Parent Guide
For Tide Parents: How This Works
Signing your kid up here means joining a program — and programs work best when everyone knows the deal up front. This page is the deal: what we promise you, what we ask of you, and straight answers to the questions every club sport parent has but doesn't always ask.
Read it once now. Come back to it in week four when your player has a rough night. It'll still be true.
What We Believe
East Side Tide is a development-first club. That's how we make decisions. When we have to choose between winning a July tournament game and getting a kid meaningful reps at a position he's learning, we develop the kid. Every time.
We built this club because East Metro families shouldn't have to drive across the Twin Cities — or pay across-the-Cities prices — for serious lacrosse development. Your player will work hard here. He'll be coached hard here, and encouraged harder. And he'll stay connected to his school and association teams, because we complement those programs — we never compete with them.
What Your Season Actually Looks Like
| Age group | Season length | Team practices | Positional sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| U10 | 7 weeks | 14 | 7 |
| U12 | 10 weeks | 18 | 16 |
| U14 | 10 weeks | 12 | 22 |
| High School (2028-2030 grads) | Season structure being finalized — tryout dates are on the registration page. | ||
A few things that hold across every group:
- Practices run skills-first: stick work and positional development, then live play
- Youth teams (U10, U12, U14) play a confirmed three-tournament slate: two Twin Cities metro weekends plus one Milwaukee, WI trip — we schedule so families aren't buying plane tickets. High school team tournament slates are matched to each roster and announced closer to the start of the season.
- Practices at ES Lacrosse Woodbury and other Woodbury-area fields; the live schedule is in TeamSnap → and updated within 24 hours of any change
If weather cancels a session, you'll know via TeamSnap before you load the car.
Playing Time: The Straight Answer
At the youth level, development drives minutes. Every healthy player who makes practices gets meaningful game time. Not identical minutes to the second — meaningful minutes, including situations that stretch him.
Playing time is never bought. Your registration fee pays for coaching, fields, and development. It does not purchase a starting spot, and it never will.
Effort and attendance move the needle. The player who shows up, hustles, and is a good teammate earns opportunity. That's a life lesson we're comfortable teaching.
If your player wants more time, he asks the coach — himself. "Coach, what do I need to work on to earn more minutes?" is one of the most valuable sentences a young athlete can learn to say. We will always answer it honestly and specifically.
How We Communicate
- Player first. For anything about his development or role, your player talks to his coach first. He's more capable of this than you think, and it's a skill that pays off for decades.
- The 24-hour rule. Frustrated after a game? So is he, probably. Wait 24 hours, then email the coach. We will not discuss playing time or game decisions on the sideline, in the parking lot, or via text at 10pm Saturday.
- Email info@eastsidetide.com. Logistics questions any time; TeamSnap chat for schedule stuff.
- Safety concerns skip every line. Anything involving your child's physical or emotional safety comes straight to Jack Velte, Director & Lead Offensive Coach immediately, any hour.
Game Day and the Sideline
- Coach from the bleachers and your player hears two voices. He can only follow one. Yelling "SHOOT!" or "RUN!" doesn't help him — it splits his brain in the middle of a play. Leave the instructions to us; that's what you're paying for.
- Officials are off-limits. Many refs in Minnesota youth lacrosse are teenagers. Riding them from the fence teaches your player exactly one thing, and it's not resilience.
- Stay off the bench sideline and endline. Players' and coaches' space.
- If your player goes down, let coaches and trainers get there first. We will wave you over immediately if it's serious.
One bad night happens to everyone. A pattern gets a private conversation, and if it continues we'll ask you to watch from the car. We've never had to. Help us keep it that way.
The Car Ride Home
Researchers who surveyed college athletes for three decades asked them their worst memory from youth sports. The most common answer wasn't losing, getting cut, or getting benched. It was the ride home from games with their parents.
The same athletes were asked what their parents ever said that made them feel great. The overwhelming winner, six words: "I love to watch you play."
Your player knows when he had a bad game. He replayed the dropped pass before he reached the sideline. The car is where he learns whether your love is tied to his stat line — so make the car safe. Talk about the radio. Ask where he wants to eat. If he wants to break down the game, he'll bring it up, and then your job is to listen, not coach. The film review is our job. The unconditional part is yours.
What It Costs — and What You're Actually Paying For
Every season is priced separately, and every fee is per program — U10, U12, and U14 summer seasons each have their own number, published plainly on the registration page. A summer team fee covers coaching, every practice and positional session, field rentals, tournament entries, and your player's reversible Tide jersey. We keep the numbers deliberately low — East Metro fields, regional tournaments, no gold-plated overhead — because a kid's development shouldn't depend on what his parents can spend. Current per-program pricing → /register
And here's the part most clubs won't offer: fall and winter training is invoiced month-to-month, and you pay only for the months your player attends. Two-sport kid? Lacrosse and football? You'll never pay for year-round training he can't use. Summer, fall, and winter are separate programs with separate price tags — join what fits your family's calendar, skip what doesn't.
Not included: personal equipment (see our New to Lacrosse guide →) and your gas money.
Equipment
Boys field lacrosse requires a certified helmet, ND200-standard shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, a mouthguard, a cup, cleats, and a stick — and you don't need to spend what the sporting-goods store thinks you do. Full checklist, standards to look for, and what's worth your money: New to Lacrosse: the East Metro parent's gear guide →. New families: email us before you buy anything.
