Feedback on VLC Club Lacrosse?

[Anonymous]

^^ new PP the above long post is exactly right and describes what happened with previous teams as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably the biggest issue with VLC is the "directors" don't want to take any ownership. They just think the teams will be good by magic. They don't hire quality coaches at the younger level, and they don't provide any support to the coaches they do have. The lack of communication from them is dismal and they are good with it. Sad...

This is 100% true with VLC. Their motto has always been "trust the process" and they count on current families to bring in new talent. They do absolutely NOTHING to try and get the word out about their club, bring in new players, etc. While the boys can always practice more and better their game...the coaches do very little in giving them direction, motivation, understanding, etc. This is probably because the coaches get no support from management at all. No ownership with VLC management at all...ZERO. This is why the 27 team folded, it didn't happen overnight. Most of the boys gave them a couple of years and got several coaches, poor communication at best, and the excuse of trust the process. VLC just expected boys to show up at tryouts. Existing boys did show up, new boys didn't. The sign was there, little interest in the club. So boys went off to different teams and VLC couldn't field a team. The 26s, 28s, 29s have their issues...and all those younger teams are only there because of the Cavs merger. VLC couldn't field any of those teams if it wasn't for Cavs. What does this say for the future of VLC when so many of their teams are having issues. I truly wish VLC the best, there are some great folks over there. Great talent with amazing boys and families that have tried or are "trusting the process". This is a huge failure on Dico and management to have had 1 team fold and several others that are being held by a thread. Crabs might want to start getting in their business since they are connected with them.

This is by far the most accurate summary of this club given on this 108 pages is comments so far. I think what vlc does is a good sales job of how they alledegly produce D1 athletes. They have had a few successful classes, but it’s definitely not going to be their 27s or 28s. Might be their 29s and that only because Cavs brought a very solid 29 team to the table with grown up adult coaches. That will be something the club takes credit for, but in reality is a successful team because they have solid coaching and committed families. 28s already are full of families who thought True would offer them something better mid season. Not exactly a winning combo.

[Anonymous]

Are we still talking about kids that are currently 12yrs old?

Also, is there any correlation to how a team does in HoCo how those same kids do in HS or College?

No. We are talking about 27s. Rising 8th graders, who could be an indicator of how VLC will do in the future since they currently don’t have a team at that age level. And yes, HOCO doesn’t matter in the long term but teams need to develop and be able to recruit top talent. That’s hard to do if you’re not even fielding teams at the elite level in HOCO. From what I remember, the older VLC teams always competed in the elite bracket.

[Anonymous]

"I think what vlc does is a good sales job of how they alledegly produce D1 athletes. "

Whoever this disgruntled VLC parent is, you have the right to post whatever you want as Feedback on VLC. It should also be noted when you are posting what sounds like personal sour grapes and nothing close to reality. Arguably two of the best players currently in the game played for VLC and would tell you it helped shape them as men and players. The number D1 players to craft the skills through VLC and VLC coaches is too numerous to list here but represents Ivy league, ACC, Patriot league, B1G, top D2 and D3. Attend the recruiting night and hear from players and parents who did trust the process. It is true that some years are stronger than others but each year kids found success. Nobody at VLC is trying to sell anyone anything.

"From what I remember, the older VLC teams always competed in the elite bracket."

I think the 2026 team was the first team to play at this level. The 2023 and 2024 teams did not but beat elite teams several times at HS showcases. The team success is not only teams from "years ago" the only team right now that is is fair to evaluate is 2023 because that is the active recruiting year which is ongoing right now. So far this team has 15 players committed I think 11 are D1. Only 10 on the field at one time. Time will tell with 2024. It is till way too early to worry about 2028 and 2029 teams and how they will do in HS. If you think that lacrosse development ends in 6th and 7th grade you will be disappointed. There are kids not on any club right now that will join ML, NL, VLC, DCE and go on to be D1 players. This is what is 100% true with VLC

[Anonymous]

Ok, I don’t think there is any “disgruntled” parent here. I also don’t think that it’s only fair to evaluate the 2023 team to determine if a club is good. Families spend a lot of money with clubs and a fair amount of investment with their time to commute to practices and tournaments. While what’s happening in middle school isn’t always indicative of what happens in high school and recruiting opportunities, it does say a lot about how a club is run and if the families are making a sound investment with their time and money in that club. The post is about VLC in general. People want honest feedback as they are trying to make the best decisions for their families. Kudos to vlc for producing so many D1 athletes, that doesn’t seem to be in question. What’s being questioned is if it’s serving it’s players well in general. I for one appreciate the honest feedback from all sides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I don’t think there is any “disgruntled” parent here. I also don’t think that it’s only fair to evaluate the 2023 team to determine if a club is good. Families spend a lot of money with clubs and a fair amount of investment with their time to commute to practices and tournaments. While what’s happening in middle school isn’t always indicative of what happens in high school and recruiting opportunities, it does say a lot about how a club is run and if the families are making a sound investment with their time and money in that club. The post is about VLC in general. People want honest feedback as they are trying to make the best decisions for their families. Kudos to vlc for producing so many D1 athletes, that doesn’t seem to be in question. What’s being questioned is if it’s serving it’s players well in general. I for one appreciate the honest feedback from all sides.

