Eligible families who have one parent who stays at home or works, volunteers or attends school less than 20 hours per week may qualify for a subsidy of up to $1,200 per year for each pre-school-aged child who attends a licensed pre-school or an approved early childhood development program.

For more information please visit the Government of Alberta, Children and Youth Services

• Inform yourself. Make sure before you talk to a school that you have learned all you can about it–this includes the school as well as its program.

• Educate yourself, do your homework. Ask older friends, check out written publications or use the Internet to find schools that offer lacrosse and a college experience that interests you.

• Make sure lacrosse is a high priority in choosing a school, but not the only priority. Look thoroughly at the school including its academic majors, location, tuition costs, student body and other aspects that differentiate one school from another. Not all schools offer athletic scholarships and not all schools offer political science as a major.

• Most importantly, imagine yourself playing lacrosse at that school and imagine (cross your fingers) that you were hurt and could no longer play–would you still be happy there?

• When possible, visit the schools that you are interested in. You don’t need to be on an official visit to talk to the coach, take the campus tour or speak to admissions officers. If you happen to be on campus check with the coach to see if you can set up a chance to meet or to watch practice. Take that opportunity to see the athletic facilities, walk around town and meet students and athletes that go to that school.

• Put together a record of your playing history and achievements. Include in this athletic, academic and any extracurricular achievements you have reached in high school. This may be a coach’s first impression of you as an athlete and a person so make sure to highlight your accomplishments and don’t be afraid to sell yourself.

• Send coaches schedules of your high school games, summer camps you will be attending, summer leagues or showcase and recruiting events you will be attending. Give the schools you are interested in every opportunity to see you play and evaluate you as a potential member of their team. Make sure when sending this information that you do so far enough in advance so that your games can be easily worked into their busy schedule.

• If possible, create a video of yourself during your 11th grade year to send to coaches who cannot come to see you play.

• You are your best salesmen – help yourself. Write, e-mail or call coaches. Take an active role in your own recruiting process early in grade 11 by initiating contact with the schools you are interested in. Write to the coaches of programs on your list and tell them of your interest and request any forms that they may have for potential players. While you may be the best player in your league or the star of your high school, don’t expect every coach to know that already. Don’t sit back and wait for coaches to contact you or you may miss your opportunity.

• Be honest when meeting potential coaches about your interest in their school and their team. By the same token, expect that same honesty from the coaches you meet. It is to your advantage that these coaches are honest with you about where you will fit into their program as well as their college.

• When looking for the perfect college and the perfect program it is important to take many factors into consideration. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself as a player and as an asset to both the school and the team. Before you evaluate potential colleges, however, it is also important to do some self -evaluation. Division I, Division II or Division III? Does the level of the program matter to you? Remember that there are some very important differences between the three divisions.
  • Do you want to play more than one sport?
  • Do you want to try for a scholarship?
  • Does the competitiveness of the program matter? How about the competitiveness of the league or division?
  • Do you want a proven program or are you willing to help a young program grow?
  • What type of player are you? Be Honest.
  • Can you be happy sitting on the bench or bidding your time until you have earned a starting position?
  • What type of coach and environment do you respond to and can you adapt?
  • If you have to play behind one or two players who are already established at your position will you still be able to work as hard and enjoy the experience?
  • Can you put in the time commitment and the effort that some programs require in season as well as out of season?

Confused? Worried? Don’t know what to do?
Here are answers to those burning questions you’ve been dying to ask:

Q: How involved should my parents be in the process?
A: Your parents can be a valuable resource for you during this process. It is perfectly acceptable for your parents to attend meetings with coaches if they are on campus with you and you feel comfortable being yourself with them in the room. As proofreaders, spellcheckers, video documenters and honest critics, your parents can offer help and perspective that you may lack. That being said, remember that you are the one going to college so it must be your decision, uninfluenced by parents even with the best of intentions. If you do choose to include your parents in meetings with potential coaches make sure that you are the one in control, make sure to talk for yourself. If your parents want to take an active role in your college recruiting process use them as sounding boards for your thoughts and for advice for your questions. It should be you, however, that writes your own letters and e-mails and it should be you that takes the initiative to speak to coaches and creates your playing resume. By taking control in this process you show responsibility for your playing future and prove to coaches that you are serious about your potential.

