Going for Gold
MBYLL & The Gold Stick Standard
By Sebastian Gates
In early 2015, after three years of discussion, development, testing, and verification, US Lacrosse (the national governing body of the sport) affirmed twenty youth lacrosse leagues and organizations as having met the "Gold Stick Standards" of Excellence. Of these twenty recognized organizations proudly stands Mass Bay Youth Lacrosse League (MBYLL).
The Gold Stick Standards are simply a "benchmark set of operational standards and best practices," according to US Lacrosse, "that when adopted in their entirety, put in place league elements that provide the safest and most positive player experience."
US Lacrosse has created a checklist of sorts, using seven pillars of league administration to determine how each youth lacrosse league in the nation is meeting the designated criteria to provide the ideal playing environment for their athletes. The progression is rigorous and comprehensive and involves a lengthy application process. US Lacrosse has gone to great lengths to distinguish which organizations have gone to their own great lengths in the shaping of their league.
But what was the guiding force behind setting such standards and why are they important to US Lacrosse? According to Josh Christian, Senior Director of Sport Development for US Lacrosse, it is the game's rapid growth rate which has impelled the organization to establish a framework:
"The pace at which lacrosse is growing across the country has created a wide array of very diverse and inconsistent playing experiences," explains Christian. "This has necessitated the need for a set of standards to provide benchmarked expectations for safe, positive, and well-managed youth lacrosse programs."
There is no denying that the herculean growth of lacrosse in the United States over the past decade has had a tremendous impact on town programs, high schools, colleges, and even the national governing body. But to Christian's point, if the game is growing faster than manageable, there is a serious concern that the playing experience can deteriorate.
That's where the Gold Stick Standards come in to play. And it's US Lacrosse's hope and expectation that youth leagues all over the country—whether brand new or celebrating decades of milestones—will strive to mold their operations around what the game's experts are deeming the "benchmarks."
There are seven criteria that a youth program must meet in order to become officially affirmed by US Lacrosse. Each criterion was developed by different specialists who all have a hand in verifying that applicants have thoroughly met their rigid expectations. Once a league has demonstrated that all standards have been met, US Lacrosse bestows upon them this distinguished honor with an affirmation. And a gold stick. Literally.
MBYLL was one of the first leagues in the country to apply for the Gold Stick Standards seal of approval. The Board of Directors, led by president Tom Spangenberg, compiled material produced and published by the league annually in an effort to demonstrate how its practices align with the standards being set nationally.
Using language and figures taken directly from the MBYLL Leaders' Guide, PreGame Checklists, Parent & Player Guides, and mission statement, and citing its goals, history, coaching education curriculum, and partnerships with Trilogy Lacrosse and the Eastern Massachusetts Lacrosse Officials Association (EMLOA) as testimony to its overall commitment to the sport, Spangenberg and company opened their proverbial door to inspection, examination, and ultimately substantiation.
"It's about sharing best practices and continuous improvement," says Spangenberg. "Whether we're recognized is less relevant in my opinion. It's what we can learn and how we can improve the experience for all Mass Bay Youth Lacrosse members."
MBYLL and US Lacrosse have had a prosperous working relationship over the past decade. Kevin McDonald, president of the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of US Lacrosse, also serves as the league's Vice President of Sport Development. As one of the largest member organizations within US Lacrosse, many of MBYLL's leaders have played an integral role in a number of US Lacrosse's initiatives and have made presentations at US Lacrosse events, including the National Convention.
"MBYLL is looked to [by US Lacrosse] as a leader in providing ideas, best practices, standards, and input," said Christian. "Based on this relationship, US Lacrosse frequently uses MBYLL to pilot programs and services that provide enhancements to
28 The Scoop / Spring '15