17 Feb 2022
Hello Axemen Families!
We are on the edge of a truly exciting time! After a 2 year hiatus, we are looking forward to a “normal” lacrosse season, including proper evaluations and team formation. The past two years have been extremely challenging for all of us, and this return to normal will be great!
With evaluations set to start on March 1 for the older groups, I would like to take this opportunity to remind our families of a few things as we prepare.
First, this year there will be no spectators allowed during evaluation sessions. This decision was made based on feedback we received last year from coaches, parents and many players. With COVID restrictions in place last year there were obviously no spectators. Evaluations are a stressful time for many, especially the players, and we all want the same thing, the players to enjoy themselves and be as relaxed as possible while they are being evaluated. Please respect this decision and don’t be the parent we have to ask to leave.
Also, please remember that everyone at Axemen working for your kids, is a volunteer. They have lives outside of lacrosse, just like you, and all the fun times and not fun times that comes with life. They are also human beings. This should go without saying but please remember to treat everyone with respect and use the Golden Rule. When you see them, or talk to them, say thanks for stepping up and volunteering!
Abuse of any type will not be tolerated and will be sent to our governance director for review.
Lastly, the evaluation process’s sole function is to group kids together of like skill in tiered divisions and to have skill balanced teams in the parity divisions. The evaluators are not Axemen parents, or coaches, they are adult and young adult lacrosse players. Most of them have played high-level competitive lacrosse their entire lives and are highly qualified to evaluate the relative skill-sets of young lacrosse players. They have no agendas, no favourites, and they receive no instructions other than to rank the kids on the floor each and every session. The players are only identified by the number on their pinnies, there are no names on the ranking sheets. You can and should feel quite comfortable that your child will be evaluated fairly and impartially.
The Club has a formal Grievance Policy for those wishing to challenge the evaluation process. This is the ONLY mechanism for parents to use if they strongly feel that their player has been misplaced. Please refer to our website for the link to the Grievance form. Evaluations/player placement in groupings will not be litigated over email between sessions. I encourage everyone interested to familiarize themselves with this Policy, which can be found on the Axemen website. Again, player placements will not be discussed over email between sessions.
As we all go into this Family Day weekend, I hope everyone gets a chance to do something enjoyable with their families and loved ones.
I look forward to seeing all your little (and no so little) savages on the floor in the weeks ahead!
Sean Ross
Evaluations Coordinator