There’s a popular saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Schuyler Horn, founder and executive director of the Lacrosse the Bay (LTB) youth program in Monterey, California, has no problem with that philosophy. After all, one of LTB’s most successful initiatives, its K-2 introductory experience for the youngest kids, came from flag football.
“I view other sports as our competition, so I'm always looking to see what they are doing,” Horn said. “Flag football is a great example. They are doing some things that are driving their enrollment, so I started thinking about how we can emulate that. Using the same format as flag football, we started our K-2 intro program that's been really successful and has served as a feeder for the rest of our program.”
During the fall, the K-2 intro experience offers beginning players a weekly two hour session, with the first hour focused on skill work and the second hour featuring 3-v-3 scrimmages. Horn believes the key to improvement is repetition and touches.
“Our goal is that in every practice, every kid is getting at least 100 repetitions and that they're touching the ball 100 times,” Horn said. “If we can do that, then we're going to be really successful in our teaching.”
Horn says that a commitment to teaching the fundamentals skills of the game is the foundation. High school players help to serve as coaches.
“We found that station work is incredibly effective with the younger age group because we’re able to break the kids into smaller groups which are easier to manage, and then to help them focus on a specific skill at each station,” Horn said. “One station will be focused on ground balls, while another station will be focused on passing and catching, and another on shooting.”
The two hour sessions are intentionally designed to keep the young participants engaged and active.
“We try to keep the kids moving and use the stations to teach them the basic skills of the game,” Horn said. “And then we move into small-sided scrimmages, and with the K-2 group, we use the smaller nets. This intro program has been super popular over the past couple of seasons. It’s really a great starting point for young athletes.”
As an East Coast transplant, Horn initially moved to Northern California a decade ago for college. After graduating, he recognized a need for lacrosse programming in the Monterey region and launched the Lacrosse the Bay program. The fledging organization survived the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic and has blossomed in recent years with a renewed focus on K through eight programming.
Today, LTB runs two local town programs – the Salinas Lacrosse Club and the Peninsula Lacrosse Club – and had over 200 youth players during this past spring season, supported by a staff of 20 coaches. Camps, clinics, and after school programs that target underserved areas help to keep players engaged throughout the calendar year.
“It was our best year yet,” said Horn, who also tries to help newer players and families overcome barriers to entry by providing equipment and support. With assistance from USA Lacrosse, Lacrosse the Bay provided 100 sets of equipment to participants and $20,000 in scholarships in 2025.
“Our priority is getting kids on the field,” Horn said. “If a kid wants to play but they can’t afford it, we’re going to find a way.”
The LTB’s growth, fueled in part by the success of the K-2 intro experience, has been encouraging, but Horn is quick to note that there’s always more work to do.
“We have to stay active and keep spreading the word so that our programs are front of mind,” he said. “There’s a lot of elbow grease that goes into the process, but I think that lacrosse, as a sport, has a great value proposition. It’s fast paced, played by both boys and girls, and offers a lot of fun. We have to just keep putting the game out there so people will see it. Then, once they try it, they get hooked.”
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