Girls Clubs in Bethesda Area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter played for MC Elite, starting in middle school. We chose the club because we didn't want to drive far to practices. As others have noted, MC Elite is all over the map as far as coaching quality. With one exception, our daughter's coaches were inexperienced. One was also vindictive, following the tone set by club management. Communication from coaches and club management was shrouded with mystery. And, yes, as PPs have noted, MC Elite often plays in tournaments above their level and ends up being the goat team.

Our daughter's HS team was definitely not a powerhouse. So, with all the above factors combined, DH and I, who like you, OP, were confused by all things lacrosse, worried that we had made the wrong choice for DD, who hoped to play D3 lacrosse in college. Starting the summer after sophomore year, we signed her up to play in a bunch of camps and showcases (honestly, I still don't know what the heck a showcase is). She ended up getting several offers to visit from college coaches and is now playing D3 lacrosse at a school she loves.

If we had it to do over again, I'd still look for a club team that doesn't require a lot of driving. The time we would have spent in the car was spent on doing HW, having a reasonable social life, participating in church youth group, earning money as a babysitter and dogwalker, and getting enough sleep. That meant we had a happy and well-rested girl, who went off to college confident in her ability to do well -- which is exactly what she's done.

This is what I want - I don't want to drive all over to take my DD to practices. Too much time spent in the car but it seems like all the close MoCo teams have problems. Is it really worth dealing with the problems of a close MoCo team?

^^PP here -- For us it was because we figured all the other teams would have problems too, and that did seem to be the case. Families that left MC Elite then complained about the teams they went to. Mostly, we just tried to keep lacrosse as a compartment in our daughter's life, not the center of it. In college, lacrosse continues to be something she loves and we enjoy getting to see her play (or, at least we did, prior to the pandemic), but she has other interests and activities and that's exciting to see as well.

This is exactly right. All of the teams have problems. Many, for example, are closely tied to HS teams/coaches. Others have coaches that lie to kids and parents. It is really just important to take a wholistic approach, keeping in mind that not even all of the girls on Hero's or M&D are getting recruited.

++++++++++++

I think these are great outcomes and completely reasonable/well-grounded choices. I really love when things work out well for women in sports!

I will caution to those reading this, however, that MC has changed pretty significantly, very rapidly so for those with girls now in college the experience at MC (although some of the same frustrations may be consistent) may also be considerably worse in certain key respects (especially for some, but increasingly more, teams). The “risk” you run staying is that it really undercuts your daughter’s enjoyment of the game and takes away the fun. As a result, even a player who loves the game may decide to quit at some point (or wants to switch at an age where it gets really hard to do that) - after all, it is still a pretty big time commitment even with less driving to practice (games and tournaments still far and take up lots of weekends).

If there is not a consistent positive coach that shows up, team numbers are low (meaning no subs during hot summer tournaments), and the club sends communications or generates “chatter” that bad results are solely because of the girls’ and families’ lack of commitment or “fitness”, then that tone starts impacting team dynamics. It becomes understandable why people would then be willing to drive or risk another choice. Not saying there is some perfect out there and certainly no one (despite club) should expect to play in college. But if the disorganization and problems at MC make the girls feel uncared about and make it not fun, I am not sure that is a good situation. That doesn’t help improve skill or set anyone up for success and makes the whole thing feel like a chore.

I wish it was still an option to “hang in there” with a local club like MC and it is really sad but just not sure that is the case anymore. Time will tell.

[Anonymous]

Hello - This is OP. Thank you to everyone who contributed. The conversation went a bit deeper and in different directions than i expected, but thanks nevertheless.

I am bewildered by how much you all seem to know about clubs and teams and who and how many girls left one for another etc. I am new to lacrosse. My daughter is in 8th grade. I sense it's a time that makes things more difficult because of the middle school to high school transition. But, I am not new to sports, having managed my older son's travel soccer team for many years. I have never had the level of detail you guys seem to have about different clubs/teams and their dynamics.

