FAQs and Club Policies

495 Lacrosse is an elite club lacrosse program dedicated to helping youth and high school boys lacrosse players improve their skills, knowledge (i.e., ‘Lax IQ’), and compete level while stressing the importance of additional dimensions such as academic performance to reach the next level. 495 LC is for those athletes who want to practice, play and be involved in lacrosse throughout the year. 495 Lacrosse complements the youth town, and High School lacrosse programs by providing very knowledgeable and experienced coaching, competitive tournaments, and the needed networking to be recruited for college lacrosse, if that is an objective.

Players get access to top-tier experienced coaches who foster a structured, competitive, yet enjoyable and fun practice environment with innovative skills, drills and games. We not only teach the necessary skills for playing in high school and college, but also emphasize the importance of hard work, commitment, organization, teamwork, sportsmanship, and academic excellence.

495 assembles the most competitive teams that play at various tournaments year-round. Players participate in full field recruiting based tournaments as well as have access to play in smaller 6 v 6, or 7 v 7 games and tournaments.

If being recruited to play in college is an objective, 495 Lacrosse provides the skill and depth of knowledge necessary to thrive at the next level. College coaches from every program in the country look directly to club lacrosse programs to recruit their next wave of players, and at our recruiting tournaments 495 provides the necessary exposure to be in front of those college coaches.

495 also provides college-recruiting seminars, one-on-one meetings between players and the 495 LC Directors, and any other type of guidance our players might need to navigate the complex college recruiting process.

We believe the path to becoming an excellent lacrosse player starts with the proper fundamentals and ‘Lax IQ.’ Solid stick skills and proper technique are something we emphasize every day at 495. We then build upon the fundamentals, as our goal is to develop the complete player who understands the game to its fullest. 

A part of being complete is also being athletically fit, so 495 Lacrosse also focuses on our ability to outrun and be in better shape than our opponents. We like to ‘push Transition’ and ‘get up and down’ the field. Opportunities arise from unsettled situations on the field. This 'up-tempo' style of lacrosse ties directly into our culture of working hard, and earning everything.

Our Directors and Coaches were and still are players themselves who can pass on not only the well-understood aspects of the game, but also the finer points that are less understood and certainly less taught. These subtle nuances, when properly utilized, take good players and turn them into truly GREAT players!

While individual skills are essential, it is also our priority to put strong teams out on the field. We value and teach Team Offensive and Team Defensive strategies, transition lacrosse, proper field communication, and the importance of being a good teammate both on and off the field. Practices are competitive, and players work hard to earn their starting spots on a weekly basis. Our player evaluation process is constantly ‘in play’, and we provide specific, tangible and constructive feedback so 495 Lacrosse players can hone in on areas where further development and emphasis may be needed.

495 Directors and coaches strive to be role models for our young male athletes; someone who they can look up to, someone who has played the game, and someone who is going to teach them the benefits of hard work, commitment, teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and excelling in the classroom.

Every player must try out (mid/late July each year) to be selected for a 495 team. Players are chosen based on their athleticism, lacrosse skills (i.e., stick skills and ‘Lax IQ,’ including TEAM play), compete level, focus and drive. Every player will receive a fair evaluation from a number of different 495 Lacrosse Coaches.

All pertinent information for tryouts is under the "Tryouts" section of our website. Players must register before tryouts commence and to do so, please visit “Registrations” within our club website. The tryout fee covers all tryout dates for your son’s year of graduation (‘YoG’). Players must attend at least one tryout, but are encouraged to attend as many tryout dates as possible (if multiple dates are scheduled). The tryout fee is non-refundable.

Players will be notified of their status by email within 24 to 48 hours after their last tryout date for that specific YoG. We ask that you accept your spot in our program within 24 hours of that email. As roster spots fill up quickly, the sooner you affirm your participation with 495, the higher the probability of securing a spot.

Tryouts will involve drills focused on stick skills, ‘Lax IQ,’ decision-making, Offensive and Defensive strategies, overall fitness, and compete level. There will be individual skills as well as full-field scrimmages to evaluate all players across a variety of dimensions. We are looking to take skilled, hard-working, and motivated student-athletes who want to develop and reach the next level. Players who make 495 LC will be placed on a team based on their year of graduation.

