From the BLA President’s Desk

July 19, 2024

BLA Families,

Earlier today, you may have received an email from MAYLA regarding the status of Brookfield Lacrosse’s affiliation with the organization. I wanted to provide some clarity on this communication and what it means for our club moving forward.

Background
MAYLA (Milwaukee Area Youth Lacrosse Association) is a local governing body for youth lacrosse. It is a voluntary decision to be a part of their conference which is a decision the BLA Board makes each year. The bylaws of MAYLA outline specific player boundaries which annexes players to specific lacrosse programs. This season, several players chose to play with Brookfield Lacrosse, for various personal reasons, which BLA supported. BLA would rather kids have the opportunity to play vs opting out of playing all together. This view is not in alignment with the MAYLA process which lead to a decision on their part to remove BLA’s eligibility from playing in their conference next season.

Simultaneously, during the July Board meeting, the BLA Board of Directors had a detailed discussion regarding the evolution of the organization and what our next steps are in order to continue to provide a quality lacrosse experience. During this meeting, the Board unanimously voted to not participate in MAYLA for the 2025 season and become an independent organization.

What does this mean?
The Board strongly feels that becoming an independent organization is the appropriate next step for the evolution of the club. This decision was made with careful consideration. Several benefits we will experience moving forward include more flexibility with game schedules, teams we play, and our ability to play in tournaments which may have conflicted with MAYLA’s interests. Additionally, we will have the ability to play weekday games to free up weekends for families, grow our program and sport, and provide more flexibility to meet the needs of our players. We are also excited to provide a “home club” for kids that may not have a team or are not benefiting from their current clubs. We have started to have conversations with other clubs regarding round robin games and have 5 the tentative agreements with various clubs.

What’s Next?
The 2025 season will be a breakthrough year for BLA. We have been working hard to develop partnerships with local lacrosse professionals in order to build player development opportunities. We are lining up coach development courses, along with parent education to help continue to grow this game. The Board is very excited about the plans we have outlined for the upcoming season. Even better, we are working on fall skills camps and more try-it events as we know there is an appetite in the community for this amazing sport. One thing we know though, is that the BLA community sets this program apart from other programs. Our parents and families are the backbone of the organization. The support and engagement we have experienced across the program is an energy that is unmatched. We are a community of dedicated and talented individuals that will work toward the collective goal of a high-quality experience for our children. The move that the Board made earlier this month is the first step in taking our club to the next level while still focusing on creating a growth environment.

On a personal note….
I am disappointed that the Board was not provided the opportunity to communicate our decision, and eventually MAYLA’s decision, to our families. We have been working on a communication plan in order to help answer questions pre-emptively however that was taken away from us. The 2025 season will be strong with more opportunities for play and development. We appreciate your support as we move through growing our organization and we look forward to a successful next chapter for BLA.

If you are interested in becoming involved and shaping the future of Brookfield Lacrosse, we welcome your engagement. Please get in contact with us. As usual, if you have questions, please contact a Board member.

More information will be coming out as we finalize details. Stay tuned for an exciting next season!

Tony
President
Brookfield Lacrosse Association