What's going on with MadLax 2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coaches at Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Loyola, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Michigan and Syracuse all said high school matters more than club. While club is valuable and necessary our experience suggests coaches want to see a player on the field and successful in high school. If you look at the top 2024 recruits from our area you’ll see all had phenomenal spring seasons last year. The #1 recruit didn’t even play club last summer due to an injury.

Great! So we have this mess of a club hoping because they hate CM that much and love DM & Co or they really hate losing. Which is it parents? The results will be about the same or one or two more wins. Based on the PP you don't need the club!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve visited a lot of college programs in the last year and coaches are suggesting players attend less and less showcases. They’re seeing too much hero ball, bad lacrosse and kids who are burnt out. Unfortunately the talent is no longer as selective at the showcases as it was precovid and college coaches are realizing that reality. Everything we’ve heard as of late is that recruiting happens in high school first, then club tournaments (very important your club is attending the best tournaments), prospect days and maybe a showcase last if they already have your kid pegged as a top recruit. Invite only showcases are the only ones worth attending.

Not sure which college coaches you are talking to but the only HS recruiting I have seen is at NHSLS which are summer and fall events. How can coaches take time out of a spring season to recruit? Say what you want about the top club events but Crabfeast, NLF, NAL, Naptown are all swarming with coaches on the sidelines. The top coaches as well. I think they also prefer to see how they stack up playing only in the class they are recruiting. This summer they will focus on players who just completed the sophomore season. At the top HS programs some of these players may not be starters and why would coaches waste time watching games with committed seniors when they can see all recruitable players at one location. Coaches will ask a player to send the summer schedule. I would say club is the most important way to get recruited. A mid level public school has four D1 recruits. Did the HS play even a small role in that? Not a chance. Why do you think so many kids are committed from the top club teams? This is not difficult. Sorry but the Big4, PLC events just don't draw the coaches nor do most of the showcases.

I am not the original poster, but most top HS programs stream games. That is how they are doing it. I have 2 kids playing college lacrosse now. I have talked about this very thing w both recruiting coordinators. The original premise is correct, and streaming allows them to watch all HS games at any time during a week or Spring season.

They can't rid the recruiting process completely of club events, but it is 100% less influential than it was even 5 years ago. HS 1st. College days 2nd. Club events 3rd. Showcases 4th. All provide some value, but this is how I have been told they rank by two separate staffs.

Plenty of kids get recruited to top programs who do not play for top HS teams. I am quite sure college coaches are not randomly deciding to watch streams of various HS teams around the country randomly hoping to spot a kid as the #1 source for recruiting. That is not logical. Also, all the club events are also streamed. Why do coaches then make the effort to travel to club events to see these players in person? College teams do not have large recruiting staffs. They watch hours of film in season of college games. You think they have that much time to also watch a public school HS game? Sure some may watch the top MIA or IAC game streams. I still do not think HS ranks #1. Prospect days have become a money maker and rarely a source to find talent. Plenty of top kids from outside of a hotbed and from public school get recruited. How many kids get recruited that are not on a top club team? Look at the 2023/2024 commit list in this area? The common factor is they all played for one of four clubs. A few D3 player for the other group of clubs. Did not see one player/not one who did not play on any club and just played for a top HS team.

I am just telling you what the recruiters at my kids schools have told me. And I didn't say don't play club...I am just saying how the coaches view/rank the various platforms against each other. Lastly, what do you think the percentage of top club kids play on the best HS programs in the DC area?? 80%? So...But go ahead and believe that the clubs are the end all be all. And yes...they do watch film all the time...in particular the recruiting coordinator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches at Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Loyola, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Michigan and Syracuse all said high school matters more than club. While club is valuable and necessary our experience suggests coaches want to see a player on the field and successful in high school. If you look at the top 2024 recruits from our area you’ll see all had phenomenal spring seasons last year. The #1 recruit didn’t even play club last summer due to an injury.

Great! So we have this mess of a club hoping because they hate CM that much and love DM & Co or they really hate losing. Which is it parents? The results will be about the same or one or two more wins. Based on the PP you don't need the club!

They don't even know if they love DM (who is only coaching them for 10th grade season, according to some), but they do for sure hate CM. Tough to say which team will be better, as they are both in heavy recruiting mode, so they re unfinished rosters. Dads are still on the phone talking to people trying to work it as well for NL. We'll see. This is the 2nd time NL has done this to ML, which has to sting a bit.

