National Development Program: Refined. Tested. Proven.

The US Virgin Islands National Development Program (NDP) provides a structured pathway from youth lacrosse entry to elite international competition. The program is benchmarked against the eligibility protocols of World Lacrosse and its concomitant rules and regulations. It ensures a comprehensive system of identification, development, and advancement for players of all ages and stages with advancement toward international competition across events in seven strategic locations spanning January through November each competition season.

The USVI National Development Program operates through a four-phase progressive and innovative development model designed to cast a wide net for talent identification before narrowing the field to elite athletes capable of international competition. The NDP is a strategic initiative that delivers measurable national capacity gains in athlete development, coach certification, event delivery, and federation governance. It responds directly to USVILA Strategic Plan priorities: national representation, competitive readiness, and sustainable program infrastructure.

The overarching goal of the NDP is to execute a sustainable, scalable athlete and coach development system that culminates in national team selection and international competition readiness.

Program Brand Architecture

The objective of our NDP is to ensure a separate and distinct “personality” yet communicate through our messaging - and ultimately our products and services - a clear and unequivocal level of high-quality lacrosse athlete development. The distinctions between USVI and other international development programs begin with the geographical phrasing of our camps. We refer to our locations as “HUBS” (Phase I) rather than “regions” or being “regional” since the designation emphasizes an organizational structure where camps/clinics serve as central convergence points for athlete development across connected locations. The term “hub” focuses on function and connectivity rather than mere geography, suggesting a network topology that's more relevant to modern multi-site programming. Each of our hub’s represents a large geographical population that is intended to reach interested athletes deep into communities over a large area.

We also choose to describe our camps as “CATALYSTS”, because the term frames our tryout events as an ignition point — where raw potential meets structured opportunity. “Catalyst” implies acceleration, transformation, and forward momentum rather than mere testing and evaluation. Players that are selected to advance to the next step in the process, attend the NATIONAL FORGE SUMMIT™ - (Phase II) a premier, invitation-only evaluation experience for athletes on the verge of breakthrough performance. In other tryout settings these events are traditionally called “combines”. The “Forge Summit” brand speaks to a generation of athletes who crave measurable excellence but resist commodified evaluation. It recasts the experience from Combine-as-measurement to Summit-as-transformation. The brand is forward-leaning, data-aware, but anchored in human development and selective belonging — a hybrid of precision science and earned prestige.

Athletes selected from the National Forge Summit™ have the opportunity to compete for a position on one of our National Teams based on their age eligibility. They will also have the option to join our Elite Team program and further their development on the elite team circuit.

National Team | Elite Team Tiers

Once athletes are evaluated and selected, they enter our National Teams Pool (Phase III) and have the option to participate in the USVI National Teams Program in variety of ways. Most will compete for a position on one of our National Teams based on their age eligibility. They will also have the option to join our Elite Team program. They may also choose to select one pathway over the other. The choice, which is largely the athletes, is made in consultation with our coaching staff, and is based on the players training, development and recruitment objectives, opportunities and priorities.

Following formal commitment by entering the National Team Pool, players are now eligible to compete for positions on National Teams (Phase IV) based on Age Eligibility. Players are offered unique opportunities to engage in the USVI development system by also participating in the Elite Team Program. A competitive elite team model, these teams play on the elite circuit, attend high-profile showcase events, leverage participation towards recruiting advantage, and extend their capabilities by intensifying the training experience in the USVI system.

Alignment with USA Lacrosse and World Lacrosse

The USVI program's careful coordination with USA Lacrosse scheduling demonstrates strategic partnership rather than competition. By offsetting scheduled events and activities, the program enables athletes with dual eligibility to maximize participation in programming without conflict. This approach recognizes that many eligible USVI athletes may reside in the United States and could benefit from exposure to a multitude of developmental pathways.

Age eligibility standards precisely mirror World Lacrosse requirements, ensuring USVI athletes meet international competition criteria. The program timeline specifically prepares athletes for confirmed 2026 international events including the Pan-American Men's Field Lacrosse Championship Qualifier and World Lacrosse Women's Championship, both scheduled for mid-July 2026.

Implementation and Administration

The USVI Lacrosse Association's National Development Program represents a sophisticated, well-structured approach to building a sustainable national team infrastructure. By thoughtfully benchmarking against USA Lacrosse's proven model while adapting to USVI's unique geographic and demographic context, the program establishes a clear pathway from grassroots identification through elite international competition. The four-phase structure, strategic location selection, and careful scheduling coordination position USVI lacrosse for long-term growth and competitive success on the international stage.