SPARKS, Md. – Participation trends are shifting, youth sports are evolving, and the broader landscape of sport and physical activity in the U.S. is changing. Join USA Lacrosse for a free “State of the Sport” Webinar on Wednesday, March 25 at noon (Eastern) to explore what the data reveals about the future of the game.

Some days, Elena Furrow feels like she has two full-time jobs.

As a family medicine physician, she has her hands full with patient care for many hours every day. Then during evenings and weekends, she transitions into her second role as president of the Zootown Lacrosse Club in Missoula, Montana – a role that she loves but one that demands almost every extra hour that she has.

Officials are athletes. Like others on the lacrosse field, they must stop, start, change direction, and move in quick bursts. And like other athletes, officials can maximize their time on the field (less injuries) by training properly, including preparation before the season.

Six important areas of focus for season preparation are:

Fueled by impressive early season victories, Florida Club has jumped to the top spot in the first WCLA Division I Top 20 ranking of the 2026 regular season.

Ranked eighth in the preseason, the Gators vaulted to No. 1 after a 3-0 showing in the Big Dawgs Classic, highlighted by wins over No. 3 Michigan Club and No. 6 Clemson Club. UF will put its No. 1 ranking to the test with three games in Arizona this week, including a meeting with No. 20 Utah.

For the San Francisco Riptide Lacrosse Club, a non-profit, volunteer-led organization teaching the sport of lacrosse, it’s very important that they get all the “Littles’ things right.

For the leadership of the Riptide, that means placing the highest priority on the quality of the instruction and skill development for its youngest club members, the participants in the ‘Kindercrosse’ division. The club is so committed to this philosophy that it annually assigns some of its best coaches to its youngest members.

For one weekend each year, the seaside community of Santa Barbara, located on the central California coast, becomes the epicenter of lacrosse as women’s collegiate club teams from around the country arrive for three days of sun, fun and intense competition.

Joe Barnett’s involvement as a youth coach with Columbia Youth Lacrosse (CYL) started quite innocently. He had brought his two young daughters to an introductory clinic and noticed that the coach had a bigger turnout than she expected.

“I could tell that she was kind of underwater, so I simply said, ‘can I help’ and then I was coaching,” Barnett said. “I just can’t stay away. It’s in my DNA to want to help and interact. Maybe it’s because when I see one coach trying to help kids, I know that one person can never do it all.”

USA Lacrosse recently launched one of its newest membership initiatives, hosting growth summits in New Jersey and Texas targeted to regional youth lacrosse leaders. The one-day summits are designed to bring together key stakeholders – coaches, parents, and program leaders - in each region to broadly discuss strategies that support the responsible growth of the game.

As a young athlete, Rich Thomson played six different sports through his middle school and high school years. Lacrosse was not one of them.

He didn’t discover the Creator’s Game until adulthood, but it’s now a passion. As evidence, Thomson has co-founded two separate youth leagues in Wisconsin over the past 10 years.

Motivated initially by his young daughter’s interest in the game, Thomson helped launch the Kimberly Area Lacrosse Association in 2016. The youth program serves both boys and girls, and has added high school varsity and JV squads in recent years.

The community of Port Washington, located on the North Shore of Long Island, understands the important role that athletics can play in shaping the development of its youth.

Since 1963, the Port Washington Youth Activities (PYA) organization has played a central role in providing year-round playing opportunities for local youth, with sports offerings ranging from baseball to wrestling, from field hockey to lacrosse.