To offer the greatest amount of flexibility to our families, we offer two separate annual programs: 'Tournament Team' member and 'Training Team' member.

The 'Tournament Team' membership fee for the 2023-2024 season covers practices for a full year, a 495 LC helmet with customized 495 helmet decals (new players), a customized gear backpack (new players), 495 game jersey and game shorts, a 495 LC shooter shirt, a 495 practice pinnie (new players), annual tournament fees, elite coaching, year round field rentals (Fall, Winter, Summer), balls, and equipment expenses, website management, insurance, and other associated operating costs for 495 Lacrosse (further details provided in our 'Program Overview' section). Additionally, for those High School players approaching the recruiting window, 495 acquires a software license to SportsRecruits with direct connectivity to IMLCARecruits. 495 players are expected to create their player profile, upload highlight tapes, and actively use the platform to assist them in the college recruiting process.

495 Lacrosse understands that not all players can commit to participating in lacrosse tournaments. Maybe lacrosse is not their primary sport, but as multi-sport athletes, they’d like to get the reps in and continue to build their skills and knowledge. For that reason, we are proud to offer the opportunity for those athletes to have access to our elite coaching staff as 'Training Team' members within our program.

'Training Team' players will not receive uniforms, helmets, etc., but they can purchase those items separately if they choose to. In addition, tournaments are not included in this option. However, if an opening is available on a Tournament Team, they may pay separately to join the roster for that specific tournament (further details provided in our 'Program Overview').

The membership fee for either the 'Tournament Team' or 'Training Team' option must be paid upon accepting a roster spot (paid annually), or a payment plan must be set up upon accepting a roster spot. The membership fee is non-refundable. The only exception to this is if a player has a documented medical injury that prevents him from playing for a prolonged period of time. The player will receive a pro rata reimbursement proportionate to the amount of time he will miss due to the injury.

NOT included in the membership cost: any optional clinics, optional skills based training, optional winter box league, optional club spring league, and any additional 495 apparel. Players and families will have the opportunity to purchase 495 apparel and other club specific items from our team store, but it is not required.

Our Coaches are collegiate National Champions, collegiate All-Americans, D1 Team MVPs, D1 Team Captains, and respected local HS coaches (Head and Assistant) who are highly knowledgeable and have deep lacrosse experience.

At 495 Lacrosse, our teams will have an established coaching staff, but also benefit from the experience and knowledge of the broader 495 coaching ranks. This allows for faster and more robust player development.

For example, your son will have exposure to additional 495 Lacrosse Coaches at 'mini camp' style practices, clinics, positional training sessions, 495 Skills Academy, etc. There will be many opportunities to absorb the knowledge of all at 495 Lacrosse. The 495 Coaches will be teaching the same techniques and tactics, but each coach has their own way of delivering their teaching points. Therefore, our athletes will be learning and internalizing consistent skills, techniques, and strategies, but in a personalized way, from a variety of 495 LC Coaches throughout the year. We believe this is an accelerant for continued growth and player development.

We expect our players to attend as many practices and tournaments as possible (every practice should be your goal, but we certainly encourage multi-sport athletes and understand that conflicts arise). We strive to offer different practice days throughout the year which will allow our club members to participate in the maximum number of practices.

The club season generally runs from early/mid September to early/mid July. There are approximately 8-10+ practices in the Fall and Summer and 3-5 tournament offerings per season (Fall and Summer). Additional tournaments and playing options will be offered in the winter and spring seasons. Winter practices (approximately 12+) are also provided.

Players are not required to attend all practices, but it is highly recommended. We understand that our players will face many other obligations, including schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, family commitments, and other sports.

We do not want our players to give up all other sports in order to play lacrosse, and we believe that the multi-sport athlete is the most well-rounded athlete. It is our hope that our student-athletes will strive to become elite lacrosse players and will attend as many 495 Lacrosse events as possible. 