Q: Should I edit the video of myself so that it shows only my perfect play?
A: Absolutely not! While editing your friends laughing at you in the background may be a good idea, don’t edit out all of your mistakes from this video. Almost as important as how well you play is how well you react and recover from your mistakes. Remember no player is perfect.

Q: When I’m writing to coaches and filling out forms how should I list my years of playing experience?
A: It’s very helpful for coaches to know what level you have played at throughout you career. You should separate your years of playing into league/division as well as including if you were a starter or a substitute off the bench.

Q: When is the best time to contact the schools and the coaches that I am interested in?
A: Early in grade 11 you should begin thinking about the process if you have not already started. Remember, your grade 11 season may be the only time a coach can see you play so by the time your season starts you should already have sent your schedule out and created a video of your skills.

Additional Resources:

• NAIA and NCAA Lacrosse Scholarships
  http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/lacrosse.htm

• NCAA Men’s Lacrosse
  http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-lacros/ncaa-m-lacros-body.html

• NCAA Women’s Lacrosse
  http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-lacros/ncaa-w-lacros-body.html

Camps and other Resources:

• Adrenaline Lacrosse
  http://www.adrenalinelacrosse.com/2009/index.php

Do you need financial assistance for sport registration fees and equipment costs?

It is the goal of KidSport Calgary to provide positive sport opportunities to children and families that are in need or in low-income situations. KidSport Calgary strives to overcome the financial obstacles that prevent some young people from experiencing the positive impact of sport. Giving young people the opportunity to choose the sport that has the most value to them allows KidSport Calgary to promote a greater sense of belonging, personal involvement and improved self esteem.

How to Apply:

Application forms are available on-line (www.kidsportcalgary.ca), can be mailed or faxed to applicants from the KidSport Calgary office or picked up at any Calgary Co-Op location. Sport clubs may also have the application form readily available for their registrants.

Steps to complete the application:

• The applicant is responsible for filling out the athlete and sponsor information in sections one and two on the Calgary application.

• Section three and four of the application should be completed and signed by an appropriate member of the sport club. This includes confirmation of insurance from the sport club, and lists funding requirements for registration fees and equipment. Please ensure that the club name listed is the group’s legal name, as KidSport Calgary will be issuing cheques to the club name listed on the form.

• In section five of the form, applicants need to indicate how many people are living in the household (both children and adults) and submit verification of their financial limitations. Applicants are also encouraged to write a short note relating to why their application should be considered for funding.

• KidSport Calgary requires a minimum of TWO financial documents from EACH working adult in the household. This should include both government documentation and current proof of income (see below).

The following is a listing of appropriate documents that applicants can submit (please select one from each section):

A) Current proof of family income:

• Three consecutive pay stubs
• Support for Independence (SFI) or Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) stubs
• Workers Compensation Board (WCB) or Employment Insurance (EI) documentation
• Calgary Housing Documents
• Student Loan Documents

B) Government documentation:

• Alberta Child Health Benefit Card, accompanied by a letter that confirms length of coverage
• Canada Child Tax Benefit Notice
• Notice of Assessment from most recent tax year (for all adults living in the household)
• A letter from Alberta Health Care

Other Information:

• The parent or guardian must sign the release of liability and indemnification in section eight of the application form to be considered eligible for funding.

• Once the application is completely filled out, and the appropriate financial documentation is attached, the form can be submitted via mail or fax to the KidSport Calgary office.

• It is always good practice to phone the KidSport Calgary office at (403) 202 – 0251 to confirm receipt of any faxed application. KidSport is not responsible for applications that did not transmit properly (or at all).

For more information please contact:

KidSport Calgary – Fund Distribution Committee
Ph: (403) 202-0251
Email: apply at kidsportcalgary.ca

Mailing address:
KidSport Society of Calgary
PO Box 61190 Kensington RPO
Calgary, AB
T2N 3P9