2028 Girls Lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

Have to disagree with this. Not saying it is always the case, but the experience has been opposite of what you posted. You can reach out to arrange for a practice or workout. If the player is good enough, they are on their radar and up to the player to continue to perform at tryouts. The coaches may also watch you play at tourneys prior to tryouts. This in fact can be done without connections or without playing on a club from Baltimore. It won’t be easy but it is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

Hero’s and M&D hold tryouts - how is that a closed system?

[Anonymous]

Why all the negativity about Capital Clinics and HB? As many prior posters have noted, they weren't mandatory to make the club. The parents created that perception and the associated stress.

As an entrepreneur, who has met and worked with a number of outstanding young women entrepreneurs in this area, I have nothing but respect for Capital and HB owner running and growing her business. Using a strong, monopoly-like position for scarce services is just smart, not nefarious. There was no price gouging, they made it clear that players didn't have to come to each clinic, etc.

The same kind of voltage was sent the Pride owner's way when she sought to diversify and grow her business, or when local rec tournaments in the Fall/Winter tried to increase their revenue. People have to direct their time and attention to economically-beneficial activity; these lacrosse-related businesses are not NGO's or public utilities that exist for our benefit. We need to support them. It's not like Robinson Sports/3Step/M&D/Hero's are mom and pops doing business the same way they did 15 years ago. Recommend you let it go. Change is hard, but it can also be described as progress.

Also, for what it's worth, my DD felt that the clinic drills, and combine practice were good prep for tryout drills and combine runs. One tends to be better at something they have tried before. Evaluators rated the players on each station. So the clinics were relevant for performance, not some threshold entrance fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

Have to disagree with this. Not saying it is always the case, but the experience has been opposite of what you posted. You can reach out to arrange for a practice or workout. If the player is good enough, they are on their radar and up to the player to continue to perform at tryouts. The coaches may also watch you play at tourneys prior to tryouts. This in fact can be done without connections or without playing on a club from Baltimore. It won’t be easy but it is possible.

"It won't be easy but it is possible" is effectively what the previous poster was saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why all the negativity about Capital Clinics and HB? As many prior posters have noted, they weren't mandatory to make the club. The parents created that perception and the associated stress.

As an entrepreneur, who has met and worked with a number of outstanding young women entrepreneurs in this area, I have nothing but respect for Capital and HB owner running and growing her business. Using a strong, monopoly-like position for scarce services is just smart, not nefarious. There was no price gouging, they made it clear that players didn't have to come to each clinic, etc.

The same kind of voltage was sent the Pride owner's way when she sought to diversify and grow her business, or when local rec tournaments in the Fall/Winter tried to increase their revenue. People have to direct their time and attention to economically-beneficial activity; these lacrosse-related businesses are not NGO's or public utilities that exist for our benefit. We need to support them. It's not like Robinson Sports/3Step/M&D/Hero's are mom and pops doing business the same way they did 15 years ago. Recommend you let it go. Change is hard, but it can also be described as progress.

Also, for what it's worth, my DD felt that the clinic drills, and combine practice were good prep for tryout drills and combine runs. One tends to be better at something they have tried before. Evaluators rated the players on each station. So the clinics were relevant for performance, not some threshold entrance fee.

My experience is that business decisions in Pride aren't well thought out (like if I expand to HS teams, will I have enough coaches two have two teams from 3rd grade to 11th as an example). On the other hand, I think GJ is very methodical. Even when I disagree - it's still reasonable and understandable. KM is a hot mess. Charismatic but all over the place organizationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you are not following. M&D and Hero’s are more or less set very early on. So you have the stress just in 4th grade instead of 9th

Totally untrue. If your kid can make it they will give her a shot to compete up to 8th grade. Compare that to this Capital money grab where they know 60-70% of the girls have no chance.

No one is being forced to attend pre-tryout clinics or HB. If you don't want to go¿ then don't! The paranoia is being created by the parents and there are 305+ pages to prove it!. Many girls made it without spending money for the extra training.

Exactly! None of it is required. Many girls make it without doing any of the clinics or HB every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s stressful because it is funneling 2 strong programs together along with some very good players from several other programs. If parents just stayed with the current teams then Capital would go away. Surprised St James has not pushed their high school teams more to keep the kids in the system to the end. Pride and Stars 28 teams would both be strong in the rankings if these kids stayed together and they would have better friendships for life.

