Private School Lacrosse Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn't one of the club expand into Loudoun County? Those families are all sports crazy and have just enough cash to pay for all this sh*t.

Madlax and VLC already draw from Loudoun.

Yes but they're a haul through Ffx traffic. Something closer would get lots of takers especially in the younger age groups.

Kids are traveling over a 100 miles to play for Madlax and VLC. It may sound crazy. But if the goal is getting your son recruited, it's worth the gas (and madness).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn't one of the club expand into Loudoun County? Those families are all sports crazy and have just enough cash to pay for all this sh*t.

VLC is cornering that market. The move of PVI, the primary private school feed to vlc, will only solidify that pipeline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn't one of the club expand into Loudoun County? Those families are all sports crazy and have just enough cash to pay for all this sh*t.

Madlax and VLC already draw from Loudoun.

Yes but they're a haul through Ffx traffic. Something closer would get lots of takers especially in the younger age groups.

Don't feed the Evergreen troll, stop the nonsense. People aren't gonna go play there just because you are too lazy to drive or your son can't make one of the big three programs.

Eek! I'm not an Evergreen troll. Is that a Christmas reference? Just kidding I Googled it. I'm a mom thinking about DD's future and I'm glad there is girls' and boys' info on this thread so thanks everyone for that. I have spoken with a couple families from Loudoun, one who has a son on one of the VA clubs who is a D1 commit, and one who spends upwards of 20K on their travel team for their 8 & 10 year-olds (not lax) and they say that's pretty typical. It's typical in this area, but there are a lot more kids out there than in Alexandria for example. People out there tend to have bigger families too from what I've seen. Plus there aren't a lot of private schools, so there's some extra spending money. Plus driving out there I see a lot of things that indicate people have a bit of extra cash, like some nice cars and that golf/skydiving place on Rt. 7.

It was just an observation but evidently I hit a nerve, so I'm sorry I upset you and I hope your club has much success this fall and that you have a great day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1
re the boys situation:
Playing club to keep up your skills is one thing. Paying exorbitant additional fees to the douchebag coaches because theyve convinced you they are your ticket to college is another. they are businessmen who, unlike your HS coaches, only care about your sons as it furthers their own resumes.

All things being equal, playing club increases your chances. Regardless if you play for a powerhouse high school team. Are their outliers? Sure. Do you have to? No.

But just take a look at the list of recruits for 2019/2018 on Recruiting Rundown ...

https://recruitingrundown.com/2017/09/14/recruiting-rundowns-top-100-for-the-class-of-2019-juniors/
https://recruitingrundown.com/player-rankings/juniors-2018/


You can quickly scan the lists to notice basically EVERY kid listed plays for a club. Many also play for the top private schools across the nation. So yeah. You can play the %'s or just stay stubborn and say my private school team is fine. Maybe it is. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is the NCS lacrosse program?

Well they were in the A divison (really the B division as the AA is the A) of the ISL. They won it last year and now are moving up to AA division for 2018. Thats sounds good but its really not. Winning the A Div means they beat schools like Maret, Sidwell, GDS, . Not impressive at all. NCS has one great (Capital Blue '19, committed to Yale) and one good freshman (Capital Blue '21) and then a bunch of very mediocre players. They play a super light schedule, very very few of the girls are truly invested in the sport, and the school is not invested at all. To be completely honest its a really weak program.

That's surprising, as there is an obviously an overlap between NCS and STA families. The STA lacrosse dads and moms I know are fanatics about the sport and building up the STA program. STA has always emphasized lacrosse, although with varying degrees of success. Still, it is obviously a focus of the school and its boosters. I wonder why that passion does not travel across the Close.

Because NCS is really nothing like STA. They are "related" schools but the cultures are very different. And lots of STA families send their girls to other schools such as Sidwell, Potomac, Visi and Holton (I know multiple families at STA whose DDs attend those 4 in particular). I dont know as many NCS families whose sons don't go to STA (I do know of one whose son is at Landon and another at Gonazaga) but STA tends to be more highly regarded by NCS families than the other way around - weird yes but thats my experience.

Plus, kids in families don't always play the same sports. Also, Girls and Boys lacrosse are really different games and girls lacrosse has been around the DC are afor a much shorter time so doesn't have the alumni support that lacrosse does at STA.

Lacrosse is much better at Holton and Potomac than it is at NCS, even better at Visi, and miles better at SSSAS. Noone goes to NCS for lacrosse. Girls go to NCS for the academics and, if they are really committed to lax they don't go there (most commonly) or they suck up the crappy lax team (rare).

I completely agree with this assessment of NCS. They will struggle this year if they have to play in AA against a lot of these teams, even with the two very good players.

[Anonymous]

Younger kid mom here: So if my son plays for a club + private, do they also attend college prospect days in the fall, or summer recruiting events? Is the club recruiting assistance in addition to or in lieu of those events?

[Anonymous]

If your child likes the school, it might be worth it. Keep in mind that Prospect Days can attract 100-300 kids. A College Coach may only be looking for a dozen future players...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Younger kid mom here: So if my son plays for a club + private, do they also attend college prospect days in the fall, or summer recruiting events? Is the club recruiting assistance in addition to or in lieu of those events?

