The Straight Scoop on the Competitive Demons Team

As I previously mentioned, I get asked about the Demons team a lot. I've had guys in Council Bluffs, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids ask me if they could play with the Demons. My answer is always yes - as soon as we get the team up and running. Therein lies the problem, when will the team be up and running?
Traditionally, the Great Plains Lacrosse League begins its season towards the end of May (last year's first scheduled games were on May 31), which means its schedule is created around this time (last year it was around May 8). Considering that I am fairly swamped with work and the Valley team at the moment, I do not think that I have the resources to get a firm roster together, order jerseys/pinnies, and calculate and collect dues. Also, I'm not sure that we have enough guys with experience ready to go.
Building a brand new team will take several committed individuals. I know a lot of guys have expressed interest, but they have flat out told me that they cannot invest the kind of time we will need to get the team ready for serious competition this summer. We need to know that we will have at least one goalie, four long poles, and eight middies/attackmen going into each game - minimum. This gives us a sub for every position but goal. Having been around lax for a while now, I can guarantee you that a we will want more than 13 players available, especially since most days will have two games. Unfortunately, the GPLL requires players to be 18 or older, which prevents some eager Valley guys from playing.
The GPLL plays on Saturdays through June and July. This means that there are games every Saturday; most are in Kansas City or Omaha. There is the possibility that we could possibly arrange games in the Des Moines area, but most likely it would be one weekend. KC is kind of the central location for the league and they have two teams to serve as hosts.
In addition to the time and travel commitments, there are financial obligations too. Every player will need lacrosse specific helmets, gloves, and pads to play. The GPLL is a US Lacrosse sanctioned league which means that hockey pads are not allowed. All players will also have to register with US Lacrosse ($50 per calendar year). Since there are league dues, there will be team dues; I would guess around $200, but don't quote me. Travel costs may or may not be included in the dues.
As you can see, joining the GPLL is a fairly significant investment. It is for that reason that I am proposing that we wait another year before becoming full-fledged members. More than one team said that they would happily scrimmage us this summer; one even recommended meeting at neutral sites in the central and western portions of Iowa to promote the sport.
Waiting a year may prove to be very beneficial for a few reasons. 1. Although we will have about 11 Valley players graduate this spring, not all of them will want to play for the Demons. Waiting another year almost doubles our pool of local players with experience. 2. Playing exhibition games will not only keep our costs down, but it will also allow us to experience the talent level of the other teams. This provides us with the opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses and to devise developmental goals. 3. Having an extra year will give us time to cultivate talent. Unlike Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, we are in our first year of high school lacrosse. The exposure level in Des Moines is still fairly nonexistent; holding a free recreational league in-town this summer will give us an opportunity to teach new players and spread the lax-bug.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions about how we can get the ball moving more quickly, contact me or comment below. Responding to the latest poll will also give me an indication of what kind of squad we are looking at.