WYL Overview

WYL Overview

 

Mission

The Westwood Youth Lacrosse (WYL) program was founded in 1996 to bring the sport of lacrosse to boys in our town. Our objectives:

  • Provide enjoyment to players, coaches and parents
  • Teach the sport and skills of lacrosse, improve the level of play over time
  • Learn and practice good sportsmanship at all times
  • Be competitive against other teams we play
  • Demonstrate a high return rate of players in following years
  • Improve the skill level of players entering the Westwood High School program

Program Overview

The program is open to boys who are Westwood residents and are in grades 1-8, (Westwood Girl's Lacrosse is a separate organization). The program is built around participation in Mass Youth Lacosse (MYL) (formerly Mass Bay Youth Lacrosse League - MBYLL). We also participate in a smaller, add-on competitive league called MYL Select.

What are the age groups?

There are four age groups:

  • G12 (formerly U9) - Grades 1 & 2
  • G24 (formerly U11) - Grades 3 & 4
  • G56 (formerly U13) - Grades 5 & 6
  • G78 (formerly U15) - Grades 7 & 8

If your child is unusually old for his grade, he may be required to play up in the next level.

When is the season?

Skills sessions which may be indoor or outdoors generally start in March. The normal season begins at the beginning of April or when the fields are open. Games begin immediately. Please note that there are games during both of the school vacation weekends.

Who do we play?

All of our teams are "travel teams" in that we play other towns both home and away.

My son is in middle school, is it too late for him to start?

No. Every year we have first time players in every grade from 1st through 8th. If your son would like to give lacrosse a try, he should. Here are a few things that can help out before the season starts:

  1. Get a stick and starting using it. If he has friends that play, getting them to throw around and demonstrate the basics would be helpful.
  2. There are a number of off-season skills clinics that can help him learn the basic stick skills.
  3. Play lots of wall ball! There is a lacrosse wall behind Westwood High School next to the multi-purpose field. Search on YouTube for "how to" videos to see some basic routines for using a lacrosse wall to improve your stick skills.

When are the practices?

Early season skills sessions vary from year to year. Once the town has opened the fields, there will be two practices per week for G34, G56, and G78 and one practice per week for G12. Practices are usually held in the evening during the week or occasionally on the weekend.

When are the games?

MYL Classic games are played on Sundays. Game times will vary, typically from 9am – 6pm. Teams may occasionally play a few weeknight games during the season.

MYL Select games are typically played on Friday nights.

What is the attendance policy?

Lacrosse requires unique skills and knowledge. Low attendance at practices negatively impacts the player, team and coaches leading to player dropout even beyond the absent individuals. While we encourage athletes to play a variety of sports, we expect that your son will make a commitment to attend 75% of lacrosse practices and games in the spring. For G56 and G78 age groups, not living up to this policy will impact playing time. For G12 and G34 age groups, it will be left to the coach's discretion.

Registration, Financial Assistance and Refunds

When and how do I register?

Registration is done in the Fall through this website. When registration is underway, there will be a "Register Now" button on the left menu of our website. If the button is not visible, then registration is not open. Details on registration for MYL Select will be communicated via e-mail. We do not take checks.

Why is registration in the fall for the spring season?

While it seems early, there are a number of items that must be completed in late fall and early January including team submission to the leagues, uniform ordering, booking indoor practice time and coordinating field time with the town.

How much does it cost to play?

For the 2025 season, the registration fee for all grades (G12, G34, G56, and G78) is $175. Additionally, each player must pay a $45 registration fee to Mass Youth Lacrosse (MYL), which is our parent organization. This MYL fee provides insurance for the player and the program. Both fees are included when you register for the season on this site.

Is financial assistance available?

We believe that no child should be denied the chance to play due to financial reasons. To request financial assistance, click here to send an email request to the WYL President, Ted Dempsey.

I have an issue, can I get a refund?

Registration and Uniforms – refunds requested before the outdoor season begins are eligible for full refund of the amount paid to Westwood Youth Lacrosse less $25. Refunds for uniforms are only issued if they have not been distributed to players (typically mid-March). Westwood Youth Lacrosse is not able to refund the $40 MYL membership fees.

Medical Condition or Injury – season ending injuries that occur prior to the season start are eligible for full refund. Injuries that occur after the start but before May 1 are eligible for 50% refund.

Uniforms and Equipment

Where do I get uniforms?

You will have an opportunity to purchase a uniform for your player when you register in the Fall. Uniform orders are typically placed in early winter, and arrive a few weeks before the Spring season.