Showcases are better for kids who play on mid- to low-level club teams to get exposure. If you're on a high-level club team that plays other high-level club teams, you are getting those same coaches to come to your games. Having said that, all levels of kids go to those showcases to be seen, but it's probably redundant for some of them. So, for high-level players, you are basically doubling up on money spent just to make sure you have maximized exposure. That's a personal choice for each family.

The prospect days are useful if your kid wants to go to that school. However, as a previous poster pointed out, be prepared for bigger crowds at better schools. Prospect days do help colleges identify a couple of prospects per session, but they are also easy ways for the coaching staff to supplement their income. You are paying them to come to their school so they can decide if your son is good enough to play at their school. Pretty sweet gig. And, you have to really stand out for them to notice. There are tons of kids that "played well" at those camps; only a few really stand out above the rest and get noticed.

I'm not trying to diss either format, just letting you know to have realistic expectations. We did both, realized some of it was useful and some of it was wasted money, and have modified our plan for the rest of the crew. Don't be afraid to ask the club coach and the (eventual) high school coach for their recommendations as well. They may have some different takes on different events. From our experience, the extremes (not going to any, going to all) don't seem to be useful. Somewhere in the middle is probably a good place to start. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Younger kid mom here: So if my son plays for a club + private, do they also attend college prospect days in the fall, or summer recruiting events? Is the club recruiting assistance in addition to or in lieu of those events?

Showcases are better for kids who play on mid- to low-level club teams to get exposure. If you're on a high-level club team that plays other high-level club teams, you are getting those same coaches to come to your games. Having said that, all levels of kids go to those showcases to be seen, but it's probably redundant for some of them. So, for high-level players, you are basically doubling up on money spent just to make sure you have maximized exposure. That's a personal choice for each family.

The prospect days are useful if your kid wants to go to that school. However, as a previous poster pointed out, be prepared for bigger crowds at better schools. Prospect days do help colleges identify a couple of prospects per session, but they are also easy ways for the coaching staff to supplement their income. You are paying them to come to their school so they can decide if your son is good enough to play at their school. Pretty sweet gig. And, you have to really stand out for them to notice. There are tons of kids that "played well" at those camps; only a few really stand out above the rest and get noticed.

I'm not trying to diss either format, just letting you know to have realistic expectations. We did both, realized some of it was useful and some of it was wasted money, and have modified our plan for the rest of the crew. Don't be afraid to ask the club coach and the (eventual) high school coach for their recommendations as well. They may have some different takes on different events. From our experience, the extremes (not going to any, going to all) don't seem to be useful. Somewhere in the middle is probably a good place to start. Good luck.

Aren't some of the prospect days invite only?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Younger kid mom here: So if my son plays for a club + private, do they also attend college prospect days in the fall, or summer recruiting events? Is the club recruiting assistance in addition to or in lieu of those events?

Showcases are better for kids who play on mid- to low-level club teams to get exposure. If you're on a high-level club team that plays other high-level club teams, you are getting those same coaches to come to your games. Having said that, all levels of kids go to those showcases to be seen, but it's probably redundant for some of them. So, for high-level players, you are basically doubling up on money spent just to make sure you have maximized exposure. That's a personal choice for each family.

The prospect days are useful if your kid wants to go to that school. However, as a previous poster pointed out, be prepared for bigger crowds at better schools. Prospect days do help colleges identify a couple of prospects per session, but they are also easy ways for the coaching staff to supplement their income. You are paying them to come to their school so they can decide if your son is good enough to play at their school. Pretty sweet gig. And, you have to really stand out for them to notice. There are tons of kids that "played well" at those camps; only a few really stand out above the rest and get noticed.

I'm not trying to diss either format, just letting you know to have realistic expectations. We did both, realized some of it was useful and some of it was wasted money, and have modified our plan for the rest of the crew. Don't be afraid to ask the club coach and the (eventual) high school coach for their recommendations as well. They may have some different takes on different events. From our experience, the extremes (not going to any, going to all) don't seem to be useful. Somewhere in the middle is probably a good place to start. Good luck.

Aren't some of the prospect days invite only?

No, by rule prospect days have to be open to all. With that said, some schools don't publicize their days well - links are harder to find. As previous posters have noted, most colleges do them because they can bring in great revenue with low expenditures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child likes the school, it might be worth it. Keep in mind that Prospect Days can attract 100-300 kids. A College Coach may only be looking for a dozen future players...

college prospect days are usually just money makers. They typically know the 2-3 kids they want in advance. Showcases offer a better chance to stand out. however, they tend to reward bigger, stronger, faster kids. Being on a good club team is the best way for most kids to stand out.

[Anonymous]

Whar are the recommended showcases for someone aiming for d3?

[Anonymous]

Elite 180

Good to Great @ Amherst

New England Top 150

"Lacrosse Masters" sponsors several events that seem to focus on selective academic schools.

[Anonymous]

What showcases for better for D1?

[Anonymous]

Last year the NESCAC schools and Adrenaline hosted a Froday-Sunday mini camp at Lynn University in Florida. All of the NESCAC schools were represented and many of the head coaches were there. I know three kids who went and got on coaches' radars there (all were very good students) and got offers when the time came July 1 this year. Last year they only had about 80 kids or so (4 teams) so there were lots of opportunities to get to know the coaches' styles. I know I sound like an ad, but after having two kids go through this process I can honestly say it was one of if not the best event either attended.