Happy New Year Kits Lax!
We hope you all had some time to relax and celebrate time with family and friends. The coaching staff wanted to reach out in the newsletter with a quick update on some big changes for the upcoming season.
Announcements
Coaching
Coach Fournie needs to take some time off to focus on his health. He was recently hospitalized but is doing much better and should have enough strength to get back on field later this spring or this summer. He felt it was unfair to the kids and this program to leave things uncertain until then, so he has named coach Curtis as his replacement as the varsity head coach. Coach Curtis has since met with the other coaches and come up with a new structure for the coaches heading into the 2026 season. Varsity: Austin Curtis - Head Coach Kofi Hopps - Defensive Coordinator Perry Koff - Offensive Coordinator JV: Del Morris - Head Coach/ DC Geron Williams - Assistant Coach/OC Frosh: Michael Strening Jr. - Head Coach Theo Boggs - Assistant Coach/DC Most of these names should be familiar to everyone, but as a quick intro, we would like to welcome coach Koff to the staff. Coach Koff has helped with EYLA the last few years and has shown face at varsity practices from time to time. We are happy to finally welcome him to the staff officially this spring!
Varsity Captains
In addition to welcoming coach Koff, we would also like to announce our varsity captains for the coming season: Owen Maman ‘26 Emmett Ball ‘27 Congratulations to these boys on their unanimous selection from the current returning varsity players! We look forward to them continuing to lead this program in an official capacity this year!
Open Gyms
January Tue. 1/13 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Tue. 1/20 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Thu. 1/22 - 8:15 - 9:45 pm Tue. 1/27 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm February Tue. 2/03 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Tue. 2/10 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Thu. 2/12 - 8:15 - 9:45 pm Tue. 2/17 - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Thu. 2/26 - 8:15 - 9:45 pm (split with GLax)
Fitness Challenge
To start the season all levels will complete a timed 2 mile run as well as 3x 440 yard sprints with 5 minutes rest between heats. Varsity athletes are expected to complete each fitness challenge within the stated times (see below). JV and Freshmen athletes are expected to complete the challenges to the best of their ability. This will help you pass the test by the time you are a varsity lacrosse player. We feel that in order to be competitive at a varsity level we need athletes that are able to complete these challenges in the stated times. From here we can focus less on fitness and more on strategy and IQ. This is a challenge but not unachievable! Timed 2 Miles Varsity: under 12 minutes JV & Freshmen: Max Effort 440 Yard Sprints (5 min rest between heats) Varsity: Heat 1 - 68 Seconds | Heat 2 - 76 Seconds | Heat 3 - 85 Seconds JV & Freshmen: Max Effort * Goalies will have to complete the tests but will not have to make the times. ** Please do your part to avoid injury by coming into the spring season prepared to run.
Tryouts
Varsity tryouts are invitation only. 2026 Varsity tryout invitations will be sent out Sunday, February 8, 2026. If you do not receive an invitation, and are interested in trying out for Varsity, do not be discouraged, please email Coach Curtis (curtisa@eths202.org) and state your interest and state your case for why you should be invited to tryout. (I.E "I am a 6'3" 200lbs senior and a 3 year varsity athlete in other sports. I have always wanted to play lacrosse but never had the chance due to conflicts with other sports. I would like the opportunity to try out for the varsity lacrosse team this spring.") All athletes must be registered in order to be eligible to receive a tryout invitation, tryout, and to step on the field to start the season. Tryout Evaluation Criteria:
- Stick Skills & Fundamentals (passing, catching, shooting, ground balls)
- Lacrosse IQ & Decision-Making (reads, reaction, movement, spacing)
- Athleticism, Strength & Conditioning (speed, endurance, agility)
- Effort & Coach-ability (hustle, listening, adaptability)
- Team Play & Communication (leadership, unselfish play)
- Game & Situational Play
- Fitness: 440 & 12 Min 2 Mile Results
Fundraising
Thank you to all those that helped support the program in our December fundraising effort. We raised $2,800 so far towards our $15,000 goal. Let’s keep the momentum going, spread the word, donate, and share the link with friends and family. Every dollar really helps, the more we fundraise now, the less we have to fundraise in season. Do the hard work now, so we can focus on lacrosse this spring!
Team Resources
Information:
Newsletter Archive 2025/26:
If you have any questions, comments, or updates please feel free to reach out! Your participation in this will only improve the quality of the newsletter and our program’s culture.
Austin Curtis | Head Varsity Coach | curtisa@eths202.org