Elite local lacrosse schools like West Islip and Ward Melville don’t have a hidden secret for their perennial success. It’s simple and the answer is in the youth programs in each community.
Sachem North head lacrosse coach Jay Mauro has identified this trend in the exposure of lacrosse for children and with the help of some other dedicated educators, parents and lacrosse enthusiasts, has created the Sachem North Youth Lacrosse Program.
With the help of program director, Terrence Dee, the Sachem North Youth Lacrosse Program has been a major success during its infancy with 180 Sachem kids participating.
The Sachem North lacrosse staff has made a full commitment to the development of its young players and all teams are coached by a certified Sachem North lacrosse coach from the high school program, alongside Sachem alumni. The level of coaching is second to none for players at such a young age.
Sachem North is a regular contender in the Suffolk County boys lacrosse playoffs and regularly graduates dozens of student-athletes who eventually play college lacrosse and represent the community on the next level, but as Mauro and his staff will tell you, there is more work needed to compete for and win championships on a consistent basis.
The summer landscape of the lacrosse community has evolved to include club tournament teams consisting of players from different communities. Mauro had the idea of building a youth program consisting of club teams ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade designed to focus on Sachem kids only. The goal being to provide them with the best coaching, facilities and, above else, the best lacrosse experience possible, all while instilling the culture of the Sachem lacrosse brand.
“Very few towns have been able to achieve the level of involvement and commitment necessary to pull off such a major undertaking,” said Mauro.
This summer the young student-athletes will participate in a number of tournaments, including Battle of the Bay (Oyster Bay), King of the Hill (Dix Hills), Sachem North Invitational, Summer Sunset (Oyster Bay) and Greenport Shootout (Greenport).
“My son’s second grade team was playing in a tournament and Coach Mauro and his varsity staff watched the entire game from the sideline while cheering the team on,” said Dave Caputo, a Sachem alum, parent, coach and teacher. “It is apparent that the Sachem North lacrosse staff is committed to building a relationship with their players at the grass roots level. They know the kids by name and the kids are buying into the program.”
