Help: Young Players Talent Identifica​tion Process

[Phil]

So this morning I have sent an email to the ELA, Scotland Lacrosse & Ireland Lacrosse (trying to find the appropriate email for Wale Lacrosse), which was boradly the same and the gist of which is below:

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I'm on the committee at Nottingham Trent University Lacrosse Club and have recently had a meeting with our sports department about the possibility of offering lacrosse scholarships to current, or prospective, students. In principle the SD are supportive of the ideas as they already offer a number of sport specific and 'open' scholarship opportunities. I have been asked to go away and find out what the talent identification process is, for potential scholars, and where we would be able to advertise this opportunity.

Is there an appropriate event at which NTU could attend to hand out information, about available scholarships, or from which any players taking part could have their details passed on for NTU to contact? By way of example I know that last year any Hockey players who took part in the Futures Cup were invited to an open day at NTU, specifically for Hockey players, which was also attended by the East Midlands NPC.

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Questions:

Having only started lacrosse at university I'm not quite up to scratch with non-uni lacrosse etiquette, ‘politics’, etc., etc so have a few questions:

1. Anybody know who I should be talking to at the Welsh Lacrosse Association about this?
2. Is this the kind of thing NGB's are likely to help me with, or am I barking up the wrong tree? Are coaches, who are aware some of their players are looking at university, likely to mention or encourage players to look at universities which recognise their placing experience and who aim to help them continue it alongside studies?
3. Should I be approaching individual clubs instead of NGBs?
4. Where do teams such as the English Knights fit in to the ELA elite pathway, if at all? Do Wales, Scotland and Ireland have equivalent teams?
5. I'm aware (I think) that a tournament takes place at Timperley LC for at a men’s u19 level, is there anything similar for women’s lacrosse? What about for a younger age range or would you find 16 and 17 year olds playing in the team? Who organises that, the ELA or Timperley?

I won't hind the fact that the motivation behind this is to attract experienced players to come and play at NTU, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Obviously I'm bias but if you can do the course you want to study at one of 3 universities and 1 of those offers you the opportunity to continue playing your sport at a high level (in and outside university) I’d have though that could only be a good thing for the players concerned and lacrosse as a sport?

Any help, ideas, thoughts anyone could offer would be very much appreciated.

Phil

[Rotisserie]

http://www.lacrossethepond.com/ is a good start if you're happy to take non-UK based players.

[Phil]

http://www.lacrossethepond.com/ is a good start if you're happy to take non-UK based players.

It's something I have raised with our University SDO but haven't heard anything back on. The type of scholarship this would likely to be would be free strength and conditioning, nutrition, psychology, physiotherapy, gym membership, access to the High Performance Centre and some money toward equipment rather than free spaces or discounts on academic courses though.

I would imagine if it becomes established there would be an effort to make it like some existing scholarships (such as Rugby, Hockey & Rowing) where there is a link with the local team/club in which the student plays for them in return for coaching and/or other benefits from said club.

Phil

[UKLacrosse]

Phil,
we may not be the right people to advise on this but here goes ....

1. Women's game .... there is a well-defined 'elite pathway' which is Centex, and has been established for quite a few years. This is delivered by an outside organisation, but is overseen by the NGB, the English Lacrosse Association. Centex is nation-wide an takes players from around 13 years-old right through to England U19 level.

2. Men's game .... slowly the NGB is trying to replicate the Centex model within the men's game, and has established an Academy covering two age groups. these are run under the direction of the Elite Performance Director, of the English Lacrosse Association.

The English Knights is a touring team established by Scott Weddell, independent from the NGB, but does involve a trial/ training/ selection process. Scott is on here under Wacs10.

The U19's competition which takes place at Timperley is a club-based tournament comprising teams for the NEMLA-based clubs.

[Zanzi93]

<I won't hind the fact that the motivation behind this is to attract experienced players to come and play at NTU,>

just to let you know that Joe d**k is planning on attending NTU in the upcoming academic year. He was one of the defenders on the England u19 team

[Phil]

Phil,
we may not be the right people to advise on this but here goes ....

1. Women's game .... there is a well-defined 'elite pathway' which is Centex, and has been established for quite a few years. This is delivered by an outside organisation, but is overseen by the NGB, the English Lacrosse Association. Centex is nation-wide an takes players from around 13 years-old right through to England U19 level.

2. Men's game .... slowly the NGB is trying to replicate the Centex model within the men's game, and has established an Academy covering two age groups. these are run under the direction of the Elite Performance Director, of the English Lacrosse Association.

The English Knights is a touring team established by Scott Weddell, independent from the NGB, but does involve a trial/ training/ selection process. Scott is on here under Wacs10.

The U19's competition which takes place at Timperley is a club-based tournament comprising teams for the NEMLA-based clubs.

Thanks very much for the info. I emailed David Elwood yesterday and have had the heads up to email the Education & Skills Officer at the ELA too so that should, hopefully, cover off points 1 and 2. I'll send Scott a message and see if he is interested, hopefully he will be.

Any idea who heads up the competition over at Timperley?

<I won't hind the fact that the motivation behind this is to attract experienced players to come and play at NTU,>

just to let you know that Joe d**k is planning on attending NTU in the upcoming academic year. He was one of the defenders on the England u19 team

Good to hear. I'll keep my fingers crossed for his A-level results this coming this coming Thursday!
I'm not sure if anyone here knows him but if anyone does, and he gets the results he needs, he would be more than welcome to attend our Pre-Season, as would anybody else coming to NTU for 2012/13.

Phil