Retired Club Parent Observations (Boys)

[Anonymous]

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with OP’s comments. I would add one bit of advice - it’s the dad’s job to be realistic about his kid’s interest level and talent. Club in High School is not for the above average player with above average interest- there’s too much opportunity cost (lean to drive, study for the SATs etc) Dads need to sit down with their kids and realy talk to them about what they want and what is possible. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, what is fogo?

Face Off Go Off (faceoff specialist)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree with OP’s comments. I would add one bit of advice - it’s the dad’s job to be realistic about his kid’s interest level and talent. Club in High School is not for the above average player with above average interest- there’s too much opportunity cost (lean to drive, study for the SATs etc) Dads need to sit down with their kids and realy talk to them about what they want and what is possible. Just my two cents.

Agree, don't be the kid/family that takes a spot just to have fun and hang with your boys. The entire team needs to have the same level of intensity and goal in mind and that needs to come from the Club, Coach, Parents and Kid. You always have the B teams (DMV, Red, Orange) at clubs and lesser clubs to "Have Fun."

Don't get it confused it all about having fun but it is a ton of sacrifice if you don't want to play college lacrosse at any level.

[Anonymous]

Dad coach never ever ever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree with OP’s comments. I would add one bit of advice - it’s the dad’s job to be realistic about his kid’s interest level and talent. Club in High School is not for the above average player with above average interest- there’s too much opportunity cost (lean to drive, study for the SATs etc) Dads need to sit down with their kids and realy talk to them about what they want and what is possible. Just my two cents.

Què? It's not for the above average player with above average interest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dad coach never ever ever

Sounds like you and the OP are at odds.

[Anonymous]

I’d add being on varsity as a freshman matters if you want your kid to be recruited D1. There are exceptions of course and your kid doesn’t have to get significant minutes but it does matter for their resume when recruiting starts. I’d also say if your kid is the 4th attack or a second line middie in club and all things otherwise are equal try to pick a high school where his chances of playing are better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree with OP’s comments. I would add one bit of advice - it’s the dad’s job to be realistic about his kid’s interest level and talent. Club in High School is not for the above average player with above average interest- there’s too much opportunity cost (lean to drive, study for the SATs etc) Dads need to sit down with their kids and realy talk to them about what they want and what is possible. Just my two cents.

Què? It's not for the above average player with above average interest?

Meaning it’s for the elite players who have a burning passion for the game/to play in college. Summer lacrosse in high school is a huge sacrifice of the three most valuable summers a kid has. Don’t spend it on an activity he/she merely likes but doesn’t loves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree with OP’s comments. I would add one bit of advice - it’s the dad’s job to be realistic about his kid’s interest level and talent. Club in High School is not for the above average player with above average interest- there’s too much opportunity cost (lean to drive, study for the SATs etc) Dads need to sit down with their kids and realy talk to them about what they want and what is possible. Just my two cents.

Què? It's not for the above average player with above average interest?

Meaning it’s for the elite players who have a burning passion for the game/to play in college. Summer lacrosse in high school is a huge sacrifice of the three most valuable summers a kid has. Don’t spend it on an activity he/she merely likes but doesn’t loves

When you look at the 2026 commitment list for the top 4 teams, which all have decent standing, you don't see 100 elite players.
About a dozen are committed to teams that made the playoffs. Expand to a typical top 20 of teams it's like 18. Expand to desirable schools you otherwise couldn't get into or might be top 20ish in other years (call it the top 1/2 of Div 1) the total is around 30. Throw in a handful+ of top D3s and it's well under half the rosters of those 4 teams. That's not elite across the board or anywhere close.

As far as the dedication thing, there are tons of teams that play club and even fly across the country to do it that aren't nearly as talented as those top 4 teams here. Whatever their motivations are, they're pretty cognizant of what they are getting into. I suspect most enjoy the game and want to get better, whether that's for their h.s. years or future years beyond that.

Club lacrosse was definitely built for colleges to recruit easier. Demand brought supply. It certainly has its faults, but one offshoot has been for kids to enjoy competition in it longer if they want. So it's absolutely for the above average player with above average interest. Even at the top clubs around here it seems, if they can make the team. The OPs points about bloated roster warnings is a good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d add being on varsity as a freshman matters if you want your kid to be recruited D1. There are exceptions of course and your kid doesn’t have to get significant minutes but it does matter for their resume when recruiting starts. I’d also say if your kid is the 4th attack or a second line middie in club and all things otherwise are equal try to pick a high school where his chances of playing are better.

If you don't attend the current lax powers in the area: GZ, SJC, GP, L, BU.

At every other school in the DC region, there's just not enough depth to realistically think your kid is going mid to high D1 if he didn't make varsity. There are plenty of mid to low D1 schools seeking good lax players from this region so long as they have good grades and the parents can pay the tuition.

[Anonymous]

How do you avoid the bloated rosters? Seems like that's not going to change any time soon. So how do you navigate with that as a given?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d add being on varsity as a freshman matters if you want your kid to be recruited D1. There are exceptions of course and your kid doesn’t have to get significant minutes but it does matter for their resume when recruiting starts. I’d also say if your kid is the 4th attack or a second line middie in club and all things otherwise are equal try to pick a high school where his chances of playing are better.

If you go to public school this might be true?? But just looking at the Landon yearbook, I can tell you that at least for Landon that’s not true and I would imagine that it’s also not true at other private schools where there are in theory a lot of good lacrosse players and very few of them make varsity as freshmen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you avoid the bloated rosters? Seems like that's not going to change any time soon. So how do you navigate with that as a given?

Check out the roster sizes of the club program, often it's easily found information. Check out the roster size of the team year prior if it's already been formed. Ask vet parents on sideline if they're aware what the club/team has done. Watch a tournament that's relatively local (good investment of time if you can see how clubs/coaches operate).

Worst case listen at tryouts. Or if not gotten info by then, ask directly in response to invite selection, if you get one.

[Anonymous]

24 is not a realistic number. The kids get hurt, play other sports, and most importantly, in the season (which is summer now for high school) it is really really really hot. To the point that it is unsafe for at the very least the middies to play 3 games a day without enough depth on the team for everyone to get breaks so they can each play their best.