The more committed a player is to 495, the more his lacrosse skills and ‘Lax IQ’ will develop. Those players who consistently go to practice are the ones who usually excel when it comes to individual skills and understanding our TEAM system and schemes. Our strategies require repetition to learn and truly internalize. Additionally, practice is where camaraderie with their teammates is built, and that sense of ‘TEAM’ or ‘Family’ truly develops. If a player cannot attend a practice, he must let his Coach know in advance.

The practice schedule will be posted on our website under “Master Calendar”. Please note that some practice dates and times may change due to field availability, weather, or other circumstances.

In the event of a cancellation, families will be notified via email and/or text. We will do our best to make up for any canceled practice, but it is not guaranteed (primarily driven by field availability).

Our practices are not just limited to individual skills and drills. Skills and drills are heavily incorporated, but a good portion of our team practice program is also implementing TEAM based strategies such as Offensive and Defensive sets, Man-Up, Man-Down, Rides, Clears, substitution strategies, etc. As an example, 495 Lacrosse may implement anywhere from 3 to 5 different Offensive strategies, and if your son misses a practice (or more), that may limit his ability to learn and implement the strategy in game situations. The same is true for our Defensive sets and strategies. At 495 we believe strongly in our ability to dodge, create and exploit opportunities, but we also believe that working as a coordinated unit on both sides of the field is very important. Being 'on the same page' collectively comes together and is fine tuned during our team practices.

In our opinion, having better stick skills and being ‘more athletic’ than your opponent is only a small piece of lacrosse. Team sets, strategies, schemes, 'Lax IQ' and working together in unison are also extremely important. We want our practices to be fun, but also challenging so we are more than prepared for our upcoming games.

For full field 10 v 10 tournaments, we want to carry a roster that allows for optimal playing time per player. If we have more than that, we may look to add another team at the same YoG. This approach allows for increased playing time per player.

Tournament rosters, schedules, and waivers will be available approximately one week before the actual tournament date. This information will be emailed to each player and/or posted online on our website. Game schedules are generally available on the “Tourney Machine” app.

All travel and accommodations for a tournament are the responsibility of that player’s family.

Players should arrive at the field 45 minutes before the first game and have all equipment in their 495 gear bags.

We will have a 495 Lacrosse canopy and/or flag set up at each outdoor tournament. Families are invited to bring snacks and beverages to share.

Most of the tournaments are held throughout the Massachusetts and broader New England area.

For our high school teams, when characteristics such as competition and recruiting opportunities align, additional locations could potentially include the NY (Long Island), New Jersey, Philadelphia, and/or the Mid-Atlantic region.

When determining rosters for a tournament, we look at a number of different factors, including skill, effort, 'Lax IQ' and practice attendance. The Coaches of 495 Lacrosse are constantly evaluating each player, and it is our job to put our players on the appropriate team for their development. We do not take requests from parents or other outside opinions when forming tournament rosters. Rosters within an age group can be fluid and may change from tournament to tournament, IF warranted. Every practice and game is a venue for your son to work hard and leave a positive impression on the 495 Coaching staff. Your son's roster position is earned weekly. This helps keep practices competitive and allows for greater opportunity for all of our players.

“AA” team players should not take their spot for granted, and “A” team players should be motivated to work hard and move up. An ‘AA’ team player is one with high-level stick skills, has a strong understanding of the game (‘Lax IQ’), plays unselfish TEAM ball, always gives it his all, is one who understands our strategies and is also a player who consistently comes to practice.

Players are expected to attend as many tournaments as possible. These tournaments are essential to both player and overall team development. All players will play at all tournaments, as we strongly believe that a solid amount of game experience is critical to development. However, exact equal playing time for each singular game is not guaranteed all of the time, but on balance for a weekend tournament (as an example) will be both equal in intent as well as extremely fair to all. For example, there may be a certain situation late in a game that requires a particular strategy, and each 495 Lacrosse Coach reserves the right to put the team in a position to be successful. Playing time is at the discretion of the Coaching staff.

495 Lacrosse players will not be permitted to play for another club or Town elite team. Town and Town Select in the Spring season is highly encouraged.