Community Program Management

GBYLA Mission Statement The mission of the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association (GBYLA) is to increase youth participation in lacrosse and provide exposure to the game within our community.

Team Format

• 8U to 12U (Boys & Girls): Teams will follow a recreational format, meaning players will be drafted to ensure competitive balance (parity) among teams. There will be no championship format for these age groups. Instead, teams will participate in a year-end Jamboree-style tournament.

• 14U (Boys & Girls): Teams will follow a competitive format, culminating in an end-of-season playoff and championship called the Metro Tournament.

Team Drafting Guidelines

• 8U to 12U Draft:

Community Points of Contact (POCs) and Head Coaches are responsible for drafting teams in their respective communities for boys and girls in the 8U - 12U divisions.

Drafts will be conducted in a "snake draft" format, with the goal of maintaining parity among teams. Coaches must adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in this document during the draft process.

Important: Factors such as assistant coaches, carpooling, or friendships will not be considered when forming teams.

• 14U Draft:

Head Coaches for boys and girls 14U teams will rank players based on performance and skills, following the policies and procedures provided.

The rankings will be used in a 'live' blind snake draft, conducted by an impartial 3rd party.

Team Selection Requirements:

If a community program is eligible to form more than one team in a single age division, player evaluations must occur before team selection. These evaluations will take place in a skills-based clinic and should assess:

• Age

• Size

• Years of experience

• Lacrosse skills (measured using a simple scale)

The information gathered will be recorded on a draft form provided to Head Coaches to ensure fair team selection. Carpooling, friends, etc should not be counted as criteria for team drafting.

Team Drafting Procedures

• 8U to 12U Draft:

Head Coaches will be provided with a DRAFT FORM to record their evaluation results and document player rankings. Once player rankings are complete, the POC and Head Coaches will conduct a snake draft to form teams. The primary focus will be to maintain balanced teams based on parity. After the draft, Head Coaches will randomly draw from a hat to determine which team they will coach. If a Head Coach’s child is assigned to a different team, the child may be traded "spot for spot" with another player to align with the coach’s team. Using the DRAFT FORM, Head Coaches will document the drafted teams and submit them to GBYLA Operations Director for review and approval. Once Head Coaches have received approval from GBYLA Operations Director, they may then notify their respective teams. Teams will then be drafted online by GBYLA Operations Director.

• 14U Draft:

Head Coaches will be provided with a DRAFT FORM to record their evaluation results and document player rankings. Head Coaches will submit the DRAFT FORM with documented player rankings to GBYLA Operations Director as per the Spring Season Timeline. Using the DRAFT FORMS with player rankings, an impartial 3rd party will then conduct a ‘live’ snake draft to form teams. Head Coaches are permitted to attend the live draft for transparency purposes. This draft aims to create balanced teams based on player rankings for fair competition. Upon completion of the live draft, teams will then be drafted online by GBYLA Operations Director.

Assistance:

A GBYLA representative will be available to assist with the snake drafts for the 8U - 12U teams, should additional clarification be needed.