IMPORANT INFORMATION - Season End Newsletter
Message from the President
What a season this has been, filled with new members on our board, improved competition level on the floor, ground breaking teamwork with neighboring associations, 93 new registrants and much, much more. The #GrowTheGame movement really took off in the lacrosse community and we saw our Posse players live up to that on the field with unparalleled success both in the league, Provincials and several of our kids being selected to elite competition teams. Posse Accomplishments 2018
Stepping into the role of President mid-season was a challenge given that Bruce had been at it for several years and done an admirable job! I want to thank Bruce for his many years of leadership and wish him all the best as he moves on. This off-season we will be very busy working to top our 2018 season. I wish you all the best in the summer and hope to see everyone back this winter and again next spring when the 2019 season opens.
Yours in lacrosse,
Mike Sim
Cleaning up our Season
One of the big challenges in wrapping up the year is always collecting the jerseys and goalie equipment. If you missed the equipment return with Corey Gordon, Equipment Director please email him to make arrangements to return at or before our AGM. Part of our off-season plan involves ordering new and replacement jerseys for those that are end of life, so it is critical that we have all of our inventory back in time to plan properly. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Your feedback is important to us and if you take the time to complete this quick survey, we will certainly work in the off-season to address it.
If you did not fulfill your volunteer commitment this season you can expect to see a charge to your credit card within the next 30 days for the $150. Should you have any questions about the volunteer credits please email Erika Letendre, Volunteer Director.
Growing the Game
As mentioned earlier, we at the Parkland Posse are committed to Grow The Game and this off-season we will be working on several different strategies to accomplish that. Please read below and if you can be of any assistance please connect with the people listed heading up the initiative.
Division Sponsorship - It seems everything is costing more these days, including our membership fees with the GELC and ALA. Despite that we feel that one of the best ways to grow the game is to make it more affordable for people to get started and stick with. We have already secured a division sponsor for Mini-Tyke and Tyke next season that will allow us to drop our registration fees to $99. We are actively looking for other companies to do the same in Novice through Midget. Please email Mike Sim, President if you are interested in helping us achieve this.
4 v 4 Winter League - Our board has received a unanimous endorsement from the GELC club Presidents to plan and host a 4-on-4 league this coming winter. Details are still being worked out and the official proposal goes before the ALA in September, however we are very confident that this will come to fruition and we could start a season as early as mid-October running to mid-January. Registration information will be posted on our website and emailed once all details are finalized. For more information please visit our website.
Come Try It events in 2019 - We have been successful in securing more floor time at the TLC prior to the start of the 2019 season. We plan on using this time for Tune-Up camps and more Come Try It events to help bolster interest during the registration window. Stay tuned to our website for more details.
School Programs - We currently have proposals from two organizations looking for the Parkland Posse to provide instructors for lacrosse programs. Time commitments vary but if you are interested in helping us reach more children please email Shawn Schimpf, Vice President.
Alumni Page - We have graduated quite a few players in our nine-year history to Junior Lacrosse as well as NCAA collegiate lacrosse in the USA and even the National Box and Field teams. Once these players leave the nest, what better way to motivate our young players today then keeping tabs on where those before them have gone. If you have a graduated player in your household we are looking for a “Head shot” or action photo and a brief write up on your player that we may include on our “soon to launch” Alumni page. Please send the information to Mike Sim, President.
Graduating Midgets transitioning into Junior (RMLL) - We recognize that the minor lacrosse season ends abruptly for many at age 16, usually because the information about how to continue in Junior is hard to find. We would love to see our Posse family continue their playing days in Junior so CLICK HERE to be redirected to information that was posted by the RMLL at the outset of this season explaining a lot of the mystery.
Proposal for a Parkland Junior Team - Our Executive has voted to continue to support a group that is applying for a Junior B Tier I or II team, based out of Spruce Grove/Stony Plain in the upcoming season. A Junior team would be a self-sufficient extension from our Minor Club, but a great opportunity for us to #GrowTheGame locally. We are in the preliminary stages of determining the likelihood of this with the RMLL, however we have every reason to get excited about the potential of bringing this option to our membership.
Upcoming AGM
Monday, August 13th - We are very excited to get the off-season underway as we have lots to plan for. As we do every year, we are looking for more parents to get involved and volunteer on our board. Please visit our website for more information on how we are trying to make the 2018 AGM an event for the family.
New things in store for 2019
Sponsorship Opportunities - Wouldn’t it be nice to never have to buy another pair of Posse shorts? How about keeping our registration fees the lowest in the GELC? We are looking for sponsors to help us grow the game and cover rising costs. If you are someone who would be willing to help volunteer on a sponsorship committee or know of a business that may be interested please email our Sponsorship Chair, James Hackett.
Early Registration Opening - We expect to open our 2019 registration earlier than ever for a couple of reasons. The dates to mark in your calendars are as follows:
December 1, 2018 - Registration opens
February 10, 2019 - Host Clubs will be determined for ‘A’ Teams based on the Association with the highest number of registered players in each division. If we want to be able to provide the option of playing ‘A’ in our home arena then we must have the greatest number of players registered by this date, with enough to host two teams in each division. Typically, we only have 50% of our players registered by this date so it is critical that our entire membership plans to be early to register going forward.
That’s it for now. I would be remiss if I didn’t extend a very big thank you to our board members, coaches and numerous parent volunteers who helped to make this season possible. Along with a very big thank you to all of our sponsors who give so generously of their time and financial support. Cheers to a great season and many more ahead of us! See you at the AGM!
Thank you to our Sponsors...