I do not know if you are the PP or not but this statement is all over the place. Kudos to VLC for producing so many D1 athletes? The previous post claimed "allegedly" producing so we can agree that yes, they have helped many young men become D1 athletes. The previous post also does not claim that the 2023 team is the only team that determines if a club is good. However, from a recruiting success standpoint it is the only current team that makes sense to evaluate in terms of recruiting success currently at VLC no other team is currently in the recruiting window. As far as being "disgruntled" previous posts sure sound that way. Not sure if these are all from the same VLC mom or not. Some claimed it was a current goalie dad? If you are questioning if the team is serving the players that could be perceived as disgruntled. Yes, feedback goes both ways. In my opinion, parents who view joining a lacrosse club from the standpoint of making a "sound investment" are doing it for the wrong reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I don’t think there is any “disgruntled” parent here. I also don’t think that it’s only fair to evaluate the 2023 team to determine if a club is good. Families spend a lot of money with clubs and a fair amount of investment with their time to commute to practices and tournaments. While what’s happening in middle school isn’t always indicative of what happens in high school and recruiting opportunities, it does say a lot about how a club is run and if the families are making a sound investment with their time and money in that club. The post is about VLC in general. People want honest feedback as they are trying to make the best decisions for their families. Kudos to vlc for producing so many D1 athletes, that doesn’t seem to be in question. What’s being questioned is if it’s serving it’s players well in general. I for one appreciate the honest feedback from all sides.

I do not know if you are the PP or not but this statement is all over the place. Kudos to VLC for producing so many D1 athletes? The previous post claimed "allegedly" producing so we can agree that yes, they have helped many young men become D1 athletes. The previous post also does not claim that the 2023 team is the only team that determines if a club is good. However, from a recruiting success standpoint it is the only current team that makes sense to evaluate in terms of recruiting success currently at VLC no other team is currently in the recruiting window. As far as being "disgruntled" previous posts sure sound that way. Not sure if these are all from the same VLC mom or not. Some claimed it was a current goalie dad? If you are questioning if the team is serving the players that could be perceived as disgruntled. Yes, feedback goes both ways. In my opinion, parents who view joining a lacrosse club from the standpoint of making a "sound investment" are doing it for the wrong reason.

Isn't the proof in the pudding? If they are so good, how many times at the 23, 24 and 25 levels has VLC beaten ML, NL, DCE or Hawks, let alone 91-MD? This is ridiculous. If you think your kid has a shot at playing in sub standard brackets against B-level competition, you are sorely mistaken. VLC has some great athletes, but typically they ditch in high school after seeing the fruits of their program's summer. Don't waste your money on VLC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I don’t think there is any “disgruntled” parent here. I also don’t think that it’s only fair to evaluate the 2023 team to determine if a club is good. Families spend a lot of money with clubs and a fair amount of investment with their time to commute to practices and tournaments. While what’s happening in middle school isn’t always indicative of what happens in high school and recruiting opportunities, it does say a lot about how a club is run and if the families are making a sound investment with their time and money in that club. The post is about VLC in general. People want honest feedback as they are trying to make the best decisions for their families. Kudos to vlc for producing so many D1 athletes, that doesn’t seem to be in question. What’s being questioned is if it’s serving it’s players well in general. I for one appreciate the honest feedback from all sides.

I do not know if you are the PP or not but this statement is all over the place. Kudos to VLC for producing so many D1 athletes? The previous post claimed "allegedly" producing so we can agree that yes, they have helped many young men become D1 athletes. The previous post also does not claim that the 2023 team is the only team that determines if a club is good. However, from a recruiting success standpoint it is the only current team that makes sense to evaluate in terms of recruiting success currently at VLC no other team is currently in the recruiting window. As far as being "disgruntled" previous posts sure sound that way. Not sure if these are all from the same VLC mom or not. Some claimed it was a current goalie dad? If you are questioning if the team is serving the players that could be perceived as disgruntled. Yes, feedback goes both ways. In my opinion, parents who view joining a lacrosse club from the standpoint of making a "sound investment" are doing it for the wrong reason.

Isn't the proof in the pudding? If they are so good, how many times at the 23, 24 and 25 levels has VLC beaten ML, NL, DCE or Hawks, let alone 91-MD? This is ridiculous. If you think your kid has a shot at playing in sub standard brackets against B-level competition, you are sorely mistaken. VLC has some great athletes, but typically they ditch in high school after seeing the fruits of their program's summer. Don't waste your money on VLC.

