Chesapeake Youth Lacrosse Association Expands

By Kevin Murnane

When asked why certain high schools consistently achieve a high-level of success year in and year out, most high school athletic directors will provide the same answer: great youth sports feeder programs.

One such feeder program that is gaining respect throughout the county is the Chesapeake Youth Lacrosse Association (CYLA). This year, 183 boys and 159 girls registered to participate in the prorgam.

“We had a tremendous increase in players this year… We put out flyers at the schools to get as many kids interested in lacrosse as possible,” said CYLA Vice President Keith Heid, who added, “We knew we would see an increase, but during the late winter Joe Lee and Ken Kipke did a fantastic job to make sure we had enough equipment, coaches and practice fields.”

While Pasadena is known for its outstanding baseball and softball feeder programs, lacrosse recently has experienced a sudden up rise in popularity among young athletes.  Click the "Read More" icon so see the rest of the story.

“I think one of the reasons for the sudden explosion in lacrosse popularity is the exposure the sport gets on TV now with games on ESPN and the local stations,” said Heid. “Also, parents see that there are numerous scholarship opportunities from schools who are developing lacrosse programs from Denver, California, and the Big Ten schools.”

The CYLA strives to teach athletes the fundamentals of lacrosse and everyone participates in the game.

“Every player plays at least half the game, which results in the players getting better and better throughout the season,” said Heid.

Now, Pasadena is becoming an area where college coaches are looking to recruit from. In addition, Heid and the other CYLA coaches have come to realize these college coaches now recruit during the summer when their schedules are less hectic with games and practices.

“Anne Arundel County is nationally known as a place where lacrosse and college coaches begin the recruitment process,” said Heid. “Some of the college coaches are new to Pasadena because they have always gone to the youth leagues in Severna Park, Annapolis and Broadneck. We are trying to be similar to them, but it’s hard because they have an incredible number of kids playing lacrosse.”

To draw a comparison, CYLA has four scooper teams, three clinic teams, three pee-wee teams, two midget teams, and one junior team. Severna Park, on the other hand, has 12 teams at each level. The CYLA plays teams from throughout Anne Arundel County and is a member of the County Recreation and Parks department.

The CYLA is a feeder program for both high schools in Pasadena – Northeast and Chesapeake - and it attracts both elementary and middle school students from throughout the local area.

“We have some very dedicated people in this organization, from the coaches to the folks who organize the fund raisers,” praised Heid, who concluded, “They all have the same goals: To do what is best for the children, teach the fundamentals of the sport, and provide a safe and fun atmosphere where they can enjoy the game.”