Eligibility, Structure & Registration

Welcome to the Eligibility page of LAO Sports.  The Lutheran Activities Organization (LAO) is a national Christian Network providing Christian Families of the LCMS a mechanism to develop Christian Friendships within and outside their home congregation.

CLARIFICATION:  Secularly the term “Youth Sports” refer to sport for participants pre-high school while in Christian Circles a Youth group refers to persons who are typically in high school.  The sports programs offered by LAO Sports are generally directed toward Pre high school Youth (Kids Club, Jr. Youth) and Post high school Adults.

Every Christian Family is confronted with similar distractions in the training up of their children Proverbs 22:6. Participation in secular sports programs today present new and different challenges then they may have to our parents. Twenty, thirty or more years ago participation in these sports would have never interfered with worship times or Catecheses.  But today it is quite common, and we have allowed it to be so.  Whether one more practice is “needed” before the big game or participation in that out of town tournament is deemed indispensable; we are sending the wrong message to our children. 

We are called to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” Exodus 20:8.  While it is understood that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mark 2:27 we are called to not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another . . .Heb 10:25

It is the intent of LAO Sports to adhere to OUR Mission Statement while providing a competitive sports environment.  Therefore the following levels of eligibility are intended to assist LAO in adhering to this mission.

Eligibility (Guidelines for Pre high school youth):

1. LAO1:
   1. Function:  (Outreach) Sharing the love our LORD has shown us to the community at large.
   2. Usage: Open to the general public.
   3. Application: Instructional / recreational caliber
   4. Age groups:
      1. 6 & U: Coed
      2. 8 & U and 10 & U: Boys and Girls separate
2. LAO2:
   1. Function:  (Inreach) Competition between Christian Churches
   2. Usage: Open to ALL Christian Churches capable of agreeing with and signing the Covenant to Mission form.
   3. Application:          In order to be eligible to compete in ANY game in a given week, team member MUST have participated in corporate worship the Preceding Week End.
3. LAO3:
   1. Function: (Witnessing) Participating in secular leagues or tournaments.  When the need arises try-outs will be held .
   2. Usage: Since LAO3 is focused on representing Christ and LAO to the community at large it must be a reflection of LAO!
   3. Application: Participation will be open the following Tiered Structure.  If roster spots are not filled by Tier 1 participation then Tier 2’s will be eligible to participate and so on.  Once Tier 2 or Tier 3 participants complete a sports season their immediate family will be “Grand fathered” into that sport at LAO3 level provided their participation continues without being interrupted.
      1. Tier 1: Any Baptized Child of a Family who is a member of an LCMS congregation.
      2. Tier 2: A student of one of the LCMS Day Schools capable of agreeing with and signing the Covenant to Mission form.
      3. Tier 3: Non-Lutheran Christian participants capable of agreeing with and signing the Covenant to Mission form.
   4. Practice:  ANY TIME a team participates in an overnight / out of town competition (where hotel stay is involved) the Team, Staff, and Parents will attend corporate worship services TOGETHER at a sister LCMS congregation near the competition.
      1. Application of overnight / out of town competition must be accompanied with a corporate worship plan and team concurrence, either Saturday Evening or Sunday mornin

Structure (Guidelines):

In general, teams will be organized regionally within a Circuit of a District of the LCMS.  Keeping with the goal of establishing Christian relationships (and LORD willing friendships) within the Body of Believer’s, a participant’s home address, NOT their church address, will be used to determine which Circuit they compete in.  This should help to minimize transportation issues that may otherwise prevent participation.

“Area of a Circuit” will be defined by:

• The “ZIP Codes” of each congregation
• ALL those “ZIP Codes” adjacent to each congregation