CLUB LACROSSE

WHAT'S IT LIKE?  | WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN? | WHERE CAN I TRY OUT?

Please send us an email if your player is interested in club and you have questions, if you want to know where your kids teammates play, or if need a gut check regarding where to try out. 

Club Lacrosse teams are travel teams that provide the opportunity for kids from various towns to practice and play lacrosse together in a competitive environment.  Youth clubs hold practices throughout the year (with some breaks) but their primary tournament season is June through early July with most also scheduling  2-3 single day tournaments in the fall.  

While clubs do ask you to commit to a year, most kids have no problem playing fall and winter sports while being part of a club lacrosse team.  Most club schedules are not as demanding in the fall, and are infrequent with optional indoor/box leagues in the winter.  Lacrosse coaches tend to really want to see kids prioritize other sports in the off season.  They know playing other sports will only make kids healthier, less injury prone and better lacrosse players.  

Club can be a great experience for kids who really love the sport, want to play in a more competitive environment and really want to get better.   

It's also expensive, not everyone's speed and certainly not the only way to get better.  

Figuring out what club (if any) might be a good fit for your player can be overwhelming.   We know because many of us have done it many times.    Our coaches and likely some of your kids' teammates have lots of experience with different teams.   We'd be happy to share what we know, answer questions and put you in touch with other MLC families who play for the clubs you're considering.  

Likewise, we'd love to hear about YOUR EXPERIENCES with club lacrosse so please don't hesitate to share (confidentially if you prefer).  

Early/Mid-July:  Clubs host try-outs for the next year's (Fall to Summer) teams.  

Most have callbacks so plan on 2 days.   If your player can't make a try-out, call the club and ask for an "early look".  They'll usually invite your player to a team practice or 2 as a try-out.

August:  Supplemental try-outs may be held if the team has any spots left

Sep-Oct:  Fall Practices and Skills Sessions 

(Some clubs include 6-10 fall practices.  Some include fall practices 2x/week.  Some have 1 practice and then encourage you to join skills sessions for a fee.  Ask!)

Late Oct - Early Nov:  2-3 Tournaments (fall youth tournaments are usually 1-day only)

Winter:  Some clubs include a limited number of winter practices and others take a break.  Almost all will encourage players to join their indoor or box teams for an additional fee, but that's optional.

Late Spring:  Practices typically resume once/week.  (Some may have a couple of games)

Possible Try Out:   Club Teams may host supplemental try-outs to fill vacancies for one or all of their summer tournaments.  This can be a great way to get a feel for Club Lacrosse without the commitment.  (It can also be a bit tricky to join an established team so late).  

June/Early July:  Summer Tournament Season.  

Most youth clubs play in around 4 weekend-long tournaments.  Most seem to try to schedule at least 1-2 of those within about an hour's drive, and the rest are likely to be around 2-3 hours away.   HS teams often play a bit farther.

Tri-State Lacrosse | Practice in Wayne 

tbd late June or July

*CHS High School Coach Ryan Downey coaches for Tri-State

Evolution (EVO) Lacrosse | Practice in Wayne, Verona etc

6/24 - Up to 5th grade

6/29 - Middle school

*5/17 Tryouts for supplemental positions for THIS SUMMER

BBL (Central) | Practice in Florham Park or Madison

7/6  & 7/8:  4th Grade & up

6/17: 3rd Grade

Riot | Practice in Morris Plains

6/30: 2033-2036

7/1: 2031, 2032

7/8: 2030

Patriot | Practice in Morristown, Parsippany

6/22

Steps | Practice in Randoph, Chester

6/30 2031-2036 

7/16: 2029, 2030

Leading Edge | Practice (varies a lot) in Piscataway, Summit etc

tbd 

Note: Leading Edge looks very dedicated players who are the "top players in their community".

LAX LAB ACADEMY AND NATIONAL TEAMS

7/13 & 14 from 9-12 (K-8) "evaluation camp"

Lax Lab is not a club team but a new year- long training program for K-8.  

5th-8th graders can potentially compete with their National Team as well.   The 2-day "evaluation camp" is a camp that serves as an evaluation as well for the Lax Lab Academy 

Lax Lab was started by Maplewood Lacrosse Club Alumni Jules Heningburg (PLL Pro) 

and Dylan Heninburg (Lawrenceville HS Coach).   Not only are the  Heningburgs still a big part of making our club 

what it is, but they are excellent coaches.   Lax Lab even kicked off our 2026 season by training our coaches and players.  

*Note that Club practice locations change all the time.  Always ask where a team plans to practice. 

CLUB LACROSSE AND TOWN CLUBS - THE DIFFERENCES

We know a lot of people want to know about Club Lacrosse, so hopefully this clears things up a bit.

