This article appears in the April 2020 edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Head to USLacrosse.org to subscribe.

Looking for new players, YVL leaders connected with US Lacrosse to host a TryLax clinic. The one-day event produced the type of return that the program leaders were hoping for.

“The club hosted a clinic for about 50 kids and was able to register over 50 percent of these new players for their upcoming spring season,” said Lyn Porterfield, regional director for US Lacrosse’s Pacific and Mountain regions. “It was a good fit.”

Launched in 2018, followed by wider implementation in 2019, TryLax has quickly become US Lacrosse’s most popular nationwide initiative. The 90-minute player clinics are designed as an introductory experience for new boys’ and girls’ players ages 6-14 and offer an affordable no-obligation option for parents and families to discover the sport.

Featuring a curriculum designed by US Lacrosse and delivered by coaches from community-based organizations, the clinics are an attractive option for players who want to try the game for the first time. Utilizing Lacrosse Athlete Development Model principles and age-appropriate learning, coaches guide the newcomers through the basics of cradling, scooping, passing and shooting.

“TryLax was a great way to create exposure to the game and to our organization,” said Jeff Feen, one of the YVL’s event coordinators. “The curriculum provided by US Lacrosse is pretty straightforward and very helpful.”

Perhaps no area of the country reflects the growing popularity of TryLax more than the state of Florida, which has hosted eight events in recent months. From Jacksonville to Tampa and Orlando to Naples, exposure to the game is growing among first-time youth players in the Sunshine State.

Manatee Youth Lacrosse, based in Bradenton, served as host for one of Florida’s largest TryLax events, with 170 boys and girls attending a clinic in November. In addition to exposing the sport to new players, the organization used the event to heighten community awareness for lacrosse.

“TryLax gave us an opportunity to approach our local school board to ask for more support,” MYL board member Kris Cox said. “Having US Lacrosse as a partner gave us instant credibility.”

TryLax provides an opportunity to sample the sport  at minimal cost (usually $35) before a family decides to make the greater investment in league registration fees. Every clinic participant receives a lacrosse stick to keep and a one-year membership to US Lacrosse.

“Because of our partnership with US Lacrosse, we were able to get sticks in the hands of over 70 kids and almost all of them are now playing in our new league,” said Rich Gray, president of Florida Rush Lacrosse.

Since 2008, Gray has served as executive director of the well-established Orlando Rush soccer club, which has nearly 2,000 participants across 76 competitive and recreational teams. He reached out to US Lacrosse because of his strong advocacy of multi-sport participation for youth athletes.

Gray utilized a TryLax clinic last December to help safely introduce a new sport to his soccer club participants. “Lacrosse is a great crossover sport for soccer players,” Gray said. “This is something I have wanted to do for some time, and the way that the game is presented to the kids in TryLax is very effective. It’s a great strategy.”

Each TryLax clinic is a partnership between US Lacrosse and the local lacrosse organization that serves as the host. In addition to the memberships and free sticks, US Lacrosse provides the local host with marketing support, event insurance, the clinic curriculum and, at select locations, soft practice balls manufactured by SwaxLax. The hosting organization establishes the location for the event, coordinates the registration (usually capped at 100 kids), and secures the coaches. US Lacrosse awarded 84 TryLax clinics in 33 states in 2019, with 45 more clinics scheduled through the first four months of 2020.

“We want to be sure there is a clear path to play,” Porterfield said. “Programs that apply to host these events need to have the resources to deliver a quality experience. It does take a little bit of bandwidth.”

The goal of TryLax is to convert first-timers into new league members. While 50 percent is a realistic target, the conversion rate has been as high as 80 percent in some locations.