Do you feel this is because LAX is a smaller community? Or is there just naturally more drama?

Needless to say, I am almost more confused, but that's okay. The issue seems to be that you want consistent and good coaching. But, you cannot know if you're going to get that when you sign up, and you can't just jump around to different clubs all the time, because you'd burn bridges.

We are not driving to Olney or to Frederick or Baltimore. So, the options are Next Level, Bethesda and MC Elite. Seems to me that there is not much ability to predict what will be the best choice year to year, so she'll probably just stay put. Main goal right now is to play in high school.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda ends after 8th grade so the only options are MC and Next Level.

[Anonymous]

This is OP - Yes, that's right. I forgot about that, although I was under the impression it might have a partnership with another club for girls exiting 8th grade. So, MC Elite and Next Level are the two choices. We will navigate this new brave world and hope for the best!

May I ask if anyone has guidance on public high school teams? I heard JV was no cut, but this was from a student. Is that the case? Might also vary from school to school I guess.

[Anonymous]

Does Next Level have a high school girls program ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Next Level have a high school girls program ?

Technically, yes. But I would stay away... They barely play in any good tournaments and their teams are historically weak.

[Anonymous]

This is all such great information. I guess we see how the Spring shakes out and see what that means for people at all these organizations. My biggest take away would be to be in an organization nearby, with good club communication and awesome coaches if at all possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP - Yes, that's right. I forgot about that, although I was under the impression it might have a partnership with another club for girls exiting 8th grade. So, MC Elite and Next Level are the two choices. We will navigate this new brave world and hope for the best!

May I ask if anyone has guidance on public high school teams? I heard JV was no cut, but this was from a student. Is that the case? Might also vary from school to school I guess.

My guess for HS is that if BLC has a competitive team, that team will just continue to play through HS. It’s still a new program, so I think they are just figuring it out as it goes. For example, the previously didn’t have MS teams and had a tie in with Stars. Now they have MS teams.

In terms of public HS teams in MCPS, Whitman and Churchill are traditionally the best. Each has like one seniors each year that will play in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter played for MC Elite, starting in middle school. We chose the club because we didn't want to drive far to practices. As others have noted, MC Elite is all over the map as far as coaching quality. With one exception, our daughter's coaches were inexperienced. One was also vindictive, following the tone set by club management. Communication from coaches and club management was shrouded with mystery. And, yes, as PPs have noted, MC Elite often plays in tournaments above their level and ends up being the goat team.

Our daughter's HS team was definitely not a powerhouse. So, with all the above factors combined, DH and I, who like you, OP, were confused by all things lacrosse, worried that we had made the wrong choice for DD, who hoped to play D3 lacrosse in college. Starting the summer after sophomore year, we signed her up to play in a bunch of camps and showcases (honestly, I still don't know what the heck a showcase is). She ended up getting several offers to visit from college coaches and is now playing D3 lacrosse at a school she loves.

If we had it to do over again, I'd still look for a club team that doesn't require a lot of driving. The time we would have spent in the car was spent on doing HW, having a reasonable social life, participating in church youth group, earning money as a babysitter and dogwalker, and getting enough sleep. That meant we had a happy and well-rested girl, who went off to college confident in her ability to do well -- which is exactly what she's done.

This is what I want - I don't want to drive all over to take my DD to practices. Too much time spent in the car but it seems like all the close MoCo teams have problems. Is it really worth dealing with the problems of a close MoCo team?

^^PP here -- For us it was because we figured all the other teams would have problems too, and that did seem to be the case. Families that left MC Elite then complained about the teams they went to. Mostly, we just tried to keep lacrosse as a compartment in our daughter's life, not the center of it. In college, lacrosse continues to be something she loves and we enjoy getting to see her play (or, at least we did, prior to the pandemic), but she has other interests and activities and that's exciting to see as well.