Tournaments and Travel
| Tournament | Dates | Location | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ox Invitational | June 12-13, 2027 | Blaine, MN | U10, U12, U14 |
| Lake State Showdown | June 19-20, 2027 | Minnetonka, MN | U10, U12, U14 |
| The Good Land Field Lacrosse Invitational | July 10-11, 2027 | Milwaukee, WI | U10, U12, U14 |
| High school tournament slate | TBD — announced closer to the 2027 season | TBD | High School (2028-2030 grads) |
High school team tournament slates are matched to each roster and announced closer to the start of the season — nobody's hiding a schedule from you; it genuinely doesn't exist yet, and we'd rather say so than guess. Youth slates are published before the season starts so you can plan around family life; exact game times firm up about a week out, so build a little flex into tournament weekends and pack a cooler. (Tournament dates are projected based on 2026 dates and subject to change.) Current schedule: /schedule.
Players are expected at all tournament games. Life happens — school events, family weddings, illness — just tell the coach as early as you can so we can plan the roster. No punishment, no guilt trip. We just need to know.
How Parents Can Get Involved
We're a grassroots club and we run lean, which means parent help matters. Ways to plug in: team manager (TeamSnap upkeep, tournament check-ins), sideline photographer/videographer (our News page and your player's future highlight reel both thank you), field-day setup crew, and sponsorship connections (know an East Metro business that wants its name on the fence? Introduce us).
None of it is mandatory. All of it makes the club better and cheaper for everyone.
"What Do I Do When…" — A Field Guide
…my player had a terrible game and is silent in the car?
Say nothing about the game. Feed him. If he opens the topic, listen and validate — "that sounded frustrating" beats "well, if you'd moved your feet." He gets coaching tomorrow; tonight he needs a parent.
…my player says he wants to quit mid-season?
First, find out which kid you have tonight: the exhausted one, the embarrassed one, or the genuinely done one. Most mid-season "I quit" moments are one of the first two and pass with sleep and a snack. Our ask: finish what you start — teammates are counting on him — then make the stay-or-go decision in the offseason with a clear head. If something specific is wrong (a teammate issue, a fear, a coach interaction), tell us. We can't fix what we don't know about.
…I disagree with a coaching decision?
Twenty-four hours, then an email. Come with a question, not a verdict — "help me understand the thinking on X" gets a real answer every time. You may still disagree afterward. That's okay. You hired us to make those calls the same way you hire a teacher to run the classroom.
…my player is behind the other kids?
This is exactly who development-first is for. Lacrosse rewards stick time more than almost any sport — fifteen minutes of daily wall ball transforms a player in one season, and it's free. Ask his coach for two specific things to work on; you'll get them. Late starters catch up fast in this sport — our New to Lacrosse guide has the roadmap.
…my player is ahead of the other kids?
Tell us. We'll stretch him — harder matchups in practice, new positions, leadership jobs. Being the best kid on the field is only a problem if nobody's raising the ceiling.
…he has a conflict between Tide and his association/school team?
School and association come first. Full stop. We build our schedule to complement East Metro association and high school calendars, and we'll never punish a player for honoring a school commitment. Just communicate early.
…he plays other sports?
Good. Keep it that way. Multi-sport athletes get injured less, burn out less, and are better lacrosse players for the hockey stops and basketball footwork. We will never ask your family to choose us over another sport — and our billing backs that up: off-season training is month-to-month, so you only ever pay for the months he can actually be there.
Our Commitment to You
- 1
Every practice is planned before we get to the field. Your money buys preparation, not babysitting.
- 2
Every player is coached — not just the top line.
- 3
We'll tell you the truth about your player's development, kindly and specifically, whenever you ask.
- 4
Schedule changes reach you within 24 hours.
- 5
We coach your kid like his development matters more than our win-loss record — because it does.
- 6
If we make a mistake, we'll own it. We ask the same of our players; fair is fair.
Questions this page didn't answer? Email info@eastsidetide.com. Then go get a wall-ball session in.
Roll with The Tide.
FAQ
Parent FAQs
What should parents expect from East Side Tide lacrosse?
East Side Tide is a development-first youth club lacrosse program in Woodbury, Minnesota serving East Metro and Washington County families. Parents can expect a published per-age-group season structure — season length, team practices, and positional sessions are tuned to each group, from U10 up. They can also expect a confirmed three-tournament slate for youth teams, high-school slates announced pre-season, and a written playing-time and parent-conduct policy published on this page.
How does East Side Tide decide playing time?
At East Side Tide, every healthy player who attends practice receives meaningful game minutes. Playing time reflects development needs, effort, and attendance — never registration fees. Players seeking more minutes are taught to ask their coach directly what to improve, and coaches answer specifically.
Can my child play club lacrosse and association or high school lacrosse at the same time?
Yes. East Side Tide schedules around East Metro association and Minnesota high school lacrosse calendars, and school or association commitments always come first. Club lacrosse in Minnesota is designed to supplement — not replace — association and school programs, and Tide players are never penalized for honoring a school commitment.
What is the parent code of conduct at East Side Tide?
East Side Tide parents cheer, but leave coaching to coaches and officiating to officials. Parents stay off the bench sideline, follow a 24-hour rule before raising game concerns, and keep the post-game car ride positive. The full parent playbook, including a written playing-time policy, is published on this page.
What should I say to my child after a lacrosse game?
Sports-parenting research spanning three decades found college athletes' worst youth-sports memory was the car ride home, and the words that meant the most were "I love to watch you play." East Side Tide asks parents to keep the ride home supportive: let the player bring up the game if he wants, listen rather than critique, and leave technical feedback to the coaches.
How do I contact East Side Tide coaches?
Email info@eastsidetide.com to reach East Side Tide's coaching staff. Schedule questions go through TeamSnap; safety concerns are escalated immediately at any hour.