Frequently Asked Parents Questions
How is the program structured?
This question is best answered by describing the divisions of play.
Instructional Division is a house league for 1st and 2nd grade players. Fundamental skills such as cradling, ground balls, passing and shooting are emphasized. Teams practice separately and play weekend games throughout May, usually on Saturday mornings at Duffy Elementary School. Games are 7 v 7 on a smaller field, without a goal keeper. Although scores are not recorded, games are officiated by our 8th and 9th grade referees. The season runs from late April to early June, and our end of the season jamboree is always a fun, anticipated event. Some years, WHGL also hosts/attends one jamboree with outside towns.
Bantam Division is a house league for 3rd and 4th grade players. Teams practice once or twice a week with weekend games, usually at Duffy Elementary School. Games are 8 v 8 (including a goalie) on the smaller field. Scores are kept and games are officiated. A 3 pass rule (teammates must make 3 attempted, not necessarily completed, passes over the restraining line during the same possession before their team can take a shot on net) is mandated at this level. The season runs from mid April to early June. Bantam players will have the opportunity to attend at least 1 end of the season jamboree.
Junior Division is made up of 5th and 6th grader players, new and experienced. This is a travel division with practices and home games at Hall High School. WHGL offers A, A1 and B teams at this level, and player placement is determined by skill, commitment and experience. Players who would like to be considered for an A or and A1 team must attend at least one WHGL assessment. All teams play on a full field with 12 players (including a goalie) and modified checking (checking the head of the stick when it is below the shoulder of the ball carrier) is introduced. Weekly practice and game commitments will vary based on team.
Senior Division is made up of 7th and 8th grader players, new and experienced. This is a travel division with practices and home games at Hall High School. WHGL offers A, A1 and B teams at this level, and player placement is determined by skill, commitment and experience. Players who would like to be considered for an A or and A1 team must attend at least one WHGL assessment. All teams play on a full field with 12 players (including a goalie) and transitional checking is introduced, and in some circumstances, full checking is allowed. Weekly practice and game commitments will vary based on team.
When does the season start and what is the practice and game commitment?
The season typically runs from April to early June. The schedule varies depending on division and when the Town of West Hartford opens its grass fields.
Instructional Division – Teams will play twice a week - usually one practice during the week and one game on Saturday mornings at Duffy Elementary School. This division usually starts after April vacation and ends the first week in June.
Bantam Division - Teams will play 2 or 3 days a week - one or two practices and one weekend game at Duffy Elementary School. This division usually starts in mid April and ends the first or second week in June.
Junior and Senior Divisions - Schedules for these teams vary and are harder to predict as our teams compete in outside leagues.
Our A teams typically play 4 days a week and travel throughout the state and sometimes into NY or MA. Season could start prior to April 1.
Our A1 teams play 3 to 4 days a week and travel to surrounding towns but can travel more than 45 minutes on occasion. Season usually begins in early April.
Our B teams play 3 days a week and also travel locally, usually within 30 minutes. (FYI Longmeadow, Massachusetts plays in one of our leagues, and they will host games.) Season usually begins mid April.
Practices and home games for all Junior and Senior teams will be on turf and grass fields at Hall High School. Tournaments and outside jamborees, as well as post season play, are expected at this level as well.
Can I request a specific team for my daughter?
We take friend requests at the Instructional and Bantam levels. However, no guarantees...
We will include an opportunity for you to provide practice conflict date(s) during our Junior and Senior registration. However, again, we cannot guarantee your player's lacrosse schedule will match perfectly with your request. Please understand that we need to consider coach and field availability first. Our A teams will not consider conflict dates.
How does the league assign players to teams?
At the Instructional and Bantam levels, we try to balance teams based on skill, as well as make sure our players have a friendly face on their team.
At the Junior and Senior divisions, our approach is more complicated. We offer two skill assessments for players who would like to be considered for our A teams. (Players who are not interested in playing on an A team do not need to attend an assessment.) We also collect coach evaluations for all 5th to 8th grade players who played in our league the previous season. We combine all of this data to make our A team rosters, which we release in late February/ early March. To make our B teams, we first consider conflict days and then skill, commitment and experience. Please note that coach evaluations and assessment data are considered confidential and are only seen by our Tryout Committee.
What is your philosophy on playing time?
We operate under an equal playing time philosophy provided players have attended all practices and demonstrated effort and desire while practicing and playing. It is also our philosophy that players get experience playing a variety of positions to allow them to be well rounded players. Please keep in mind, coaches will likely cover their specific attendance policies and position rotation at the first practice.
For our A teams, however, play will be at the discretion of our coaching staff.
If an issue ever arises, we ask that the player first speaks to the coach. If the concern still persists, we ask that the parent speaks to the coach directly, and then lastly, contacts the Division Coordinator if nothing is resolved.
My daughter plays another sport in the spring, can she play lacrosse too?
We fully support well rounded, multi-sport players and encourage our athletes to play/try many sports and other extracurricular activities. As a result, we know inevitable, occasional conflicts will arise. However, we also believe that our players can make WHGL a priority for the short (6-8 week) spring season. With that in mind, we hope you will review and appreciate our playing time philosophy outlined above, so you and your player are prepared when conflicts occur.
We also ask that conflicts are communicated with coaches asap, so they can plan accordingly. Any attendance issues can be brought to the Division Coordinator.
What type of equipment is required? And what equipment does WHGL provide?
The player must have
- GIRLS lacrosse stick
- Protective eyewear (goggles)
- Mouthguard
- Water bottle
- Uniform
- Cleats are recommended for Instructional and Bantam levels and required for Juniors and Seniors
A stick bag or backpack, mouthguard case, and a few balls for home practice are also recommended, but not required.
The league will provide practice balls, first aid kits and goalie gear for each team.
How will I know the schedule?
New in Spring 2024, WHGL began using the Crossbar application. All families (and players when appropriate) are encouraged to download the app to their phones. Schedules will be updated in the app and can be linked to your e-calendars. Coaches and team managers may chose to communicate solely through the app.
What is your refund policy?
Full refunds will be granted to players who submit a request prior to March 15. Uniforms are unfortunately nonrefundable, unless the player was not removed from a waitlist.