Sorry to disappoint you my misinformed friend, there are no "B" brackets in HS top tournaments like NLF, Crabfeast, NAL which by the way are the top places where coaches go. VLC 2023 beat Next Level the last two times they played and never lost once to 91-MD although 2023 91-MD is not a strong team. There is a whole group of great teams in HS events. Once you wander beyond the youth league HOCO will seem like a distant memory. Brotherly Love, Eclipse, West Coast Stars, HHH, 91NY, Express all of these teams are teams that VLC can and has beaten. Pudding = proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I don’t think there is any “disgruntled” parent here. I also don’t think that it’s only fair to evaluate the 2023 team to determine if a club is good. Families spend a lot of money with clubs and a fair amount of investment with their time to commute to practices and tournaments. While what’s happening in middle school isn’t always indicative of what happens in high school and recruiting opportunities, it does say a lot about how a club is run and if the families are making a sound investment with their time and money in that club. The post is about VLC in general. People want honest feedback as they are trying to make the best decisions for their families. Kudos to vlc for producing so many D1 athletes, that doesn’t seem to be in question. What’s being questioned is if it’s serving it’s players well in general. I for one appreciate the honest feedback from all sides.

I do not know if you are the PP or not but this statement is all over the place. Kudos to VLC for producing so many D1 athletes? The previous post claimed "allegedly" producing so we can agree that yes, they have helped many young men become D1 athletes. The previous post also does not claim that the 2023 team is the only team that determines if a club is good. However, from a recruiting success standpoint it is the only current team that makes sense to evaluate in terms of recruiting success currently at VLC no other team is currently in the recruiting window. As far as being "disgruntled" previous posts sure sound that way. Not sure if these are all from the same VLC mom or not. Some claimed it was a current goalie dad? If you are questioning if the team is serving the players that could be perceived as disgruntled. Yes, feedback goes both ways. In my opinion, parents who view joining a lacrosse club from the standpoint of making a "sound investment" are doing it for the wrong reason.

Isn't the proof in the pudding? If they are so good, how many times at the 23, 24 and 25 levels has VLC beaten ML, NL, DCE or Hawks, let alone 91-MD? This is ridiculous. If you think your kid has a shot at playing in sub standard brackets against B-level competition, you are sorely mistaken. VLC has some great athletes, but typically they ditch in high school after seeing the fruits of their program's summer. Don't waste your money on VLC.

The 23s were 2-0 v. NL, 3-0 v 91 MD, and 0-2 v DCD with the last score being 5-2. All of those teams played Elite HoCo league as well, but the VLC 23s never did FWIW

[Anonymous]

VLC 2023 was invited to HOCO Elite but it was rescinded because that team had no holdbacks. That team was also all local players. No players coming in from NY or Connecticut, etc. Ask other teams if they bring in players from other states for big tournies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VLC 2023 was invited to HOCO Elite but it was rescinded because that team had no holdbacks. That team was also all local players. No players coming in from NY or Connecticut, etc. Ask other teams if they bring in players from other states for big tournies.

You are seriously citing 23's HoCo experience when they are rising seniors when HoCo ended for them in 8th grade? Just wow! Give me a time that VLC beat any of those top teams in the 24 class? 25s? 26s? They are most definitely NOT a strong program. A big part of it is Coach Mabry pushing his own program over the VLC. Another chunk of it is Crabs not giving them the resources and then cherry picking the best, but no way would any parent reasonably consider ML, NL, DCE, Hawks, 91 in the same breath as VLC. VLC is on par with Richmond Hawks, Predators, maybe FCA and maybe True Annapolis. But don't even think for a second that the club is on par with the big dogs in that class.

[Anonymous]

Calm down. I was responding to the previous post about why 23s didn't do HoCo Elite. We get it; you don't like VLC.

[Anonymous]

Wow angry VLC mom is all over the place. 24 class will also have a good number of college commitments I think that is what parents will care about.

[Anonymous]

VLC regularly graduates kids to D1, some have won NCAA championships, and others play in the PLL. This will continue for the foreseeable future. Not following doom and gloom poster’s ranting….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VLC 2023 was invited to HOCO Elite but it was rescinded because that team had no holdbacks. That team was also all local players. No players coming in from NY or Connecticut, etc. Ask other teams if they bring in players from other states for big tournies.

You are seriously citing 23's HoCo experience when they are rising seniors when HoCo ended for them in 8th grade? Just wow! Give me a time that VLC beat any of those top teams in the 24 class? 25s? 26s? They are most definitely NOT a strong program. A big part of it is Coach Mabry pushing his own program over the VLC. Another chunk of it is Crabs not giving them the resources and then cherry picking the best, but no way would any parent reasonably consider ML, NL, DCE, Hawks, 91 in the same breath as VLC. VLC is on par with Richmond Hawks, Predators, maybe FCA and maybe True Annapolis. But don't even think for a second that the club is on par with the big dogs in that class.

This past spring in HoCo, VLC 2026 beat MadLax and DC Express, and likely would have beat NextLevel, had NL been in the elite division. Just saying.