National Lacrosse Committee update: Strengthening participation, partnerships, and school engagement
The National Lacrosse Committee (NLC) met on 28 September to discuss progress across several key areas of England Lacrosse's strategic development, with a particular focus on growing participation, strengthening school and club partnerships, and improving how progress is measured across the sport.
The meeting highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including new participation programmes involving schools and community clubs, positive membership trends, and developments from the Schools Forum aimed at creating more opportunities for young people to play lacrosse.
Members also explored how a new performance dashboard and more focused strategic workstreams will help England Lacrosse monitor progress and deliver meaningful, sustainable growth.
What is the NLC?
The NLC, chaired by an England Lacrosse Board member and comprised of appointed individuals recommended from the Regional Associations alongside identified individuals, who demonstrate specific knowledge or expertise to enable NLC to achieve its objectives, oversees and reports to the England Lacrosse Board on the implementation of the national initiatives, underpinned by safe, fair, and equitable policies, which expand and develop the domestic recreational game for all and in all its forms. NLC is supported by the Regional Associations and Officiating Advisory Group.
Strategy workstreams and performance dashboard
A key focus of the meeting was the development of 12 strategic workstreams designed to support England Lacrosse's wider organisational objectives.
Alongside the organisation's ongoing day-to-day activity, these workstreams will focus on specific areas where targeted action can make a significant difference. Each will have a designated lead responsible for coordinating activity, identifying milestones, and establishing clear measures of success.
To support this approach, work is underway to develop a new performance dashboard that will bring together important information from across the organisation.
The dashboard will combine quantitative and qualitative measures, helping England Lacrosse better understand participation, workforce development, membership growth, and retention.
By establishing clear baselines and monitoring progress over time, NLC hopes to gain a more comprehensive picture of the sport's development and ensure resources are directed towards initiatives delivering the greatest impact.
Governance reporting and future workstreams
NLC discussed how information from the strategic workstreams will be shared throughout England Lacrosse, ensuring that progress can be monitored effectively at committee, executive, and board level.
This approach is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and evidence-led decision-making.
Further work is also planned around talent and performance, alongside organisational sustainability, including the development of clubs, competitions, and events.
Together, these areas will help establish a more coordinated approach to delivering England Lacrosse's strategic priorities.
Partnership and participation delivery
Developing strong local partnerships remains central to England Lacrosse's ambitions for increasing participation and creating sustainable opportunities to play.
NLC received updates on several projects bringing together schools, clubs, and community organisations to introduce lacrosse to new audiences.
One initiative involves Dixons Academy Trust, which operates approximately 21 schools across areas including Merseyside, Leeds, Bradford, Rochdale, and Greater Manchester.
A three-year engagement plan has been developed to explore how lacrosse can be introduced and embedded across the trust, with the potential to create a model that could be replicated with other multi-academy trusts.
Delivery is already underway at one secondary academy, where pupils in years 7, 8, and 9 have access to after-school lacrosse sessions. School assemblies have helped generate interest, while investment in equipment and continuing professional development for staff is supporting the long-term sustainability of the programme.
There are plans to expand this approach to another school after Christmas.
NLC also discussed ongoing participation work in Greater Manchester and Surrey, where partnerships between schools, clubs, foundations, and local delivery organisations are helping to create new opportunities.
A particularly important element of these programmes is establishing clear pathways from school-based activity into community clubs, ensuring young people have opportunities to continue playing beyond their initial introduction to the sport.
By documenting successful approaches and sharing learning between regions, England Lacrosse aims to develop practical, repeatable models for growing participation.
Membership growth and data requirements
NLC received a positive update on membership trends, with growth reported beyond the impact of the automatic renewal system.
There has also been increased use of the seven-day membership option, highlighting the potential value of flexible membership arrangements for people participating in tournaments or accessing the sport without committing to a full 12-month membership.
While these developments are encouraging, members recognised the importance of understanding the factors driving growth.
Further analysis will examine membership trends across different regions and demographics, alongside changes in registration patterns throughout the season.
NLC also discussed the importance of clearly defining membership categories and ensuring that data provides an accurate picture of participation.
