Q:  My player is new to the sport of lacrosse, are novice players able to participate?

A:  Absolutely!  CYL’s mission is to spread and teach the sport of lacrosse to as many children as we can support in Chesterfield County.  We are a recreational program and strive for equal play and opportunity for all players.  Our volunteer coaches receive US Lacrosse training and are passionate about teaching our youth players, novice and experienced, how to play the game.  We want Chesterfield Hammers to develop into great players and people, on and off the field.

Q:  My child is planning on trying out for their HS JV team, should they register for CYL’s Spring Season?

A:  Yes.  All 8th graders are encouraged to register for the Spring Season and order their uniforms.  Any player that makes their school’s JV team and will not play for CYL will receive a full refund for their league registration and we will buy back their uniform if they chose.

Q: What age does my child have to be in order to participate?

A: We follow the US Lacrosse Scholastic based model for our teams.  Players play on teams based on their grade in school.  Players must be in grades 1st through 8th and cannot play down.  Players that are held back in school for various reasons and are a year older than their teammates may be asked to play up a grade as determined by the CYL Board.  Teams are set up as 1st/2d, 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th.

Q: How long is the season and when are practices and games?

A:  The Spring and Fall seasons are approximately 8 weeks long with one week of evaluations to make sure all teams are evenly skilled and balanced with experienced and novice players.  Each team will play at least 6 games and all will participate in the end of season tournament.  In the Fall, CYL hosts the Fall Festival and in the Spring we participate in the Hanover Blackhawk’s HAVOC tournament. 

In the Spring, practices are two nights a week, M-TH, and games are on Saturday and occasionally during practice times.  In the Fall, practices are one night a week and games are on Saturdays.

Q: Where are games and practices held?

A:  Typically, practices are held at River City Sports Complex off of Genito, however due to the growth of the demand for fields in the County, we may need to have practices at Midlothian Middle School.  Home games are played at Midlothian Middle School, Mary Stratton Park, CTC Hull, and other countywide fields as dictated by County Parks and Recreation.  We strive to keep consistency in our field assignments as best we can given field availability.  Away games are typically played in the greater Richmond area such as Powhatan, Henrico, and Hanover.

Q: What is CYL’s refund policy?

A:  Players wishing to unregister from a program may do so until the close of the registration period.  CYL will issue a refund for the paid amount less a $15 administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after the close of registration period except in the case of an early-season injury . In such cases, the issuance of any refund, and the amount refunded, shall be determined on a case-by-case basis as evaluated by the CYL Board.  Send an email to cylaxhelp@gmail.com 

Q: Does CYL provide financial assistance?

A: Yes.  We want to make sure that all kids in Chesterfield have the opportunity to play lacrosse regardless of financial need.  Parents that seek assistance should send an email to the CYL general admin email address.  Please provide a brief description of why financial assistance is needed (it does not need to reveal personal or embarrassing information) and your child's name.   In some circumstances, parents that demonstrate a continuing need may be asked to support CYL in volunteer opportunities.

All children of active duty military play for free and if you coach, your child plays for free the next season they play.

Q:  What is CYL's weather/cancellation policy?

A:  CYL will make the call whether to cancel practices by 4 pm each week day in conjunction with the County and Coaches.  Cancellation will be posted on the CYL Facebook page as well as through the distro lists on the CYL website.  Game day cancellations will be made by the County at their discretion and advertised in the same manner.