[Anonymous]

^ + 100

Every single prospect day we did this past year said they hate club play, and value high school play much much more. Also they said they don't listen to the club coaches since all they do is push their kids and can be gone next year. High school coaches on the other hand stick around. So they build relationships with the high school and oftentimes ask to talk to a history or English teacher to get a read on how the kid is as a student beyond simple grades. 'Where do they sit in class?' 'Are they an active participant in class discussions?' 'Do they do their homework and come prepared?' Club can't answer any of that or provide a road map for the coaches on that. Was very surprising to hear and all my wife and I kept thinking is 'Why didn't we hear this speech 5 years ago before we invested $3-5k per year in club dues?'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches at Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Loyola, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Michigan and Syracuse all said high school matters more than club. While club is valuable and necessary our experience suggests coaches want to see a player on the field and successful in high school. If you look at the top 2024 recruits from our area you’ll see all had phenomenal spring seasons last year. The #1 recruit didn’t even play club last summer due to an injury.

Great post.

I have heard similarly from a top D1 school as well. The way it was explained is that the high school game experience and how kids interact on field and with coaches on sidelines is better apples to apples compare for college as compared to club play. And because of the volume of hs I was told the recruiters only really look at the top programs to keep their efforts focused.

[Anonymous]

Not PP but I think there are two different things at work here. I agree coaches want to know an really evaluate the HS performance and tend to want to know what type of program the player is used to. All things being equal, a college will recruit a player from a top HS conference like MIAA, IAC, WCAC. Sorry but it is harder to get recruited from public school it just is. However, I think a good portion of recruiting activity takes place at the club events and/or showcases. By the time they evaluate HS performance, they are already interested in that player. As it stands, most top HS recruits are at strong HS and strong clubs

[Anonymous]

Joe I appreciate your honest and open feedback and while I’m sure your team has done well, even a team as talented as DC Dogs was forced to affiliate with an organization like Madlax in order to participate in the best tournaments. Correct me if I’m wrong but Wolf Pack hasn’t had near the success and national exposure DC Dogs had by the time those boys where in 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

I’m just curious, how many of the top players don’t play for a club. I’m not saying they should be club hopping, but I don’t know of any top players even those in NY who don’t play for their high school and a club.

[Anonymous]

None

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None

So why are we having this debate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coaches at Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Loyola, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Michigan and Syracuse all said high school matters more than club. While club is valuable and necessary our experience suggests coaches want to see a player on the field and successful in high school. If you look at the top 2024 recruits from our area you’ll see all had phenomenal spring seasons last year. The #1 recruit didn’t even play club last summer due to an injury.

Not even a boy's lacrosse dad but I love all of the anecdotal "Facts" that get thrown out on this board.

This is an actual quote from a D1 Coach whose team is currently in the Top 10. He was also my big brother in our fraternity in college.

"We don't have time for High School because it's during our season. That doesn't mean we won't speak with a high school coach, it would be dumb not to. But, we can see with our own eyes every summer."

I think they trust their own eyes over someone's opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches at Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Loyola, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Michigan and Syracuse all said high school matters more than club. While club is valuable and necessary our experience suggests coaches want to see a player on the field and successful in high school. If you look at the top 2024 recruits from our area you’ll see all had phenomenal spring seasons last year. The #1 recruit didn’t even play club last summer due to an injury.

Not even a boy's lacrosse dad but I love all of the anecdotal "Facts" that get thrown out on this board.

This is an actual quote from a D1 Coach whose team is currently in the Top 10. He was also my big brother in our fraternity in college.

"We don't have time for High School because it's during our season. That doesn't mean we won't speak with a high school coach, it would be dumb not to. But, we can see with our own eyes every summer."

I think they trust their own eyes over someone's opinion.

Good point. It may depend on the school. For example the IAC plays in the summer and fall while the WCAC does not play in the summer. Meaning some schools can have their players seen at these tournaments without needing the club. NHSLS is an example. I still think most kids do both. Players just need hat summer exposure.

[Anonymous]

I know why good players leave MadLax, but it's harder to see why they leave DCE. The two attackmen were getting plenty of playing time on a team ranked in the top 10-15, lots of national exposure, with a good experienced coach. what do they expect to get on the new NL team that they did not have already on DCE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know why good players leave MadLax, but it's harder to see why they leave DCE. The two attackmen were getting plenty of playing time on a team ranked in the top 10-15, lots of national exposure, with a good experienced coach. what do they expect to get on the new NL team that they did not have already on DCE?

Why do you care so much? Why have you been asking this same question for months? Why don’t you just call the dads and ask them. Move along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know why good players leave MadLax, but it's harder to see why they leave DCE. The two attackmen were getting plenty of playing time on a team ranked in the top 10-15, lots of national exposure, with a good experienced coach. what do they expect to get on the new NL team that they did not have already on DCE?

Bc BH is a bad coach and has a terrible coaching style. Players don’t want to be told how bad they are all the time. I can’t believe DCE employs him.