This column and infographic appear in the January edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Join US Lacrosse to start your subscription.

Fourteen years ago, one of my first assignments as a new communications staff writer at US Lacrosse was to help write the script for a video we shot to supplement the brand-new Coach Development Program online course.

Naturally, I geeked out over this project. It brought to life the concepts of some of the brightest coaching minds in the game. Moreover, I got to work with Hall of Fame-caliber players like Jay Jalbert, Brian Dougherty, Kyle Sweeney and Kyle Harrison, who did voiceovers and demonstrations. I even got to step in a few times as a dummy defender. Held my own if I say so myself.

We were ahead of our time in 2005. Back then, you could not find quality lacrosse videos anywhere. YouTube and Twitter did not exist. Facebook was still a private Ivy League social network. Instagram? Forget it.

Even with the advent of social media and the proliferation of lacrosse-specific channels (“Socially Grown,” pages 44-51), US Lacrosse remains the industry leader in coaching education. Turn the page, and you’ll find a visually compelling testimony to the breadth of the CDP. It’s integral to our mission. An area of focus in the recently approved 2019-2023 strategic plan is to provide and advocate for the highest quality experience for all players at every level. Goal one in that endeavor: Improve the quality and increase the quantity of coaches in the sport.

Think about your first coach, in any sport. How essential was he or she in your experience? Coaches make you want to play. They also make you want to quit.

By equipping coaches with the tools to be successful, US Lacrosse intends to make sure more of you fall into the first category.

— Matt DaSilva, Editor in Chief

US Lacrosse provides the only nationally standardized certification program for coaches. What started as a few online courses in 2004 has expanded to provide three levels of certification, more than 100 in-person clinics each year, access to more than 1,500 online courses and videos, a mobile app geared toward coaches and a curriculum adapted to the Lacrosse Athlete Development Model. Go to  uslacrosse.org/cdp for more information.

Learning

8,086 courses

Coaches completed 8,086 courses at learning.uslacrosse.org in 2018.

Long Island Medium

Nassau County PAL approached US Lacrosse in 2016 with an ambitious goal: All of its 1,600-plus coaches would become CDP Level 1-certified with the completion of in-person clinics. No longer would parents be pressed into duty without the proper education. The league wanted flexibility in scheduling trainers and clinics. Thanks to US Lacrosse’s easy-to-use education and training portal, Nassau County PAL and US Lacrosse could schedule clinics with as few as three days notice without sacrificing quality. The NCPALYLL met their goal last year.

A+

“I learned so much in those three hours and thought your instructors were A+. I look forward to future certifications.” — Jeremy Porter, Atlanta

50,197

Coaches who have completed at least one CDP online course since the inception of the program.

1,560

US Lacrosse provided boxed lunches for 39 CDP clinics in 2018, including 6-inch subs for up to 40 people per clinic. That amounts to 1,560 subs spanning 780 feet (9,360 inches) — enough to cover the length of two full-sized lacrosse fields.

Reducing Level 1 coaching clinics from 7 to 3 hours has made the CDP baseline even more accessible, with 4,728 coaches trained at a lower fee of $50 in 2018.

192

Number of certified Coach Development Program trainers nationwide, an increase of more than 150 percent over the last four years.

28,057

Coaches who have attended at least one instructional clinic since the inception of the US Lacrosse Coach Development Program — including 5,399 in 2018.

Screen Time

U.S. adults spend an average of 3 hours, 20 minutes a day using their smartphones and tablets. We’re not judging, but why not devote some time toward becoming a better coach? Mobile Coach is free for US Lacrosse members! Choose from more than 500 interactive drills and practice plans at uslacrosse.org/mobilecoach.

Our Mission

As the sport’s national governing body, US Lacrosse provides national leadership, structure and resources to fuel the sport’s growth and enrich the experience of participants.

Your Support

$270 million

Since 1998, US Lacrosse has invested more than $270 million in the sport’s growth thanks to the support of our national membership and the generosity of donors who believe in our mission.