If you are new to the world of girl’s youth lacrosse on Long Island, you may be wondering what is PAL lacrosse and what is travel lacrosse. This is definitely a question many new parents and players have. We wanted to help answer some of your questions and help you learn all about the various lacrosse options you have. Long Island is a great place for youth lacrosse and there are a lot of ways you can play. Let’s dive in!
What is PAL lacrosse?
Police Activity League (PAL) operates in both Nassau and Suffolk County. It is the largest lacrosse league on Long Island and helps to organize both tournaments and games for thousands of lacrosse players.
Towns and villages can register to have their own division within the PAL league. Athletes typically sign up with their hometown team to play within the PAL league. Games are organized by the overall PAL lacrosse league. The town teams compete against each other based on the strength of the team and the town location.
Anyone can sign up for PAL lacrosse. The idea behind the league is to offer fair play, promote sportsmanship and encourage positive athletic competition.
Coaches in the PAL league are all volunteers. Coaches are expected to uphold the PAL code of conduct and teach the players how to play lacrosse at a beginner to advanced level. Coaches are free to train their teams within the guidelines of the league.
PAL Lacrosse begins for girls at the Kindergarten level and continues on through 12th grade. The teams are ranked within the PAL league each season, playing against other surrounding town teams to be the best!
What is Travel Lacrosse On Long Island?
Travel lacrosse clubs on Long Island are very popular. They are a fantastic way to play youth lacrosse at a more advanced level. Players need to find a travel lacrosse team they would like to join and then tryout to be part of the team. Once they make the team, they will need to pay annual membership fees which will vary team by team.
Travel lacrosse teams on Long Island travel all over the country to compete in girls youth lacrosse tournaments. There are several tournaments on Long Island each year but many tournaments are also held in New Jersey, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and other surrounding states. Club lacrosse teams may even travel to Florida or Texas to play tournaments.
Club lacrosse teams on Long Island typically have paid coaches. These coaches need to be hired by the club teams and are screened for coaching ability and qualifications. If you play on a travel lacrosse team in Long Island, you know you will be getting a fantastic coach!
Travel lacrosse can be quite expensive. Not only do you need to pay membership fees to be part of the team, you also need to pay for each tournament as well as all travel costs that are incurred. Expect to spend around $2000 to $4000 per year, per child when you join a Long Island travel lacrosse team.
However, you do get what you pay for. You will be getting a higher level of training when compared to PAL and a higher level of play. Youth travel lacrosse teams will practice multiple times per week and learn more advanced skills. Long Island club lacrosse teams are definitely for the most serious, committed youth lacrosse players.
PAL Vs. Travel Lacrosse
Just to recap, we wanted to give you a quick, run down of the differences between travel lacrosse and PAL lacrosse.
| PAL | Travel Club Teams | |
| Cost | About $0-$300 per year | About $2000 to $4000 per year |
| Coaches | Volunteers | Paid Coaches |
| Practices | Variable but about 1-2 per week | Variable but about 2 per week |
| Game Locations | On Long Island | On Long Island and travel tournaments outside of Long Island as well. |
| Games per Year | About 13 games per season plus possible championship game | 3-5 tournaments per year based team, grade level and club involvement. |
| Practice Locations | Within your town | Varies based on club- See our map |
FAQs
Still have questions about PAL youth lacrosse on Long Island and club lacrosse on Long Island? Hopefully we can answer some of the most frequently asked questions here. If you still have a question, please feel free to contact us! We will try to answer ASAP
Who are the best travel lacrosse teams on Long Island?
There are so many amazing travel lacrosse teams on Long Island. Some of the more popular girls travel lacrosse teams include:
- Long Island Jesters Lacrosse
- Top Guns
- Legacy Lacrosse
- Team 91
- Yellow Jackets
- Shore to Shore
- Express North Lacrosse
There are even more than that! Every year, more travel teams are popping up on Long Island and girls are getting better and better! Check our team pages to keep up with the best girls youth lacrosse Long Island travel teams.
What does PAL lacrosse mean?
PAL stands for the Police Athletic League. This is an organization in many police departments across the US where police force members help coach youth sports. Many PAL programs often call themselves the Police Activities League as the league has grown to include more than just sports. No matter the name, the organization works to help facilitate and aid local teams to play against each other in a positive but competitive way. Almost every town on Long Island has a PAL lacrosse team thanks to the popularity of the sport within this area.
Can you play on a PAL lacrosse team and a club lacrosse team at the same time?
Yes! There are no specific rules that would ban players form participating on a PAL team and a youth travel lacrosse team. Specific club teams may have their own rules that discourage players from participating on multiple youth lacrosse teams but it is typically geared toward players from joining more than one club team.
Just keep in mind when considering joining multiple girls youth lacrosse teams that you will need to keep up with practices and game schedules.
Do PAL lacrosse teams play against club lacrosse teams?
Pal teams usually only play other PAL teams for regularly scheduled games. PAL teams are allowed to sign up for any lacrosse tournaments help in Long Island so a travel team may compete against a local PAL team at that time.
What age does lacrosse start on Long Island?
PAL teams can form as early as kindergarten. Youth travel lacrosse teams typically begin at 2nd and 3rd grade.
How do I join a travel lacrosse team on Long Island?
To join a youth club lacrosse team on Long Island, you will need to try out and be accepted on the team. Team tryouts are usually held in the summer or early fall. Supplemental tryouts may take place in the winter or spring. Each team will have their own schedule and rules. Reach out to the director of the travel lacrosse teams you are interested in joining to see when tryouts will be held.
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