Welcome everyone to the GW Lacrosse family, to our first year and transfer parents/guardians! I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new families. Below is some more information regarding frequently asked questions that have come up in the past. Hopefully this will answer some of your initial questions.
They are not alone! This is very common and will likely happen within the first two weeks. Each player on the team has been paired off in a Big and Little Sister grouping, as well as a larger family of 5–6 with teammates. Our coaching staff and support staff are here to assist in any way possible with the transition. We encourage them to stay on campus as much as possible in the first few weeks to acclimate, but for planning purposes, the student-athletes will have the weekend and fall break completely off to plan a trip home if necessary — Thursday, October 10 through Sunday, October 13. Additionally, the student-athletes will have the full week off for Thanksgiving this year.
A combination of social media, the team website at GW Sports, as well as the team parent liaison, will update you on the team and what is happening around campus. We will do our best to keep our social media up to date and provide fun updates as well as more information regarding games/schedules, etc. As always, your student-athlete is a great resource for insider information into how the team is doing.
More questions will be added here as they come up — see the general FAQ page for game-day and season logistics, or reach out to the Parent Coordinator on the Contact page.
A few parent favorites near campus:
You'll pay a parking fee if you stay in a hotel in DC. Alternatively, you can stay in a hotel in Virginia and take the Metro to Foggy Bottom — note there's a fee to enter and exit the Metro.
Amtrak to Union Station in DC. Book early — prices can climb over $200 the week of travel. From Union Station, you'd most likely Uber to the Mount Vernon Campus (The Vern).
The best airport to fly into is Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA). You'd Uber from there to The Vern as well.
Fall ball runs September–November with a few home scrimmages open to families — dates are posted on the Events Calendar once confirmed.
Every athlete communicates with their parents in different ways. Some will tell them everything. Some will tell them nothing (ahem, here's looking at my child).
The girls will have morning practices, and they'll take the Vex to get to The Vern. The Vex is about a 15-minute bus ride to the fields.
20-hour weeks begin at the end of September-ish and continue through the fall ball schedule. The second semester moves back to 20-hour weeks from January through the end of the season.
In order to qualify for the playoffs, we must be in the top six in the conference.
Academics are very important at GW. If any athlete needs help, there are many opportunities for them. Tell them to lean on Stephen, the academic advisor — he's incredibly helpful in finding tutors. The libraries will be their home!
The team becomes their family. The seniors and some juniors literally live two houses apart, and the other apartments are only two blocks away from them. They'll organize events for team bonding, dinners, and get-togethers.