This is exactly right. All of the teams have problems. Many, for example, are closely tied to HS teams/coaches. Others have coaches that lie to kids and parents. It is really just important to take a wholistic approach, keeping in mind that not even all of the girls on Hero's or M&D are getting recruited.

++++++++++++

I think these are great outcomes and completely reasonable/well-grounded choices. I really love when things work out well for women in sports!

I will caution to those reading this, however, that MC has changed pretty significantly, very rapidly so for those with girls now in college the experience at MC (although some of the same frustrations may be consistent) may also be considerably worse in certain key respects (especially for some, but increasingly more, teams). The “risk” you run staying is that it really undercuts your daughter’s enjoyment of the game and takes away the fun. As a result, even a player who loves the game may decide to quit at some point (or wants to switch at an age where it gets really hard to do that) - after all, it is still a pretty big time commitment even with less driving to practice (games and tournaments still far and take up lots of weekends).

If there is not a consistent positive coach that shows up, team numbers are low (meaning no subs during hot summer tournaments), and the club sends communications or generates “chatter” that bad results are solely because of the girls’ and families’ lack of commitment or “fitness”, then that tone starts impacting team dynamics. It becomes understandable why people would then be willing to drive or risk another choice. Not saying there is some perfect out there and certainly no one (despite club) should expect to play in college. But if the disorganization and problems at MC make the girls feel uncared about and make it not fun, I am not sure that is a good situation. That doesn’t help improve skill or set anyone up for success and makes the whole thing feel like a chore.

I wish it was still an option to “hang in there” with a local club like MC and it is really sad but just not sure that is the case anymore. Time will tell.

I'm the first PP above and I would say the highlighted text is a good description of our experience with MC Elite. I can only say that for my daughter, this was not a deterrent to playing lacrosse. Possibly the fact that she had other activities that were important and rewarding to her helped her to deal with the appalling situation with MC Elite. And we were very open with her about how the coaches and club management were not role models, but examples of how not to coach or run a club. Thankfully, she has wonderful college coaches (and a female athletic director) who provide great role models.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter played for MC Elite, starting in middle school. We chose the club because we didn't want to drive far to practices. As others have noted, MC Elite is all over the map as far as coaching quality. With one exception, our daughter's coaches were inexperienced. One was also vindictive, following the tone set by club management. Communication from coaches and club management was shrouded with mystery. And, yes, as PPs have noted, MC Elite often plays in tournaments above their level and ends up being the goat team.

Our daughter's HS team was definitely not a powerhouse. So, with all the above factors combined, DH and I, who like you, OP, were confused by all things lacrosse, worried that we had made the wrong choice for DD, who hoped to play D3 lacrosse in college. Starting the summer after sophomore year, we signed her up to play in a bunch of camps and showcases (honestly, I still don't know what the heck a showcase is). She ended up getting several offers to visit from college coaches and is now playing D3 lacrosse at a school she loves.

If we had it to do over again, I'd still look for a club team that doesn't require a lot of driving. The time we would have spent in the car was spent on doing HW, having a reasonable social life, participating in church youth group, earning money as a babysitter and dogwalker, and getting enough sleep. That meant we had a happy and well-rested girl, who went off to college confident in her ability to do well -- which is exactly what she's done.

This is what I want - I don't want to drive all over to take my DD to practices. Too much time spent in the car but it seems like all the close MoCo teams have problems. Is it really worth dealing with the problems of a close MoCo team?

^^PP here -- For us it was because we figured all the other teams would have problems too, and that did seem to be the case. Families that left MC Elite then complained about the teams they went to. Mostly, we just tried to keep lacrosse as a compartment in our daughter's life, not the center of it. In college, lacrosse continues to be something she loves and we enjoy getting to see her play (or, at least we did, prior to the pandemic), but she has other interests and activities and that's exciting to see as well.

This is exactly right. All of the teams have problems. Many, for example, are closely tied to HS teams/coaches. Others have coaches that lie to kids and parents. It is really just important to take a wholistic approach, keeping in mind that not even all of the girls on Hero's or M&D are getting recruited.

++++++++++++

I think these are great outcomes and completely reasonable/well-grounded choices. I really love when things work out well for women in sports!

I will caution to those reading this, however, that MC has changed pretty significantly, very rapidly so for those with girls now in college the experience at MC (although some of the same frustrations may be consistent) may also be considerably worse in certain key respects (especially for some, but increasingly more, teams). The “risk” you run staying is that it really undercuts your daughter’s enjoyment of the game and takes away the fun. As a result, even a player who loves the game may decide to quit at some point (or wants to switch at an age where it gets really hard to do that) - after all, it is still a pretty big time commitment even with less driving to practice (games and tournaments still far and take up lots of weekends).

If there is not a consistent positive coach that shows up, team numbers are low (meaning no subs during hot summer tournaments), and the club sends communications or generates “chatter” that bad results are solely because of the girls’ and families’ lack of commitment or “fitness”, then that tone starts impacting team dynamics. It becomes understandable why people would then be willing to drive or risk another choice. Not saying there is some perfect out there and certainly no one (despite club) should expect to play in college. But if the disorganization and problems at MC make the girls feel uncared about and make it not fun, I am not sure that is a good situation. That doesn’t help improve skill or set anyone up for success and makes the whole thing feel like a chore.

I wish it was still an option to “hang in there” with a local club like MC and it is really sad but just not sure that is the case anymore. Time will tell.

I'm the first PP above and I would say the highlighted text is a good description of our experience with MC Elite. I can only say that for my daughter, this was not a deterrent to playing lacrosse. Possibly the fact that she had other activities that were important and rewarding to her helped her to deal with the appalling situation with MC Elite. And we were very open with her about how the coaches and club management were not role models, but examples of how not to coach or run a club. Thankfully, she has wonderful college coaches (and a female athletic director) who provide great role models.

[Anonymous]

MC Elite is far better than Next Level for highschool. Honestly, OP, as someone whose DD plays for Capital’s A team, MCElite is a good club and for some years a great club. Next Level has never had a single strong highschool team. The NL program is not really a true lacrosse program for girls at HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MC Elite is far better than Next Level for highschool. Honestly, OP, as someone whose DD plays for Capital’s A team, MCElite is a good club and for some years a great club. Next Level has never had a single strong highschool team. The NL program is not really a true lacrosse program for girls at HS.

Not sure if the debate is whether MC Elite is better than Next Level. I think the debate is whether one should play MC Elite for convenience if you live in western MoCo or whether it is worth the time commitment to drive further out for a different team, like Capital or Pride or Hero's. As with everything, views differ.

[Anonymous]

Once MC pulled all the parents of 2026 into a meeting to tell us that even though we never had a consistent coach all the teams problems were our fault as parents because the kids were on cell phones I knew our time there was up. Leadership refused to take accountability for anything but yet expected the kids to do so? I wish the organization well because I know many parents have stayed to ride it out. We moved on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once MC pulled all the parents of 2026 into a meeting to tell us that even though we never had a consistent coach all the teams problems were our fault as parents because the kids were on cell phones I knew our time there was up. Leadership refused to take accountability for anything but yet expected the kids to do so? I wish the organization well because I know many parents have stayed to ride it out. We moved on.

Do go into more details on this one? Was this the Carolina or Midnight team? What was the fallout from that meeting? I have a 2026 looking to switch clubs and would love more details on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once MC pulled all the parents of 2026 into a meeting to tell us that even though we never had a consistent coach all the teams problems were our fault as parents because the kids were on cell phones I knew our time there was up. Leadership refused to take accountability for anything but yet expected the kids to do so? I wish the organization well because I know many parents have stayed to ride it out. We moved on.

Do go into more details on this one? Was this the Carolina or Midnight team? What was the fallout from that meeting? I have a 2026 looking to switch clubs and would love more details on this.

One other question - where are you now?