At Bedrock Lacrosse, we are on a mission to revolutionize youth sports in the Midwest and beyond. By emphasizing a community-first approach, we’re making lacrosse more accessible, competitive, and rooted in local pride. While we build towards the formation of distinct programs, all of our teams for the 2025 Season will be organized under the Iowa Youth Lacrosse Conference.
Why This Matters
Traditionally, rural areas — and even small to mid-sized towns across the Midwest — have had to combine players from multiple communities or school districts just to field teams under full-field, college-style lacrosse rules. Or they simply didn’t offer the sport at all. We’re changing that. By tailoring the game format to fit community size, kids can now represent their own towns and school districts while developing real lacrosse skills in a competitive, age-appropriate environment.
Here’s the difference:
- Building Teams First: We believe community identity should come first. Instead of focusing solely on large roster sizes to build regional programs, we prioritize building distinct teams that align closely with local school district boundaries – just like basketball, football, and baseball. In Dubuque, with three high schools in town, this means creating three separate teams under the Dubuque Lacrosse Club banner instead of one combined Dubuque program. We are also building teams for nearby communities, including Western Dubuque, Platteville, and beyond to create a true local system. Players will experience the same hometown pride and many traditional rivalries that define other sports, setting the expectation that lacrosse can thrive locally before travel becomes necessary. As we grow, we will continue expanding outward, one community at a time, until lacrosse becomes part of the fabric of everyday life in our region and layer travel opportunities on top.
- Small Rosters: Teams are intentionally built around smaller rosters, starting with 5v5 play for younger players (ages 7–10) and gradually scaling up to full-field lacrosse at higher levels (10v10 for men, 12v12 for women). Small-sided formats aren’t just for beginners — they’re used at the highest levels too, including 6v6 in the new Olympic format and in the National Lacrosse League (professional box lacrosse). This structure creates more touches, faster skill development, and a welcoming entry point for new families.
- Skill-Focused Development: Players still learn the same skills needed to advance to collegiate and professional levels. Lacrosse already offers one of the highest probabilities of college recruitment among sports (14.4% for men and 13.8% for women), and our approach will only strengthen these opportunities.
- Rural Representation: In a state with many rural and agricultural communities, this model ensures that kids can play more games closer to home, reducing travel and increasing participation.
Building a Lacrosse Legacy in Iowa
Iowa lacrosse has come a long way in its 16-year modern history, with youth programs growing steadily. But we believe it’s time to turbocharge this progress. By adopting a small-sided model, Bedrock Lacrosse will make lacrosse viable for more towns across Iowa, Southwestern Wisconsin, and Northwestern Illinois.
We’re inspired by other sports like eight-man football and youth soccer, which thrive in Iowa and continue to produce college-bound athletes. Lacrosse can follow a similar path, bringing local pride, rivalries, and competitive opportunities to communities statewide.
Why We Need Your Support
We’re searching for volunteers and raising funds to:
- Provide equipment and resources for new teams.
- Organize local leagues and tournaments tailored to small-sided play.
- Train coaches and officials to deliver high-quality experiences for young athletes.
- Build partnerships with schools and communities to promote the sport.
Your contribution will directly support our mission to make lacrosse a sport that every Iowa community can call its own.
The Bigger Picture
Lacrosse is growing rapidly across the Midwest. States like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois have embraced the sport, with Minnesota sanctioning lacrosse in 2007, Illinois following in 2010, and Wisconsin recently joining in 2024. Iowa, however, still lags behind. With enough local representation, Iowa could finally follow suit and join its neighbors in recognizing lacrosse at the high school level.
By investing in Iowa Youth Lacrosse, you’re not just supporting a sport—you’re fostering community pride, athletic development, and lifelong opportunities for young players.
Let’s make history together. Join us in bringing lacrosse to every corner of Iowa.
Thank you for being a part of our Iowa Youth Lacrosse journey!
Contact Us
If you would like to bring lacrosse to your community, we would like to support you! Reach out to us at bedrocksports@gmail.com