Everyone blames Capital when both of these programs only recently decided to go into high school. Maybe that’s the problem? I’m all for girls playing as long as they desire but I think the blame that Capital gets is so odd when if anything these programs came into their territory not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Maryland’s advantage is several competitive programs. The problem with Capital is that is has a monopoly on the HS lacrosse market. They can do whatever they want; charge for excessive clinics, make HB sessions appear necessary, not announce the coach until you are selected for the team etc. Families are expected to go along with what is offered and not question the process or fear being outcast. There is no option comparable to Capital in the area, so girls who aren’t selected are left scrambling to find a place to play if they haven’t met whatever criteria and moving target is used for team selection. Girls in Maryland are moving all the time to find the right fit and teams have to offer a product that is worth buying to keep them around. Competition is necessary for the program to feel the pressure to improve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland’s advantage is several competitive programs. The problem with Capital is that is has a monopoly on the HS lacrosse market. They can do whatever they want; charge for excessive clinics, make HB sessions appear necessary, not announce the coach until you are selected for the team etc. Families are expected to go along with what is offered and not question the process or fear being outcast. There is no option comparable to Capital in the area, so girls who aren’t selected are left scrambling to find a place to play if they haven’t met whatever criteria and moving target is used for team selection. Girls in Maryland are moving all the time to find the right fit and teams have to offer a product that is worth buying to keep them around. Competition is necessary for the program to feel the pressure to improve.

Spot on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you are not following. M&D and Hero’s are more or less set very early on. So you have the stress just in 4th grade instead of 9th

Totally untrue. If your kid can make it they will give her a shot to compete up to 8th grade. Compare that to this Capital money grab where they know 60-70% of the girls have no chance.

No one is being forced to attend pre-tryout clinics or HB. If you don't want to go¿ then don't! The paranoia is being created by the parents and there are 305+ pages to prove it!. Many girls made it without spending money for the extra training.

Exactly! None of it is required. Many girls make it without doing any of the clinics or HB every year.

Yet there are literally pages upon pages of this thread that discuss the importance of doing so and how it’s the only way to get on the coaches radar. I don’t blame Capital for profiting off the mass hysteria of parents but I prefer the MD system as it has been explained to me. That is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

Hero’s camp lasts six weeks over the summer priced individually. Each week is available for any player to attend. Many players go for more than one week to gain additional looks from forthcoming tryout evaluators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

By this logic every camp by every club is a money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was lucky enough to make one of these teams. Wish we had tried out for a MD team last year. The juice may not be worth the squeeze of all of the stress expended.

+1

I agree. Say what you will about MD teams, they do not have any of mass hysteria and financial burdens of trying out for their teams as Capital does. It was truly a miserable experience and I hope parents push back on all of the pointless clinics and HB sessions.

Right, no drama at the MD teams. Just smooth sailing. And no stress over tryouts either, right? Those cut-throat sessions happen at a much younger age group, where children are far mentally equipped to handle audition and rejection.

There is absolutely no comparison to the outright paranoia of the week leading up to Capital tryouts at any of the MD teams nor any of the expenses like Capital hits people up for. I am a Capital parent so I buy into it just think it is all a bit much.

So you don’t think a third- or fourth-grade child trying to compete to be on a MD team has a magnetized level of
stress on her shoulders? “Will I make it?” .. “Will I still be welcomed by my old team if I don’t?” … “Will my new team accept me - or marginalize me - even if I do make it”? All questions running thru a far younger-child’s mind.

You are making $hit up. You must be a Capital director.

Wrong on both fronts. I’m a parent who’s been thru it, JA.

So you paid thousands in clinics and HB sessions and dealt with 140+ families all clamoring to learn if they earned a spot on a MD team. You are so full of crap. You’re a good apparatchik.

Every club has a version of this. Hero’s evaluates talent at its summer skills academy which start just before tryouts. Coppermine offers spring clinics. Players who want to play for these teams go (and pay) to meet the coaches and club admin and get noticed.

Right. They don’t have 6 of them though at $70+ a pop plus all of the HB clinics. It’s not even close. Capital gets away with it though because it is the only ball game in town.

The Hero’s summer skills academy is more for rec players and related to the old Hero’s program before it became a club team. Not a recruiting vehicle for the club teams. For Hero’s, you come to the tryout or a practice and if you can play - you have a shot. None of this nonsense with pay to play training sessions.

So, Hero's/M&D closed system is better? It seem that their process not only requires a stand out player that is not already playing for a top team, but also has the connections to arrange for a workout/ try-out. And, don't respond that anyone can call up those programs and arrange for a work out for a player, because it is not easy to get their attention, understandably so.

Shame on Capital for providing the opportunity for any player to get time playing in front of their coaches and current players over an extended period of time to potentially get an opportunity to play for their club.

By this logic every camp by every club is a money grab.

Not at all and you win the award for best straw argument. If you can’t figure out the differences between the MD approach and the Capital approach after reading all the previous posts than I have nothing else to say.