SPARKS, Md. – The USA Lacrosse National Team Development Program (NTDP) is set to expand in 2025 with a U15 age bracket included in the program.
Launched in 2019, the NTDP has been a big success in opening up the pipeline for the U.S. National Team Program. Each year, approximately 1,500 high school-aged players participate in the various stages of the program, culminating with USA Youth National teams competing against international competition.
Of the 22 players that represented the gold-medal winning U.S. Women’s U20 National Team at the World Championship in Hong Kong, China earlier this year, 17 of them came through the NTDP. Similarly, seven of the current U.S. Men’s U20 National Training Team members that will compete at the world championship in South Korea in 2025 participated in the NTDP.
In addition to the inclusion of the U15 age group, the age brackets for older groups will shift from U16 to U17 and from U18 to U19. Additionally, the name for the final team will shift from USA Select to U.S. Youth National Team.
“As the National Team Development Program continues to evolve and USA Lacrosse increasingly aligns with other Olympic sports and lacrosse governing bodies, these enhancements will maximize the organization’s ability to identify and develop the best players in the country that are ultimately selected to the U.S. Youth National Teams,” said Jason Vescovi, VP, High Performance for USA Lacrosse.
Here’s what’s planned for the 2025 NTDP cycle:
- Applications for Regional Player ID events will launch in January.
- An expansion of the program to include a U15 age group. A limited number of Regional Player ID events will be held for this age group. A total of 24 boys and 24 girls will be selected from the Regional Player ID events, and virtual applications, for the U.S. U15 Youth National teams to compete against international competition in September.
- Regional Player ID events for the U17 and U19 age groupings will be held primarily in May/June 2025. The dates and locations for these Regional Player ID events will be announced in early 2025. From those events, and virtual applications, a total of 175 boys and 175 girls will be selected for the National Combines.
- The National Combine for U17 and U19 girls will be held July 28-31 and for U17 and U19 boys from Aug. 4-7. Following the combines, 24 boys and 24 girls at each of the age groupings will be named to the U.S. U17 and U19 Youth National teams.
- The U.S. U15, U17 and U19 Boys’ and Girls’ Youth National teams will compete against international competition in September.
- The U.S. U17 and U19 Boys’ and Girls’ Youth National teams will have a second weekend of competition against international teams in October for the Brogden Cup.
The USA Lacrosse National Team Development Program is sponsored by MedStar Health, NCSA, Gatorade, HotelPlanner and First Scout Productions.
Funding for the national teams also comes from generous donors to the USA Lacrosse Foundation. Help support the team.
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 425,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport.