Improving the depth and consistency of this information will help England Lacrosse identify opportunities for growth, understand changing engagement patterns, and make more informed decisions about future membership development.
Schools Forum: strengthening the school lacrosse community
NLC received an update following the second Schools Forum meeting, which brought together approximately 36 representatives to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing school lacrosse.
The forum has been developed in partnership with schools to provide a stronger collective voice and encourage collaboration around important areas including competitions, participation, officiating, teacher recruitment, and long-term sustainability.
A representative working group has been established to continue progressing these discussions, bringing together schools from different regions and of varying sizes.
A central ambition is to create an environment where schools can share experiences, identify common challenges, and develop practical solutions together.
For more notes about the Schools Forum, click below.
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Competition structures formed a significant part of the Schools Forum discussions.
Representatives explored the challenges associated with existing fixtures, including travel costs, coaching availability, umpiring requirements, and limited playing opportunities for younger pupils.
Several potential approaches were discussed, including half-term competitions, university-hosted tournaments, mini-tours, and larger shared events.
There was also support for exploring more adaptable formats, including six-a-side lacrosse, which could provide accessible competition opportunities for schools with smaller playing groups or those new to the sport.
The forum's working group will continue reviewing existing competition structures to identify gaps and explore ways to create more sustainable playing opportunities.
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Strengthening communication between schools and England Lacrosse was another important priority.
Representatives from the National Aspire coaching team provided an update on the Programme and introduced a dedicated teacher information page.
Further work will focus on improving two-way communication, ensuring teachers have clearer access to information while creating opportunities to provide feedback on the programme.
The forum also discussed establishing a WhatsApp community to help schools share updates, connect with one another, and maintain communication when staff members change roles.
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The Schools Forum explored opportunities to make officiating more accessible and consistent across different age groups.
Discussions included the potential introduction of age-appropriate rules for younger pupils, helping schools deliver suitable playing experiences while supporting progression towards established junior competition formats.
The development of the school lacrosse workforce was also highlighted, with members exploring opportunities to encourage sports graduates and experienced lacrosse players to pursue careers in teaching and school-based coaching.
Strengthening these pathways could help schools maintain their lacrosse programmes while developing the next generation of teachers and coaches.
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Building stronger connections between schools, community clubs, and universities remains an important part of England Lacrosse's participation strategy.
The forum discussed how collaborative activities, reciprocal visits, and mini-tours could help schools access more playing opportunities, particularly in areas where regular fixtures are limited.
Members also recognised the importance of ensuring the forum supports the wider school community, including state schools and multi-academy trusts alongside established independent school programmes.
Adapted formats such as sixes, together with potential opportunities involving indoor lacrosse, could help make the sport more accessible to schools with different facilities, resources, and levels of experience.
The Schools Forum will continue meeting throughout the year, with an annual autumn conference, regular online updates, and working group discussions helping maintain progress.
Workforce standards and coaching development
Developing and supporting the coaching and officiating workforce continues to be a strategic priority for England Lacrosse.
NLC received an update on ongoing workforce development activity, including work to strengthen coaching provision and explore how professional standards can support the future of the sport.
Future reporting and next steps
NLC agreed that clear reporting and regular updates will be essential as the organisation's strategic workstreams progress.
Work will continue developing the performance dashboard, with further membership analysis and clearer reporting on participation trends forming part of the next update.
Future committee meetings will also look to involve individual workstream leads more directly, allowing members to explore specific projects in greater detail and better understand the progress being made.
The next meeting is provisionally planned for early November, allowing time for the dashboard and supporting information to be developed.
The September meeting demonstrated the importance of collaboration, evidence-led planning, and sustainable delivery in supporting the future of lacrosse.
From developing stronger school and club partnerships to improving membership insight and supporting the coaching workforce, the committee's discussions highlighted the range of initiatives contributing to England Lacrosse's long-term ambitions.
By strengthening connections across the sport and creating clearer ways to measure progress, England Lacrosse is working towards a more inclusive, connected and sustainable future for the game.
If there are any questions about the NLC, please contact [email protected].