At Bedrock Lacrosse, we are on a mission to revolutionize youth sports in Iowa and beyond. By emphasizing a small-sided, 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
Historically, Iowa lacrosse programs have faced a tough choice: sacrifice local rivalries to build rosters large enough for full-field play or forgo the sport altogether. We’re changing that. Our model tailors gameplay to community size, enabling kids to play for their towns and schools rather than combining multiple communities to field a team.
Here’s the difference:
- Small-Sided Play: Matches are designed for smaller rosters, starting at 5v5 for younger players (ages 7-10) and scaling up to 10v10 at higher levels. This means more opportunities for kids to compete and grow within their communities. Small-sided play also makes it easier for new families to join the sport by requiring less prior knowledge, creating more balanced teams, and making the game accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
- 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!
Small-Sided Model
We follow the USA Lacrosse athlete development model, using a small-sided format that requires half the players of traditional travel programs. This allows us to form twice as many teams, keeping competition local. 10U teams need just 5+ players, while all other age groups need only 6+. As the number of teams grow, we’ll focus on expanding local programs and introducing more advanced gameplay.
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