WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP !

Volunteering your time is the single most important contribution that parents, relatives and friends can make in support of the Marshall Statesmen lacrosse team. Much of what happens at the lacrosse games (and virtually everything on this website) simply wouldn't happen at all without the efforts of many volunteers. If you're willing (even if you're not willing, but can be cajoled) to contribute your time, please consider these key activities at the games, helping the website, and the many LAX Boosters Club fundraising activities.

HERE'S WHAT WE NEED IN 2009

In order to have a successful lacrosse season at any level it is imperative that we have parent volunteers for the many behind-the-scene activities that are required to run a program. We want the coaches to focus entirely on teaching and instructing our children so they can have a successful season, so we need to relieve them of the paper work and other activities that can cause distractions. We are also looking for new ideas that will make this season fun and enjoyable for both the players and their families. If you look at the schedule on the web site you'll see that we have three Friday night games this year, one of them at home, which allows some good tailgating opportunities among other things.

With that in mind, I would like to invite all Marshall Men's Lax Parents to an organizational meeting this Sunday, Feb 22, at 4:00 pm at my house to discuss required tasks and brainstorm some new ideas that will make the season fun for all. Speaking of Fun, Fundraising is also a big need for this team and is the only way to assure us that our players have new equipment when needed. Below are some identified needs and other topics for discussion:

Game Day Volunteers Needed, Varsity & JV Home Games: Herndon (scrim), Langley, Edison, South Lakes, W&L, McLean

• Scorer's Table
• Clock
• Scoreboard
• Announcing
• Gate
• Snack-bar
• Filming
• Photography
• Communications
• Statistics/ Record keeping

Other Fun Items to be Organized

• Pre-game activities: Tail-gates, Learn the Rules Night, ? ? Night
• Day of Rivals games in B'more, April 11 (Army vs Navy, Hopkins vs Maryland); we've got tickets!
• Senior Night (possibly 16-17 this year!)
• End of season party
• Fundraising
• Programs
• Local College Game trips
• JV post game meals; Varsity pre-game meals?
• Study Hall!!

As you can see there is plenty to talk about. Some parents who have done these things in the past have already volunteered to do them again this year, but we need new parents, especially freshmen and sophomore parents, to shadow the old-timers so you can take over next year. If we are losing 16-17 seniors at the end of the year we lose our volunteer base also. So we'll need you to step up.

If you can't volunteer but want to come and learn about the team activities that's OK too. If everyone brings one idea or suggestion and we (mostly) fill the volunteer sheets we should be done by 5:15.

Doug Gehley: dgehley@cox.net

WEBSITE

Most of these tasks are associated with reports and photos from individual games:

• GAME RESULTS - I always need the latest scores. Call me at home with the score as soon as the game is over! EVEN IF IT'S LATE! (Calls are fine up to 11:30 PM--honest!) Or send it to me by e-mail. In fact, if you went to the game and you're reading this website now and wondering why the scores aren't up--send me a note! I'd love to hear from you. It's EASY!
• NEWZ & NOTES - The most popular part of a site like this can be the news--the little administrative tidbits for the players and their parents! You know: practice will be a half hour late; the game is a half-hour early; the game has been switched from Away to Home; remember the permission form; remember the fundraiser; whatever. At the end of every practice, at the end of every game, someone closes up with "Don't forget that next week you need to <something or other>" It would really help a lot of some parent would take the job to nag their returning Statesman after every lacrosse event and ask, "So were there any last-minute reminders?" Call me. E-mail me. Send me the Newz! :-)
• GAME WRITEUPS - We don't need a detailed play-by-play story. Just a couple of sentences that maybe point out the trends in the game, or a place where the momentum changed, or an especially important play. Send me what you remember, and I can build the story if you prefer. E-mail is perfect. Whatever you can... please, please and MORE please :-)
• GAME PICTURES - If anyone takes a digital camera to a game--JV or Varsity, or even a practice--please, please PLEASE send me what you get. Don't worry about it not being a "good" picture. Don't worry if it's not "just right." Don't worry if it's too dark or too bright. (Cropping and editing can work wonders ... but ONLY if you send it to me! :-)
  Here's the hidden benefit ... if you're the only one who sends me pictures, and your son happens to be in all of them, guess whose pictures are gonna be on the website! (Work this system--send me your pictures! :-)
• WEBMASTER - Ideally, this should be done by two people. That way, the site is more likely to get updated on time even when one of you is away on travel for some reason or other. Also, you'd have someone to collaborate with when you've got problems and questions. The cool thing is that you get to be View From The Stands. And all e-mail sent to webmaster@marshalllacrosse.org gets automagically delivered to your own personal e-mail address!