Maplewood Lacrosse Club is the Maplewood/South Orange boys lacrosse town program.  We provide the opportunity for all (SOMA resident) K-8 athletes to learn and play lacrosse.  3rd-8th grade teams play against other local town clubs in the spring.  MLC is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers.   All players must be residents of Maplewood or South Orange and all are welcome.  We do not "cut" players.  

"Club Lacrosse" programs like Tri-State, Evo, BBL, Riot, Patriot, STEPS, Leading Edge etc. are travel teams that provide the opportunity for kids from various towns to practice and play lacrosse together in a competitive environment throughout the year, but the primary Club season is early-mid summer.    Club lacrosse programs play most of their games in tournament settings  on weekends in late fall and early summer (after the town season ends).  Most try not to conflict with the town lacrosse season.  Many encourage kids to prioritize their fall/winter sports while playing club.

Club can be a great experience for kids who really love the sport, want to play more and want to get better.   Kids learn from a variety of coaches.  They play with kids who are also committed to developing and being competitive.  They usually play a higher level of competition.  

This information is intended to give parents of 3rd-8th graders a general idea about club lacrosse in our area,  but know that each club is very different.  Club lacrosse also changes as kids reach high school so this was not written with high school in mind.  

We are interested in Club Lacrosse.  Which clubs should my kid should try out for?   There is no one answer so do lots of research!  Read the clubs' mission statements to determine whether a club's values and expectations match closely to yours.   Ask questions.  Can your kid still play fall and winter sports?   How many practices are typical?  Do they charge extra for skills sessions?   (sometimes they are not all that forthcoming with that info)    How many kids do they invite to each team?   How many do they invite for each position?  How does playing time work?   What do they charge?   What kind of training do their coaches receive?    If my kid is placed on a B team, what are the chances he will be moved up to an A team?    Definitely try out for more than one club so you can get a feel for the coaches and kids and so you have a better shot of making one.

Can anyone join a club team?   Not exactly, but many kids (even kids who are just getting started) are able to.  Club teams have try-outs and a certain number of kids (18-23 or so) are invited to join each team.   Some clubs are known to be more competitive and very demanding and have a single (elite) team per grade.  Some have multiple teams, and really encourage players of all skill levels to try out.  

At what age can my kid join a club team?  Some clubs start as early as second grade (but that's very young) and others start later.  Many families wait until 5th or 6th grade to join a club.  Only you can decide what age is right for your kid. 

How much do club teams cost?  Most clubs in our general area charge roughly $3500-$4000/year for players up to grade 8.   What is included in the fees varies a fair amount, but typically fall and spring practices, 2-3 (single day) fall tournaments, 4 summer weekend tournaments, a uniform and sometimes winter practices fit into that number.   They all require a deposit and have payment plans.  You'll be required to to sign a contract in JULY (or whenever your kid joins)  committing to the club that year (even though the main tournament season is June) unless your athlete joins later in the year during a supplemental try-out.  Travel cost are on top of that.   Most clubs charge around $75 just to try out.   

How much of a time commitment is it?  Can my kid do other things?   It's probably less than you think.  If your kids play other sports and you are used to club teams having 2+ practices and a tournament most weeks, lacrosse will be a breeze (except in June).  For some clubs, fall is very light with a practice less than once/week, and then 2 or 3 single day tournaments likely in NJ/PA and for others, practices are twice a week with 2-3 single day tournaments.   Winter might mean no (required) lacrosse or a few scattered practices in winter and early spring may also be fairly light.  Once late-spring starts, clubs practice a bit more to get ready for the June-early July tournaments season.

Where are the tournaments?  Most clubs in our area seem to compete in a lot in or around NJ, Allentown and West Chester, PA, Middletown/Hudson Area, NY,  Long Island, Delaware and sometimes Maryland (especially as kids get older).  Clubs enter tournaments and brackets based on their team's ability that year so which tournaments they enter will vary year to year.   Elite National teams travel farther but that's a different thing altogether.  

Just a note:   There are plenty of ways kids can enjoy more lacrosse and get a lot better without joining a club.  It may sound obvious but playing catch with a friend and hitting the wall a bunch is a great way to improve.   (This is where MLC alum and lacrosse pro Jules Heningburg used to practice in town)   For more formal training, check out the club lacrosse programs websites.   All clubs host skills sessions throughout year and you don't have to be part of the club to join.  There are also box lacrosse leagues, winter leagues, and summer camps.  

We want our players to be well-rounded athletes and humans.  We want them to play other sports and enjoy their non-sport interests too.  While club lacrosse can be a really great experience for athletes who really love the sport and want to enhance their skills and  extend their season in a challenging environment, it's not for everyone due to the expense, time commitment or intensity.