Frequently Asked Questions
What is ULTIMATE Lacrosse?
ULTIMATE Lacrosse is a competitive travel program that boasts several locations including the areas of Princeton, NJ (NJ), Philadelphia, PA (PA), Chester Count, PA (CC), Chapel Hill/Raleigh, NC (NC), and Charlotte, NC (CLT) . We offer a year - round program for grades K - HS (11th grade). Our club has been recognized as a top Program in the country given the competitiveness of our players and teams. We accomplish this through a relentless focus on player development.
What is ULTIMATE’s mission statement?
Our #ultimategoal is to develop highly competent and confident girls on and off the lacrosse field. Our priority is to provide our players with strong role models and character-building team sport experiences. The positive impact that sports have on the lives of young women instills lessons that will last a lifetime, paving the way for the next generation of great lacrosse players and people.
Be a great person. Be a great teammate. BE ULTIMATE.
WHAT are ULTIMATE’s values?
Our values are Culture, Community, Character, Compete, and Confidence.
CULTURE: We want our players and families to be part of a club that has an inclusive and enjoyable atmosphere. Yes, we can be ultra-competitive while still having fun, showing respect for all, and doing the right thing. Culture is “Queen”!
COMMUNITY: You get to pick your community in life, and we want to give you every reason to pick ULTIMATE. We are a club that aims to always support each other.
CHARACTER: We provide our players opportunities to grow and develop into great people.
COMPETE: Our players work hard and bring their best to practice. We encourage our players to go full speed in practice to be game ready, and this allows us to be competitive in every game we play!
CONFIDENCE: We teach our players to believe in themselves and try. This is the definition of confidence. Our players are comfortable trying new things, working through failure, and ultimately finding success.
Where is ULTIMATE located?
Please check our regional pages for specific practice and training location information.
How long is the season at ULTIMATE?
The ULTIMATE season runs for a full year and we ask families to acknowledge this at the start of the year. The season specifically runs from September through early/mid-July. We take the month of August off and we encourage our players and families to do the same. We put our sticks away and spend time with family and friends! You can find us at the beach or the pool!
Do we need to tryout again halfway through the season?
Players only tryout once in July and commit to the full year season. Rosters are finalized after tryouts. Players do not need to tryout again and are expected to participate for the full year. If needed, we will work out specific players for open roster spots and add them midway through the season.
What does the full schedule look like for the year?
Our players participate in a comprehensive year-round program that includes practice, training, and tournaments.
FALL (September - November)
In the fall, all teams practice once on the weekend in September and October. Sometimes in early November depending on the tournament schedule. Teams should expect to practice 8 times. Practice start times depend on field availability.
Teams will also train once a week at 4SQUARE Training. 4SQUARE is a comprehensive training first pioneered by our program, that focuses on four key areas: [Stick + Strategy] and [Strength + Speed]. Players will spend 45 minutes at [Stick + Strategy] with an ULTIMATE coach and 45 minutes at [Strength + Speed] with a professional trainer.
The training runs for 8 weeks in the Fall for all teams. Youth teams will train during the week and high school teams will train on the weekend.
Our teams participate in tournaments during the Fall weekends. All teams participate in 3 tournaments. Tournaments are in mid to late October or early November.
WINTER (December - February)
All teams will once again participate in 4SQUARE Training in the winter. The training runs for 6 weeks.
Our players can also participate in location specific winter leagues, clinics, etc. These are optional and we understand that we have multi-sport athletes.
SPRING (March - May)
Depending on the location, most players will be participating in recreational (local) lacrosse. Some teams may have the opportunity to participate in the NGLL. Your Directors will evaluate opportunities and we will add them to the schedule if they work for our families and provide opportunities to develop our players.
High school players are participating in their school seasons!
SUMMER (June - mid-July)
In the summer, our teams practice twice a week beginning early June through the middle of July. Practices are on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. Practices generally start at 6:00PM or later.
Our teams participate in tournaments during the summer weekends. Typically, this includes the second, third and fourth weekend in June and the second or third weekend in July. All teams participate in 4 tournaments.
Our season officially ends by the second or third week of July and tryouts will most likely be immediately after.
How does ULTIMATE choose what tournaments and brackets to participate in?
ULTIMATE competes in the most competitive tournaments in the country. We want our players to be challenged and face tough competition to be pushed to new heights. We participate in tournaments such as PRIME Time Young Guns, Chesapeake Invitational, Mid Atlantic Showcase and Championships, President’s Cup, Level 9, Live Love Lax, Lax for the Cure, etc.
Where are the practices held?
Please check your specific regional pages for this information.
How many practices will teams have each season?
Teams will have 8 practices in the fall and 12 practices in the summer.
*Please see “What does the practice and training schedule look like for the year?” for more information on the full yearly schedule.
How many training sessions will teams have each season?
All teams will have 8 training sessions in the fall and 6 training sessions in the winter.
*Please see “What does the practice and training schedule look like for the year?” for more information on the full yearly schedule.
Does ULTIMATE support multi-sport athletes?
ABSOLUTELY! ULTIMATE has players who also play soccer, basketball, competitive dance, field hockey, etc.
We simply ask that you communicate these conflicts in advance to your coaches and work with us on your schedule. If a player’s attendance starts to become an issue, we will simply talk to you about it and work to come up with a solution.
Is playing time equal at ULTIMATE?
ULTIMATE is a competitive travel program and playing time is not equal. Because we are a competitive program and focus on developing our players, playing time is typically not an issue. However, it is dependent on game situations as well as the time and effort that players are putting in outside of practice.
What do the different team colors mean?
At ULTIMATE, BLUE teams are our A teams. WHITE are our B teams.
Can players move up from BLUE to WHITE? Do players move down from WHITE to BLUE?
We have players move up and down levels every year. Some players develop at different times and it will also depend on how much work a player puts in outside of practice. We will move a player up mid-year if it is earned and deserved. We will not move a player down mid-year, however, the player may be given less playing time and offered to play additional time on the WHITE team.
Does ULTIMATE care about WHITE (B) players? Do they get the same programming as BLUE?
Yes, and yes. Our WHITE players are very talented and oftentimes some could play up at the BLUE level, but we have to cap our rosters at a certain amount. Our program for BLUE and WHITE looks exactly the same. Both teams have great coaches and have the same number of practices and training.
In many instances, our WHITE teams are more competitive than other local A teams. They also compete in more competitive tournaments and brackets.
When is payment due for the program?
Payment is due by way of a deposit and then installment payments. The first payment is due on acceptance of your roster spot. The remaining payments will run automatically every month until the balance is paid. The full payment for the year will be due by March 1.
Payments are automatically withdrawn from your account through TeamSnap. We do not accept checks. All payments must be made through TeamSnap.
Do you offer multiple family discounts?
We do not offer multiple family discounts.
Do you offer scholarships?
Scholarships are offered on a need’s basis. We do not want a player to not play with us due to financial hardship. Please reach out to the Executive Director to discuss your needs.
Do you offer different payment plans?
We are here to help. If you need a different payment plan, please reach out to the Executive Director to discuss your needs.
Do you offer refunds?
We do not offer refunds, and this is standard practice in the industry. Tournaments are booked 6 to 12 months in advance, and we work off a fixed budget. If a player withdraws from a program, we will not provide a refund. If a player becomes injured and is unable to compete, we will credit half of the dues for the season she is out and put them towards the next season. If a player withdraws from the club at that time, the credit will be forfeited.