Youth lax in Hawaii!!
Jan 13, 2004

When's their first youth tournament, huh?

This Spring is the Aloha Youth Lacrosse Association's first season. They begin play with 6 boys teams and two girls teams. The season will run from March 14 through May 23.

AYLA is aggressively marketing youth lacrosse throughout the islands. AYLA representatives are visiting local public and private schools presenting lacrosse clinics to students. AYLA has also developed a "plAYLAcrosseHawaii" initiative. Working in collaboration with Dave Randall, Honolulu District Physical Education Resource Coordinator for the Department of Education, the “plAYLAcrosse Hawaii!” initiative allows AYLA to further lacrosse both on the field and in the classroom.

One of AYLA's short term goals is to introduce lacrosse at the competitive middle and high school levels. AYLA Director Stephanie Jones says, "It’s also our intention to build a program with players that will be able to compete in national and international youth festivals and tournaments. With the interest in lacrosse growing at a rapid pace here in Hawaii, AYLA hopes to be both a model and resource for others to form their own leagues throughout the state."

Aloha Youth Lacrosse Association is a non-profit organization run by an eleven-member board. "Our board represents a cross section of both the lacrosse community and the Honolulu community in general. We have business people, lacrosse players, coaches, parents, and an overall enthusiastic group that wants to encourage, cultivate, and develop the interest in and appreciation of the sport of lacrosse in the State of Hawaii," says Jones.

AYLA is relying on the expertise of US Lacrosse, the national governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse, and the Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization dedicated to educate parents, athletes, and coaches about the importance of positive coaching. The men and women of the Hawaii Lacrosse Club are also strong allies in an effort to promote the sport of lacrosse locally.

In just a few short weeks AYLA will start their free spring clinics and registration. These free instructional clinics for boys and girls ages 7 – 15 will be held at area fields. "This is a great opportunity for kids to come out and give the game a try, says Jones, "Lacrosse equipment will be provided, but children should bring their own mouth guards, tennis shoes, and water."