LET'S PLAY!


WHAT
Girls youth field hockey and/or lacrosse

WHO
For rising 5th – 8th graders in the Upper Valley

WHEN
Sessions this summer:
Sundays from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
From 11:00am - 11:55am we play field hockey
From 12:00pm - 1:00pm we play lacrosse
Come for one or for both!

June 28 *(9am-11am this one time)
July 5
July 12
July 19
July 26
(NO session August 2)
August 9

WHERE
On the field up on the hill behind Lebanon Middle School

Have questions?
becky@freerangefieldhockey.com

Parents are welcome to stay, play, or drop off and come back later. Participants, please come with your gear (Field Hockey: Shin pads, eye wear, mouth guards; Lacrosse: eye wear & mouthguards). Water. Sunscreen.

PHILOSOPHY

When my son was young, we gathered neighborhood kids each week for something we called "Sunday Soccer," two hours of pick-up soccer at the field down the street from where we lived. We encouraged anyone with a love for soccer to come, parents included, and it grew from just a few kids to a couple of dozen people reliably showing up on Sunday mornings to PLAY. There was little structure, just some soccer balls, two nets, and a set of pinnies to help distinguish the teams. There was no referee, nobody kept score, and we just played for multiple hours--kids and parents alike, trying new moves, getting creative, and having fun. This is that idea, adapted for field hockey and lacrosse.

THE GOAL

The goal is to give players some mostly-unstructured time and space to learn, play, and love field hockey and lacrosse. Knowledgeable coaches will provide some instruction and general supervision but the main purpose of these sessions is just to get the kids playing field hockey and lacrosse. We'll spend the first few minutes of each hor getting warmed up and sharing tips and the remaining part of the hour or so will be spent scrimmaging. Kids will be divided into two even-strength teams based on whoever is present on a given day, letting them try all the positions to help learn and understand the game from every place on the field!

FAQ

  1. Wait, so you're saying the kids just play?
    Yes! Actually, there will be some expert coaching and instruction at the beginning of each session. Having good fundamentals, after all, is important. But most of the time will be spent on good old-fashioned play and letting the kids have fun.
  2. What equipment does my kid need?
    For Field Hockey: All your kid needs is a stick and a pair of shin guards (soccer shin guards are fine). Mouthguards and eye cages are optional. If your kid is a goalie and happens to have goalie gear, then feel free to bring it. We'll also have some goalie gear on hand. For Lacrosse: All your kid needs is a stick and eye cages. Mouthguards are optional. If you kid is a goalie and happens to have gear, then feel free to bring it. We don’t have any goalie gear for lacrosse, but we can get creative.
  3. Who runs this—the CCBA? New England Sports Park? The Lebanon Rec Department? Someone else?
    Free Range Field Hockey & Lacrosse is an independent entity. We're local Lebanon residents with kids in sports. It is not run by the CCBA or the Lebanon Rec Department. That said, we’ll use locally available fields and need to be respectful of the facilities and fields.
  4. If you're so "free range," then why are adults involved at all, huh?
    Very astute question. Someone has to organize this, email a reminder each week, organize the kids into two teams for scrimmages, provide gentle reffing, and answer questions.
  5. Will there be any D1 college scouts or Junior Olympic scouts in attendance?
    No, D1 college scouts and Junior Olympic scouts won't be in attendance. Your kid can just play without worrying that a bad shot or a mishandled pass will sink their entire future.
  6. This sounds awesome! My kid wants to play. What do I do?
    Just email Becky below to let her know that you have a kid who is interested, and then show up. There is no official registration process, but having emails of interested people is helpful so that we can send out a reminder, or spread word about a cancellation if the weather on a given day is uncooperative. Write to: becky@freerangefieldhockey.com.