Subject: Mount Sinai Boys program Announcement
August 7, 2009

Dear Mount Sinai Lacrosse Parents and Players,

We have just completed a successful spring and summer season of lacrosse and our goal is to take it one step further next year.  The Mount Sinai school coaching staff has asked us to organize 3 Mount Sinai select tournament teams for the 2010 summer season with them coaching the teams for program continuity.  Below is the letter outlining the coaching staffs vision.

Dear Parents and players,

The future for Mt Sinai Lacrosse is a bright one.  As we prepare for the upcoming year, we wanted to let you know our goals for next summer.  We would like to start U‑13, U‑15 and U‑17 travel teams.  These teams will practice approximately 2x per week in June and July and participate in 4 tournaments throughout the East Coast.  Having our own travel teams will allow the players to form a tight and cohesive bond.  The players will improve individually and as a team.  The details of the summer will come to light in the next few weeks.  Any questions will be answered at the upcoming meeting scheduled for 6:00pm August 12^th in the Middle school auditorium.  We hope all continue to support the staff and the future of Mt. Sinai Lacrosse.

Sincerely,

The Mt. Sinai Coaching Staff

So, as outlined by the coaches we will be putting together U13, U15 and U17 teams to participate in the 2010 summer tournament season providing Mount Sinai Lacrosse players rising into grades 7-12 with an opportunity to better themselves as lacrosse players and as people. The coaching staff and I believe the Mount Sinai Lacrosse family is a special group of people and players, who see the worth of building a program from within our community and our recent poll supports this vision.  Each player participating will be hand picked as both lacrosse talents and as individuals who's high moral values represent the Mount Sinai Lacrosse Program.

To be a member of the Mount Sinai tournament teams, you must pledge yourself to a higher accountability that demands you to be a better person then you are a player through example and standard of conduct at all times. You need to symbolize all aspects of lacrosse (Tradition, Sportsmanship, Community), be willing to challenge yourself to achieve excellence even when you don't think its possible and play with HEART at all times.

In order to make the summer 2010 season a success we will need 100% commitment to field the best team possible.  Remember it is “Team” first, "I" is always secondary, therefore we hope you and your son choose to support and play with Mount Sinai Lacrosse before another program.  If your son does not make the Mount Sinai tournament team please feel free to explore other programs.

A calendar for the season is currently being put together and should be completed for the August 12^th meeting.  Our try-outs will be held at the end of the school football season so it does not conflict with the players that are involved with the school football teams.

Now all of the above has been about older players and I am sure many of you are asking what your 1st to 6th grader can do over the summer.  I am happy to say this past season was the first time that Mount Sinai Lacrosse had players from grades 1 to 9 represented at local tournaments.  I believe the players and parents that were involved would agree that it is a fun, exciting and positive experience. 

This was accomplished by individual coaches form all the grades stepping up and putting together teams to take to the tournaments.  As a result not all the players were able to participate and I had parents asking me how their son can become more involved and participate in some tournaments. 

So I would like to continue having the youth players attending tournaments and expand it to include all the spring players with the goal to have each of the boys spring teams participate in 2 local tournaments in addition to the 8 game PAL season.  These tournaments will be local, 1 day and during the spring season so they will not involve traveling off the Island and will not extend the season for the younger players (unless coaches and players wish to do so).  The details for this “enhanced” spring season will be made available at the time of spring registration and based on our youth coaches input may vary a little from what I have outlined above.

Mount Sinai Lacrosse has always been an evolving organization and the addition of select tournament teams is the next step in this growth.  We hope all of you are excited about the Mount Sinai Lacrosse vision and will be supporting the school coaching staff by participating with the tournament teams.

Everyone is invited to come to the August 12^th assembly to hear more details from the coaching staff about the vision they have for Mount Sinai Lacrosse tournament teams.  I hope to see you all there.

Sincerely,

Bob Hagenberger

Mount Sinai Lacrosse Boys Director

PS - Our winter registration will be starting soon (around the beginning of school) so keep an eye for an email with information and for the flyer to be distributed in the classrooms.