Our uniforms include a two color reversible jersey and shorts.

Jersey Sizing

Our jerseys are reversible, sleeveless, tank-top style. When choosing sizes, remember these need to fit over shoulder pads.

  • For G12 consider Youth S/M jersey
  • For G34 consider Youth L/XL jersey
  • For G56 consider Youth L/XL for smaller players or Adult S/M for larger
  • For G78 use your judgment as player sizes vary greatly in this group

Jersey Sizes

Shorts Sizing

  • Adult shorts have drawstrings, youth sizes do not.

Shorts Sizes

What equipment is needed? Where can I get it?

Information on exactly what you need can be found here. There are many places that sell equipment, and most offer a discounted "starter package." Options include Monkey Sports in Norwood, Lacrosse Unlimited in Wellesley and Weymouth, and Dick’s Sporting Goods in Dedham. Play-It-Again Sports in Dedham offers new and used equipment, but we've noticed that the quality/condition of the pockets on some of the starter and used sticks is sometimes less than ideal.

Mass Youth Lacrosse (MYL)

What is MYL?

The Westwood Youth Lacrosse program plays in the Metro-West division of Mass Youth Lacrosse (MYL). Our schedule and rules are set by the MYL based on recommendations from US Lacrosse.

What is the MYL philosophy on league standings?

There are no standings kept, no league championship or playoffs. All teams from each town are equal in skill (no A team, B team) and everyone plays as equally as possible. The goals are teaching the sport and providing a fun experience for all involved. To learn more go to MYL.org. For players ready to play at a higher level, we also participate in the MYL Select League.

What other towns do we play?

Our division generally covers the area west of Westwood. Typical opponents include Brookline, Newton, Holliston, Dedham, Weston, Wayland, Natick, Framingham and others.

MYL Select Team

MYL Select is a competitive league for G56 (U13) and G78 (U15) age groups, that is structured to provide an add-on schedule complementary to the regular MYL 'classic' schedule.

How is MYL Select different than MYL?

The MYL league was built to grow the sport of lacrosse in Massachusetts. Within MYL, there are no standings, no playoffs and player skills are divided evenly among teams to foster growth and learning in a relaxed, low pressure environment. MYL Select is a league for those players that are 100% committed to the sport of lacrosse in the spring and want to play at a higher level.

What is the attendance policy?

MYL players are expected to be committed to lacrosse in the spring season meaning they will choose lacrosse over other activities. Outside of family and school commitments, MYL Select players are expected to attend lacrosse practices and games for both their MYL regular and MYL Select teams. Not living up to this expectation will impact game playing time. Please consider this carefully before committing to the MYL Select program.

Can I play MYL Select and not play MYL Classic?

No. MYL Select is an add-on league and is not meant to be an alternative to MYL Classic. League rules state that playing in MYL Select is contingent on playing for the MYL classic league.

How are teams selected?

Tryout evaluations are conducted by an outside organization. Selections take into consideration tryout performance, prior season's ratings and prior season's attendance.? Players are encouraged to attend both tryouts. In addition, at the end of the regular select season, if the team makes the playoffs, the head coaches will have an opportunity to expand the team to encourage players and reward hard work, skills development and dedication to their classic teams.

When is the season?

The season begins mid -March with preseason practices and ends early to mid June depending on playoff advancement.

When are practices?

Practices are typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Select Team players typically have one Select team practice per week and one Classic team practice each week. Players are expected to attend both practices.

When and where are the games played?

Games are played Friday evenings, start times are generally 6pm or 7:30pm. There will be both home and away games.

What is the MYL Select playing time policy?

While all players with a good attendance record will have reasonable playing time, equal playing time is not guaranteed.

How much does MYL Select cost?

The registration fee is $125 per player.

What about uniforms?

We use our standard Westwood Youth Lacrosse uniforms.

Tournaments and Jamborees

There are two year end tournaments that Westwood Youth Lacrosse participates in. WYL pays all entry fees for our tournaments, there are no additional costs to the families.

Westwood Davieson Annis G12 Jamboree

Each year Westwood hosts a small Jamboree to provide a tournament option for our younger players. Proceeds from the event go to fund a scholarship award for a Westwood High School senior boys' lacrosse player who best exemplifies the values of teamwork, perseverance and positive attitude. This award is in honor of Davieson Annis, who dedicated so much of his time to the Westwood Youth Lacrosse program and lost his battle with cancer in 2009.

MYL Jamboree

The MYL Jamboree is an enormous and incredibly fun end-of-season celebration featuring teams from towns from all corners of MYL. Click here for more information.