitive Teams Midget Girls Competitive: the team was comprised of 16 players. The team competed in the Kitchener- Waterloo and Peterborough tournaments and Provincials. Rated A, the team entered Provincials ranked #3 in the province. The girls played for gold in the A Championship game but lost a heart breaking 4-3 OT game to their arch-rivals from Kingston. Two players (Camryn Gallagher & Kristen McKay) from the team were selected to play for Team Ontario at the Midget Girls National Box Lacrosse Championships in Calgary in July of Intermediate Girls Competitive: A victim of low registration numbers, the GLA ultimately decided to conditionally release 7 intermediate girls to the next closest centre (Nepean) where they combined with other players to form a team. Junior C Griffins The Junior C Griffins team is operated as a post-midget developmental team with the mandate to prepare players for Junior B lacrosse. Th2015 team was coached by Jeff Hartley and managed by Mike McKay. There were 25 players that played Jr C this past year. The team finished the season with a 1-15 record and lost both playoff games to Peterborough who eventually went on to win the Provincial Jr C Championship. The team suffered from a lack of goaltenders and available players at most practices and all away games. Participation and commitment from both players and volunteers must improve to maintain a viable Jr C Team. 7

9 A closer working relationship with the Jr B team is also seen as a necessity to allow for a better player management. A Townhall was held Sept 22nd to discuss the pros and cons of Jr C vs Intermediate lacrosse and it was clear that the preferred league was Jr C for Ray Broadworth Memorial Tournament The 32 nd Annual Ray Broadworth Memorial Tournament was hosted June th, The tournament is a fundraiser for the association that saw 35 teams from across the province travel to Ottawa to complete (43 total teams). Our tournament organizer (Kylia White) along with numerous volunteers put together a fantastic event! Five Gloucester teams (Tyke, Novice 1, PW 2, Midget 1 and Midget 2) won silver medals their respective divisions. Winter Lacrosse The Winter Lacrosse recreational program is intended to allow participants to stay in shape and keep their stick skills active during the off season. The program was again run at the Louis Riel Dome in Blackburn Hamlet on Sundays between January and the end of March. There were 11 sessions in all and the cost was $90 for every session or $15 drop-in fee/per session. Goalies were free. Due to Dome scheduling, we were only able to get afternoon times that were more expensive than in previous years and this ultimately caused us to lose a small amount of money on the program. The format was designed to allow some older, more experienced players to help with the younger group and then stay to practice/play. The younger group was designed to have more instruction than scrimmage at the start and as the weeks went by, the instruction to scrimmage time was adjusted. The older players scrimmaged all hour each week. 8