NGLL 2028 A (Girls Lacrosse)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has a daughter on one of the older teams you mentioned, I would give it another year or so. The Maryland teams are formed VERY early (early Elementary school) so they are ahead of any team coming from VA. My daughters team used to get killed in 4th/5th grade when they played the M&D's of the world. Look at the 2026/2027 Pride teams and the 2026 Stars teams. They are all very competitive vs. the top clubs from Baltimore. Things tend to even out once the VA teams learn to catch/throw and play at a more competitive level.

It could be a talent thing but as long as the kids are good athletes, they will close the gap.

The 26 Stars team is only good because the top Pride players crossed over and are now on Stars. The Pride 27 team is head and shoulders better than the Stars 27 team. The 28s are probably about even with maybe the Stars 28 team having a slight advantage.

The last statement is the issue. The teams just don't have the talent or athletes. The gap will continue to exist.

Agree on the last poster, the idea of a merge is just not happening. There's too much hatred across both clubs. VA Metro is a good club, but not the talent level of the other 3 mentioned in this post. Saying that NGLL doesnt matter is just trying to justify not playing in it. NGLL has the best competition out there, even in the B divisions. Playing against some of the top teams and players in the country goes a long way to player development and competition.

The only way any kind of merge or consolidation happens is if the parents of top players choose to go from Pride to Stars or Stars to Pride. NL has some great talent as well, but why they wouldn't just go to HoCo for those teams instead of fighting 495.

The migration patterns are interesting. I have never heard of a MoCo kid playing in VA but do know if VA kids playing in MoCo. And yes, a lot of MoCo kids play for teams in Howard and Baltimore counties, from what I can tell primarily Heroes and Skywalkers. M&D seems to be a bit more exclusive for Glenelg and McDonough girls.

[Anonymous]

for whatever it is worth - 26 M&D has two VA kids (one former Pride and one Stars) and a bunch from AA county, but Hero's practices probably more convenient for most Moco players

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has a daughter on one of the older teams you mentioned, I would give it another year or so. The Maryland teams are formed VERY early (early Elementary school) so they are ahead of any team coming from VA. My daughters team used to get killed in 4th/5th grade when they played the M&D's of the world. Look at the 2026/2027 Pride teams and the 2026 Stars teams. They are all very competitive vs. the top clubs from Baltimore. Things tend to even out once the VA teams learn to catch/throw and play at a more competitive level.

It could be a talent thing but as long as the kids are good athletes, they will close the gap.

The 26 Stars team is only good because the top Pride players crossed over and are now on Stars. The Pride 27 team is head and shoulders better than the Stars 27 team. The 28s are probably about even with maybe the Stars 28 team having a slight advantage.

The last statement is the issue. The teams just don't have the talent or athletes. The gap will continue to exist.

Agree on the last poster, the idea of a merge is just not happening. There's too much hatred across both clubs. VA Metro is a good club, but not the talent level of the other 3 mentioned in this post. Saying that NGLL doesnt matter is just trying to justify not playing in it. NGLL has the best competition out there, even in the B divisions. Playing against some of the top teams and players in the country goes a long way to player development and competition.

The only way any kind of merge or consolidation happens is if the parents of top players choose to go from Pride to Stars or Stars to Pride. NL has some great talent as well, but why they wouldn't just go to HoCo for those teams instead of fighting 495.

The migration patterns are interesting. I have never heard of a MoCo kid playing in VA but do know if VA kids playing in MoCo. And yes, a lot of MoCo kids play for teams in Howard and Baltimore counties, from what I can tell primarily Heroes and Skywalkers. M&D seems to be a bit more exclusive for Glenelg and McDonough girls.

BLC used to stop in 5th grade and for 6-8, most BLC girls came to merge with Stars, so those MoCo kids played with Stars for a long time and then moved to Capital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The migration patterns are interesting. I have never heard of a MoCo kid playing in VA but do know if VA kids playing in MoCo. And yes, a lot of MoCo kids play for teams in Howard and Baltimore counties, from what I can tell primarily Heroes and Skywalkers. M&D seems to be a bit more exclusive for Glenelg and McDonough girls.

I think that's perceived (regarding M&D). We live in MoCo and our 22 played for M&D and we have a younger one playing for Hero's. I think Hero's is easier to get to from MoCo for the most part, but practices for both clubs aren't usually too bad. SW practices are the furthest away for the most part.

[Anonymous]

A merger with Stars and Pride would make no sense. They would have 5-6 teams at every age level. It would start looking like soccer. It's better to have multiple clubs.

