different, particular needs for particular towns that can be hard to work out. For instance, there are bigger towns that are more developed and seek better competition. In Somerville, a town that has just joined MBYLL, they have more basic needs. “They’re just starting out and need help getting sticks and helmets and balls and just getting playing space and organizing themselves, and we’ll give them help with that,” says Dalton. These directors must understand the game and the development of the game so they can help the towns in the ways they need to be helped.
Every region is unique with its own set of attributes and areas to be worked on. In the West Central region, LaPosta describes having different struggles than other regions that might
be more complicated. There are a lot of newer programs coming into this region, which is exactly what he wants to see, but this brings new dilemmas. LaPosta says that in his region, “the caliber of lacrosse is less competitive than other regions.” He feels good about this, however, since sometimes experienced teams can get too competitive and they’re not trying to be the most competitive sports program there is. In the growing West Central region “it’s great to see more teams and towns and players coming on board,” says LaPosta.
In the Northeast region, Swenson observes that there are sometimes internal struggles in specific towns themselves. He says this can come from personalities clashing and sometimes people have a hard time distinguishing what’s good for the sport, and will instead push their own agendas, which can harm the growth of the sport.
Dalton of the Northwest region feels fortunate to be in the region he is in. A few years ago—before he assumed the role of regional director—there “was not a lot of common view and purpose,” he recalls. He believes he came into his region “like a softball” since it’s such a calm region that is organized and works well as a whole. This motivates Dalton to work hard because he has seen it not run well and wants to maintain the level of communication and efficiency he feels it has achieved.
In the South Central region, Coleman says “[all regions] are kind of doing the same thing, pretty much.” Everyone is trying to work on the same issues. One difference Coleman has observed is that some regions might stick to the classic league’s typical eight game Sunday schedule, but in the South Central they add in midweek games. This means some teams could end up with 12 games a season instead. The midweek games are coordinated through the coaches and teams themselves and are optional, but a great opportunity for more game time play.
Coleman thinks that everyone is trying to get information out, get feedback for their representatives, and work with anything that comes up. This definitely summarizes the roles of the regional directors well and proves that they are communication liaisons.
But they certainly do more than that. Each director has a different approach to running their region. Some don’t feel they have an approach, but it’s evident they do through their discourse about the region they oversee.
LaPosta has extensive experience in his hometown program of Wachusett as well as over ten years working with MBYLL, so he tried to bring his experience and his wisdom about the sport to the meetings. With the growing region, they’ve been reaching out to get more kids involved. There have been instances where kids from certain areas are looking for places to play that may not have a program, so LaPosta works hard to make sure all the kids who want to play have a place to play. He says his “primary objective is to get as many kids playing as possible and to encourage other towns to do the same.”
Coleman takes a more information-oriented approach with his region. His goal is to make sure everyone has the information they need and for that reason, he holds more meetings than some other regions but feels it is better to
12 The Scoop / Winter '16
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