All coaches must be members of USA Lacrosse. Preferably coaches should also have at least level 1 coaching certification. As a member of USA Lacrosse, you'll have access to some excellent coaching resources on their web site.  If you haven't yet achieved level 1 coaching certification, please consider doing so. Regardless, a USA Lacrosse membership is required for all coaches (both head coaches and assistants) to avoid jeopardizing our liability insurance coverage. The club will reimburse you for USA Lacrosse membership and/or coaching certification fees.

• Join USA Lacrosse here: LINK
• Coach Level 1 Certification (can be completed online) here: LINK
• The club will reimburse you for costs of the USA Lacrosse membership and coaching certification. To request a reimbursement, use this form: LINK
• After adding or renewing your USA Lacrosse membership, complete a coaches registration for Midland. This is how we verify your USA Lacrosse membership: LINK

2023 Youth Coaches

Boys 14U

• Head Coach: Ryan Venman
• Assistants: Scott McFarland, Jeremy Rau, Noah Swint

Boys 12U

• Head Coach: Craig Marshall
• Assistants: TBD

Boys 10U

• Head Coach: TBD
• Assistants: TBD

Boys 8U

• Head Coach: Phil Jones
• Assistants: TBD

Girls

• Head Coach: Geoff Burr
• Assistants: Jeff Berard

Wed March 1, 8, 15, and 22

• 5 PM Girls
• 6 PM Boys 8U/10U
• 7 PM Boys 12U
• 8 PM Boys 14U

Craig will miss practice on March 22, and Ryan will run 12U practice on that day.

Once the snow melts, teams will begin practicing outdoors. The plan is for for Boys 12U to use the football field at Jefferson Middle School, Boys 8U and 10U to practice at Dow High School, and for Boys 14U and Girls to practice at Northeast Middle School.

Plan on having a pre-season meeting with parents and players (for example, maybe before or after one of your practices at the civic arena). This will allow you to answer any questions and set expectations for the season (for example, about the need for every family to pitch in one way or another...as team parent, assistant coach, team tent at tourneys, or at the Honor the Game tourney, etc.).

Boys

• ~ 6 local weekday games (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, 14U, 12U, 10U)
• April 22 - Bobcat Bash (Grand Blanc, 14U, 12U, 10U, 8U)
• April 29-30 Boyne (14U, 12U, 10U, 8U?)
• May 6 - Eagle Jam (Hartland, 8U)
• May 7 - Eagle Jam (Hartland, 14U, 12U, 10U)
• May 13 - Honor the Game (Midland, 14U, 12U, 10U, 8U)
• May 20 - Linden Showdown (Linden, 14U, 12U, 10U)
• June 3 - Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills, 12U, 10U)
• June 4 - Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills, 14U, 8U)

Girls

• various round robin playdates
• May 6 - Eagle Jam (Hartland)
• May 13-14 - Lax Zing (Lansing)
• June 3 or 4 - Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills)

We mostly use the SportsEngine system since the contact info is already there.

There are links to tips and instructions about using the SportsEngine system here: LINK

Changes to the boys & girls rules for 2022 are listed below.

Boys Rule Changes:

1) The main changes to the boys rules are that the substitution box area has been reduced from 10 yards on each side of the midline to 5 yards on each side. In addition, there are no longer releasable penalties at the youth level. All 12U and 14U penalties will now serve FULL PENALTY TIME (penalties at 8U and 10U are not time-serving). This change increases the impact of penalties in order to ensure a commitment to safe/legal play and also reduce penalty administration for officials and table personnel. A complete list of changes can be found here. 

2) Also, as a reminder, effective January 1, 2022, shoulder pads for boys field players and goalie chest protectors for boys and girls must be NOCSAE certified. For more information, please visit the USA Lacrosse FAQ. 

Girls Rule Changes: 

1) Modifications to the stick check process and an adjustment to the restraining line rule during the administration of the draw were among the changes supported by both the HS Girls and Youth Girls Rules Committees for the 2023 season. Additionally, sportsmanship, knowledge of the rules, and dangerous use of the stick were identified as three points of emphasis at both levels of play for 2023. A more thorough explanation and list of changes can be found here. 

This guide is meant to be a resource for your program during the upcoming season. Inside, you will find information about rules, game and safety procedures, important contacts, and a host of other information designed to answer administrator, coach, and parent questions quickly and easily.