Welcome to Next Level Lacrosse and thank you for visiting our website! We hope you find this site to be a helpful source of information about our program and our philosophy. If you would like to learn more, we encourage you to visit our facility and meet our cheerful staff in person. We hope to see you soon!
Next Level Lacrosse is committed to providing a terrific lacrosse experience that is intensely focussed on player development and character formation. Players at all levels will improve significantly through professional coaching and carefully designed training programs that stress proper technique and a tireless work ethic. Our expert coaches serve as role models and will strive to teach your son or daughter how to be a fearless leader, a selfless teammate, and a mature competitor.
The Next Level Foundation is a charitable entity created by current Spartan families with two goals:
- Provide scholarship opportunities to qualified young men and women who otherwise would not be able to take advantage of a Next Level Program.
- Help current Spartan families in need.
HOW CAN I HELP?
1. SPARTAN SPONSOR
Be a real game-changer in a child’s life by gifting them with an entire year of club lacrosse. This includes all travel team fees + equipment paid for. Basically, YOU. ROCK. Contact Emily Mitchell at Emily@nextlevelspartans.com for information.
2. RED, WHITE & BLUE DONOR
We appreciate any amount you can give to the Next Level Foundation! Donations are accepted via PayPal by clicking on the button below. Your donation will:
– Allow boys and girls to attend our clinics & camps
– Supply lacrosse equipment and gear to a child in need
– Provide a child with transportation to and from our events
Next Level Lacrosse begins with our LaxKids beginner clinic. This soft stick program for boys and girls was developed to teach the basics in a fun and safe environment. Like many of our programs, there is a gradual progression within LaxKids based on a combination of age and ability. LaxKids training program is held each fall and spring outdoors at Washington Episcopal School or The Heights School.
Once our coaches have deemed a player ready, he or she is invited to choose between our lineup of Boys Clinics or Girls Clinics offered year-round outdoors at Washington Episcopal School or The Heights School. Our clinics are the backbone of our program and there is no better source of elite lacrosse instruction and training.
After completing at least one introductory clinic, players are invited to participate in our rec training program. The Boys Little & Big Spartans and Girls Little & Big Spartans operate in the fall, winter and spring months and are held outdoors at Washington Episcopal School or The Heights School. This rec training program is led by our very own travel team coaches and players who provide an unmatched level of instruction and support in a fun and less competitive format.
Players as young as second grade are invited to try out for our more competitive Boys Travel Team Program or Girls Travel Team Program. These teams require a yearlong commitment and are meant for the serious youth lacrosse player.
Many of our travel team players participate in our Boys Summer Camps or Girls Summer Camps. These camps have been extremely well received the past two years and we will be expanding our summer camp program moving forward.
Finally, Next Level Lacrosse has a rich tradition of running the best Boys and Girls high school lacrosse leagues in the DMV area. To play in these leagues, your son or daughter must be a member of a participating club or school team.
Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries. They occur in a wide range of sports and affect all athletes, from professional players to little leaguers.
Recognizing concussion and providing proper treatment is especially important for younger athletes because it typically takes them longer than adults to fully recover.
Concussions can occur when a force causes the brain to rapidly move back and forth inside the skull.
Description
Despite many attempts by experts, there is no clear definition of concussion. It is uncertain whether any damage to the brain occurs from a concussion. Imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, typically do not detect any brain damage — such as bruising or bleeding — in concussion patients.
A concussion does, however, temporarily impair how the brain functions and processes information. For example, after a concussion, a patient may have difficulty with balance and coordination, memory, and speech.
A concussion is typically short-lived. Most people recover within 7 to 10 days. Unfortunately, once an athlete has sustained a concussion, he or she is at greater risk for additional concussions.
Cause
Derived from the Latin word concusses, concussion means to shake violently. A concussion happens when a force causes the brain to rapidly move back and forth inside the skull. This may be caused by either a direct blow or by a blow to the body that forces the head to quickly rotate.
Symptoms
Because of the potential long-term consequences of sports concussion, it is important that athletes, coaches, and parents know as much as possible about how to recognize them.
Symptoms are not always obvious. Although it is commonly assumed that concussions cause loss of consciousness, many people with concussions have not been “knocked out.”
Concussion causes a variety of symptoms. These may appear right away, or may be delayed for several days after the injury. Some symptoms are physical, such as drowsiness. Others are cognitive, like memory loss. In many cases, people with concussions are more emotional than usual.
The most common symptoms of concussion include:
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Balance problems, dizziness
- Difficulty speaking and communicating
- Depression
- Nausea and vomiting
- Changes in sleep patterns
Treatment
The key to healing from a concussion is complete rest. This includes not just physical rest, but mental rest, as well. Reading, computer work, video games — even television — should be limited until all symptoms have resolved. This typically takes 7 to 10 days, although some people have symptoms for weeks or months after the injury.
Once you are free of symptoms, you can gradually return to physical and mental activity. It is important to slowly return to daily activities because being symptom-free does not mean the brain injury has fully healed. Your doctor may recommend a step-by-step program: first add an activity, then monitor your symptoms. If your symptoms do not return, you can continue increasing the challenges.
Return to Play
Getting back into the game too soon puts you at risk for another concussion.
If you suffer a repeat concussion before your first concussion has healed, it may take much longer for your symptoms to resolve and you may have long-term problems, such as learning difficulties or chronic headaches.
Recommendations
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that young athletes with concussions be evaluated and cleared by a doctor before returning to sports. The American Academy of Neurology offers a similar recommendation, and stresses that doctors who clear athletes for return to sports should be trained in managing and assessing sports concussions.
–Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons