Tampa Bay Lacrosse Academy

Most Frequently asked questions….

What is Team Tampa and what are the benefits of playing on a showcase team?

Team Tampa is an organization dedicated to helping youth and high school lacrosse players achieve the next level of lacrosse, and to prepare high school athletes to play lacrosse in college. Team Tampa is for those athletes that want additional practice and play all year and for high school athletes that want to develop and play competitively in the off season.

The philosophy of Team Tampa is to provide a wide range of opportunities for all players to develop; to reach that goal we hire outstanding coaches, are committed to high level training and development, enter challenging regional and national tournaments, reward work ethic, sportsmanship and academic achievement, and above all have fun while learning!

Playing club lacrosse is essential for those high school lacrosse players serious about playing lacrosse in college. College coaches from every program in the country look at club lacrosse programs to recruit players. Team Tampa will provide exposure to college coaches at tournaments, skill development necessary to play at the college level and competition that will challenge and improve the athlete’s skill level.

Can players play for more than one club team?

Yes. Team Tampa coaches feel that when you make a commitment to play for this showcase team it should be to maximize your college recruiting goals. There are numerous other lacrosse events in Florida that do not emphasize college recruiting and skill development. If it is your choice to play for another program; have fun but make sure that conflicts should be minimized and remember the attendance requirements for Team Tampa.

Where are most of the Team Tampa players from?

Team Tampa is the first college recruiting showcase team from West Florida. Team Tampa attracts club players from the Tribe, Fire, Sandsharks, Lakewood Ranch and many different public, private and prep schools throughout West Florida.

What is the team’s practice and tournament commitment?

Team Tampa requires players to participate in all practices and attend all tournaments. We recognize that most of our athletes play several sports, are members of other lacrosse teams, participate in a myriad of extracurricular activities, are honor role students and have family commitments; those athletes that are committed and that can give one hundred percent in all that they do, will be chosen for the teams.

Team Tampa athletes that have been successful on their club, high school, and ultimately their college teams are those who have worked hard at every practice, scrimmage, and tournament and took advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

How many practices and tournaments are scheduled?

The U-19's will attend two recruiting based tournaments in the spring/summer of 2011, The King of the Hill and The Tri-State National Summer Lacrosse Festival. The U-17's will only attend the Tri-State National Summer Lacrosse Festival. The fall season will consist of eight to eleven practices and one tournament. There is also team training throughout the year. All practices include conditioning and running, but our expectation is that players are working out at home in addition to Team Tampa practice and play.

What does the Team Tampa team fee cover?

The fee for the U-19's is $700 and $350 for the U-17's. The Team Tampa team fee covers uniforms, all practices and field rental costs, coach’s salaries and coach’s travel expenses, and marketing, Internet and administrative costs.

Are the Tournament fees additional?

Tournament fees are not additional.

How many players for each graduation year are chosen?

There is no set number of players in each year of graduation. Players are chosen based on skill level and athleticism. The try out process is extremely difficult; our coaches come from many different backgrounds and have different selection criteria. We make every effort to give every candidate a fair evaluation, and feel that with multiple skill stations, small sided games, and full field game opportunities we allow all players an opportunity to demonstrate their skills. We encourage players to participate in as many try outs as possible, it will only help our evaluators to recognize your talent. Only one try out is required, but if legitimate conflicts arise and a player cannot make any of the scheduled try outs, our staff may schedule a try out by invitation. Similarly, a player may be invited to join Team Tampa, without a formal try out if one of our coaches has recruited the athlete to join our club after the try outs have been completed. Team Tampa players must try out every year. As new players try out the competition changes and each advancing grade year requires that players have reach the next skill level. Players must challenge themselves to improve each year.

Who will be coaching my son’s team?

The U19 team will be coached by Paul Goldsmith and Greg Longo ( Hernando ). The U17 team will be coached by John Matzke ( Jesuit ) and Matt Newman (Alonso).

Will Team Tampa write college recommendations and help with the recruiting process?

Team Tampa is very involved with the recruiting process, many conversations happen every day in our office and on the field between games. We do not typically write recommendations as coaches much prefer to evaluate players in a game situation than read an evaluation. Many club coaches will falsely inflate an athlete for the advancement of the club, and coaches have learned that only through watching perspective athletes play multiple times can they make valid decisions.

Though we are often involved, unanimously college coaches have stated that they want all recruiting conversations to be with the athlete, not parents or coaches; simply because they are recruiting an individual, whom they would like to get to know. Your personality coming through in an interview, e-mail or phone conversation will help them determine how you will fit in with their existing team and how you will handle the pressures of college academics and athletics.

In summary, Team Tampa attracts multi sport athletes that are as strong in the classroom as they are on the playing field; our coaches understand and respect family, religious, sports, and academic commitments, thus the tournament and practice schedule is flexible; but we cannot emphasize enough the value of participation and hard work. Coaches feel that they can give you the tools to succeed, if you take advantage of all of the learning opportunities they provide, and you make the commitment to work before, during, and after practice!

On behalf of our coaching staff, we thank you for considering our program and wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

Questions or further information:

Team Tampa Directors:

John Matzke