Nothing motivates children like family participation and encouragement.  Parents must be their children’s role model and, therefore, must spend interactive time with them in order to nurture a cohesive family unit.  The St Lawrence Youth Athletic Program was formed to provide the younger Catholic community with a time and place for parents and guardians to introduce their children to sports and allow them to mature athletically at their own pace. Your family will be enriched by this experience.

Moms and Dads, you must set the example, not just for your children, but for all the game-day parents on both competing teams. Please instill within each child a sense of self-discipline, responsibility, confidence, and self-esteem. YAP will provide a learning environment, rooted in a firm belief that smiles and laughter are true results of friendly competition. To accomplish these goals, parents must exercise self-discipline themselves.

The program at St Lawrence is not a highly competitive league. Rather, it is meant to provide an alternative environment for children to enter athletics without the pressure of having to be No. 1 or “The Best”. This program emphasizes teamwork and fair play above winning. The program encourages families from opposing teams to be social with other families, to congratulate something done well by the opposing team and, in general, to foster a good Catholic family community atmosphere. There are programs for highly competitive leagues as your children get older; however, this sports program wants to create a good foundation for your child’s athletic future.