St. Lawrence Athletics, Utica Michigan, is a non-profit organization that promotes youth athletics, in accordance with Catholic teachings and the Constitution of the United States, for the youth of the St. Lawrence parish community. The St. Lawrence Athl
What is the CYO?
C.Y.O. is the Catholic Youth Organization. STL Athletics is a part of the Archdiocese of Detroit CYO. The CYO’s mission is to enrich the lives of families and strengthen communities through youth programs. Athletics is only one of the many programs that the Detroit CYO oversees. Visit the Detroit CYO Athletics website to learn more.
We are members of St. Lawrence Parish, but our children do not attend the school. Can our children still participate in STL sports?
STL Athletics is a parish program. Your children are eligible to participate as long as they are enrolled in & participate in Religious Formation classes at the parish. St. Lawrence School students automatically meet the Religious Formation requirement.
The STL Sports Coordinator confirms Religious Formation enrollment & participation before the start of each season. (If you are planning to register your child for a fall sport, it is important to register him/her for Religious Formation early. Compliance checks will be performed in July. Athletes will not be allowed to participate in August practices unless this compliance measure is met.)
Please note the following regarding parish membership establishment as stated in the CYO League Manual.
In order for an athlete to be eligible to participate, Parish membership must be established on or before the following dates in order for a participant to be eligible to play in the following sports seasons: May 1st - Fall Season July 1st - Winter Season Dec.1st - Spring Season
We are members of a different Catholic Parish in the area. Can our kids participate in your program?
Possibly, if your parish or Catholic school does not offer the sport that you wish to participate in, your child may be eligible if the sport is an “open” sport. Your Catholic school or parish must be neighboring to St. Lawrence. The Religious Formation requirement must also be met & will be confirmed by the Athletic Director's Office.
Our parish is nearby, but does not offer any sports. Can my kids play sports in more than one neighboring parish CYO program?
The CYO requires that once an athlete participates in a parish program they are to continue participation with that parish only for the remainder of the school year, unless the sport they wish to participate in is not offered at the given parish.
My kids participate in other leagues such as AAU, Select & public school. Does this affect their eligibility to play CYO Sports?
Yes it does affect your child’s eligibility. Here are the guidelines as stated in the CYO League Manual:
Limited Team Membership: 1. A player may not be registered simultaneously with more than one (1) team in the CYO League. After a player has been listed on a team, he/she may not be transferred to another team within the same Parish/School CYO program without permission from the CYO office. 2. A student who, after participating in an athletic contest as a member of a CYO athletic team, participates in any athletic competition in the same sport during the same season, is ineligible. This rule applies specifically to Junior High School, Middle School, Recreation Leagues, P.A.L. Teams, Michigan Youth Teams, AAU Teams/Leagues or any other organized league including organized neighborhood leagues.