Sent e-mail out and posted note on MALA web site today soliciting ideas/input from coaches across the state.

Well done. Now we have to get the word out far and wide. Scott.

I'm pretty impressed with some of the info I've found on the WHCA site...the hockey coaches' site. I believe their home page "mission" statement" and Code of Ethics is something we can replicate...or at least use as a starting point. We can substitute the awards section with USL's or even come up with complementary awards to the USL AAs and AcadAAs...something to think about anyway.
TD
http://www.wisconsinhockeycoaches.org/index.htm

I agree Tom. It's a pretty good starting point. Isn't WLF sponsoring a "Wisconsin Lacrosse Conference" sometime this winter? Maybe you and I can do a portion on coaching. I'm still a bit concerned about the "mandate" of certification when most of the youth lacrosse coaches don't even know they will be coaching next spring yet! Or they are involved in other sports at the moment and won't be ready to think lacrosse until March. By then all of the clinics in Wisconsin are over...

I see we have Jan 24 on the calendar to try and pull the coaches together.

I think WLF was planning something although I must admit I hope they participate in GB in January...don't see why we need to have duplicate efforts...the "mandate" thing is bothersome (to say the least) to me...how a state chapter can mandate something that isn't mandated nationally is beyond me.

Hi All,
Paul here from Neenah. I think the goal of setting up a coaches association is a great idea. Any thing I can do to become more involved?

Paul: Any and all ideas are welcome...right now, I think our focus should be on organization and a code of ethics/conduct...that will help us get the assn. at least off the ground...would greatly appreciate your comments/insights in areas such as those

Kudos to the organizers on this. I am looking forward to the coaches clinic. Not only to help pass on instruction, but also to meet all other coaches from Wisconsin, which will facilitate more inter league / inter conference games and scheduling. The coaches association should also have better control of the nomination and election of all-american, academic all-american and league all stars. Have we reached out to any D I collegiate coaches yet for their participation? They might be pricey though.

I'm also looking forward to the association as well as the clinic. The more the coaches can get together the better it is for the kids.

Rich Zei
Sun Prairie Youth Lacrosse

Here's what I think I know: We have a coaches' clinic tentatively planned for Jan 24 up in the GB area-details are still coming together (speakers etc) but right now it looks like there will be some kind of fee to offset expenses ($25-40 range); we'll hopefully have some notable lacrosse coaches/experts invited (professional, D3, MCLA etc); the clinic will also serve as a medium to begin formal establishment of a coaches' association, currently called the WLCA (Wisconsin Lacrosse Coaces Association). While right now the clinic and the sidebar coaches' association meeting are separate events, perhaps each can coincide with the other in the future.

There is a strong consensus in the Wisconsin lacrosse community (boys, girls, youth) regarding the establishment of a coaches' association. The WLCA would serve to complemnt the WLF by becoming a forum for coaches to better oversee the growth and continued establishment of lacrosse throughout all levels. Perhaps, ultimately, the boys/girls/youth coordinator positions within WLF would be within the realm of the WLCA (which itself would fall underthe WLF, which iis USL's official representative entity in WI). In the short run, to me, the first things the WLCA needs to do are (A) establish itself with a mission statement and list of standards (similar to those outlined by other coache's assns here in WI) (B) establish a base-line organization--do we want chapters resposnsible for the current three major areas who in turn work with a state president and staff; do we want one large body (similar to WLF) that meets regularly...what do we want our orgaization to look like and how do we want it to function...both A and B will require time and effort through 2009. I don't see the WLCA being truly viable for several months-after all, it will take time to get organized and established and with the season upon us, we may not be able to do much other than get set-up. I do, howver, think that in some way, shape or form the embryonic WLCA should doing something noteworthy for the 2009 season-ideas that come to mind are naming an All-state team (maybe in conjunction with the Badger State Games), publishing a WCLA All-Sate and Scholar athlete list (in the media), publishing a pre-season and post season WLCA coaches' poll (boys and girls HS)...just some rough thinking-out-loud ideas.
As of today, that's where I think we're at-look forward to other ideas.

I agree with all of Tom's thoughts and comments. With time now becoming short, my suggestion is to produce a one page, PDF, flyer thing that can be scattered throughout the lacrosse and youth sports community (like youth hockey!). Just by organizing an ititial meeting it will bring some folks from the fringe into the middle to participate. I'll try and work on a simple, direct flyer that we all can use to get the word out (WLF site, MALA, MAYLA, BAYVAL, team sites, etc...)

UPDATE 1 Dec 08: Just wanted to let those who check this site from time to time know that we're still planning/hoping to have the inaugural WLCA meeting in conjunction with the coaching clinic planned for January 24th up in the Green Bay area. The plan all along was (and is) to sidebar the WLCA association first-ever meeting (a planning session in actuality) during a coaching clinic.

Above are some ideas to cover at the first meeting...be advised the coaches' convention agenda itself might change a bit over the next few weeks.

Suggested topics for inaugural WLCA meeting (From A Brooker)
I think we need to set up committees and get volunteers and contact information for:
Bylaws
Communications
Membership (dues, recruitment)
I'd then personally flip chart: What we'd want to accomplish (2009 and beyond); What would make this dues-worthy; Timeline to accomplish; Next meeting date/location
I'd also send people to the wiki for this work, since we are so far-flung.

As for the conference, we're working to get a girls'/womens' coach to speak.

Sign Up ;ink
http://lacrosseamerica.com/wi/

The thought of a poll would bring more notoriety to the sport of lacrosse in Wisconsin. The whole thought to the Wisconsin Lacrosse Coaches Association is making more and more sense as the season approaches. It would fill the holes, so to speak, where WLF is not able to be. As coaches, we can learn from one another especially as the sport is growing and now including people that have never played, that can be a daunting task for some first year coaches. It would be nice to have a way to communicate with one another to learn, resolve, and grow the sport of lacrosse.

I think that each league at their next meeting should have the coaches present, to put a vote to this to either formally start this organization formally or to offer another course of action within WLF to formulate a plan to have a forum for the all the coaches in WLF to communicate.

A poll is an excellent idea. It is a great motivation tool. Let's get that set up on WLF or MALA and MAYLA sites asap based on last year's finishes, loss of starting seniors, etc. I will be on that committee if we need people to do so.

This wiki is great to throw around ideas, but we need to incorporate into a website or something so we can set up polls, voting, etc. Is this something that we could piggy back on WLF's website? We could probably do it on MALA's site, but not everyone is a MALA member obviously. Thoughts? We could do a MALA only version I suppose, but a state wide would be great as well.

Lacrosse isn't big enough for MALA to just do something by themselves, however, our communication network with other lacrosse clubs and coaches is sketchy at best. I know for a fact of several seeds beginning to sprout in outlying areas of Wisconsin (Rhinelander, Eau Claire, Tomah). It is pretty obvious that we need several things. A one page bullet point sheet on who we (WLCA) are, three or four goals of the organization, one or two points of contact (maybe one in each HS conference area), and a place for people to find out more information. Like a website or something. Season is fast approaching. All of us will soon be up to our eyeballs in lacrosse balls. I haven't heard of one person against the formation of the WLCA. It's now just a matter of when and how. Hockey is winding down fast, so I am more apt to have some time to put into the effort.

I think Scott is right, and I know Tom that you have been saying this all along, we need to formalize a mission statement for this organization to get it off the ground. I will be willing to join this committee so that we have a direction to start from. That way members and WLF will know exactly what we are and how we proceed from here.