Both Pride Loudoun and Cavs programs were struggling so that merger made sense. Loudoun is behind the beltway teams/players with respect to playing quality lacrosse.

Stars and Pride (Mclean) are both solid programs.

[Anonymous]

Disagree. This would allow you to truly form true A teams and B teams, not semi A teams and basically rec teams at B level. I don’t think anyone is really suggesting a merger, would never happen, but trying to get two okay teams to work on combining forces to be able to compete with the top MD teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. This would allow you to truly form true A teams and B teams, not semi A teams and basically rec teams at B level. I don’t think anyone is really suggesting a merger, would never happen, but trying to get two okay teams to work on combining forces to be able to compete with the top MD teams.

This is a good comment. The B teams at Pride/Stars are not any better than most Rec teams. Nowhere close to B teams like Hero's or M&D. The A teams from Pride/Stars aren't real A teams but have some talent.

[Anonymous]

NP here but just wanted to voice as a non 28 parent that this is the same thing older parents have been saying for years. Too many clubs in the DMV, talent gets diluted, parents move around trying to figure things out because none of the clubs check all of the boxes as far as coaching, leadership etc. It is a shame but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Stars and Pride A teams can definitely hang with Baltimore teams - 27 and above minus Stars 27. If you combine the rest of the mediocre clubs in the area - NL, Metro, Mc Elite, Cardinal, etc. you could have a third good team in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stars and Pride A teams can definitely hang with Baltimore teams - 27 and above minus Stars 27. If you combine the rest of the mediocre clubs in the area - NL, Metro, Mc Elite, Cardinal, etc. you could have a third good team in VA.

Huh? This doesn’t make sense. What you are saying is that Stars 26 is the only good Stars team. Stars don’t have 25 and above. However, even their 26 team won’t make the playoffs.

As for Pride, their 26 and 27 teams are basically a “best of the rest” situation with neither likely to make the playoffs. Above 25s, it seems that Pride struggles.

Based on 3 teams in two grad years, the idea to suggest that the other clubs are mediocre is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

I think the point of the post was that clubs other than Pride and Stars are mediocre compared to the top Baltimore teams. I would agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stars and Pride A teams can definitely hang with Baltimore teams - 27 and above minus Stars 27. If you combine the rest of the mediocre clubs in the area - NL, Metro, Mc Elite, Cardinal, etc. you could have a third good team in VA.

Huh? This doesn’t make sense. What you are saying is that Stars 26 is the only good Stars team. Stars don’t have 25 and above. However, even their 26 team won’t make the playoffs.

As for Pride, their 26 and 27 teams are basically a “best of the rest” situation with neither likely to make the playoffs. Above 25s, it seems that Pride struggles.

Based on 3 teams in two grad years, the idea to suggest that the other clubs are mediocre is bizarre.

Easy there YJMA Dad. Stars 26 will definitely make the playoffs in NGLL, they already beat Pride and Integrity. Not sure what you are watching, but we know it's not NGLL games.

[Anonymous]

OP, i get what you are trying to do. As a parent of an older girl I watched a bunch of incomplete DMV teams get killed by the Baltimore teams over the years... but at the end of the day, parents are going to do what is best for their kid, rather than try to field a team that could be competitive. It is not a new story and has been happening for years. IMO, the DMV has about 1-2 too many teams so the talent gets diffused.

And also, at the end of the day, these club directors are powerful and connected. Parents don't have the ability to form a coup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, i get what you are trying to do. As a parent of an older girl I watched a bunch of incomplete DMV teams get killed by the Baltimore teams over the years... but at the end of the day, parents are going to do what is best for their kid, rather than try to field a team that could be competitive. It is not a new story and has been happening for years. IMO, the DMV has about 1-2 too many teams so the talent gets diffused.

And also, at the end of the day, these club directors are powerful and connected. Parents don't have the ability to form a coup.

If the top girls on a team band together and tryout this summer for a different team who exactly is going to stop them? I think you misunderstand who really has the power in this situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beg to differ a pride on rise and stars on decline. They are prob very close to being on level field. Both have issues to work on. I give nod to Stars for facilities.

There is a (good) open thread on DCUM related to Capital Tryouts. One of the points in one of the posts is relevant to this discussion:

"Stars is no longer the feeder to Capital it once was. The club was sold to TSJ which is starting its own HS team. An argument could be made that Pride is a stronger feeder to Capital based on the numbers selected for the ‘25 team."

Is this mostly a true statement? It is generally consistent with what I also perceive to be a Stars program on the decline, but would love to hear what others think.