Private School Lacrosse Thread

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our son was a Varsity lacrosse player at an IAC School. It was a very important part of his life. While he never transferred, there are[i] very, very good reasons (social, academic, playing time and the relationship with coaches and how he is being played) that might make a student want to transfer.[/i] This whole fake umbrage about lacrosse transfers is the equivalent of fake news with an overlay of "stalkerism."[/quote]

I do not have a child who plays lacrosse, and I do not have a child at a lacrosse powerhouse, so I am not one of your "stalkers". However, I am interested in why a larger number (as compared to the general student population) of lacrosse playing students decide to transfer from one school to another. You give some "very, very good reasons (social, academic, playing time and the relationship with coaches and how he is being played) that might make a [lacrosse] student want to transfer", but those could equally apply to athletes in other sports like swimming, baseball, or track and field, and to strong students or artists as well if you substitute "teacher" or "instructor" for "coach". Just curious as I have no dog in the hunt.[/quote]

In the small private school arena, lacrosse is the biggest dog for D1 recruiting. The d1 schools for lacrosse happen to be some of the top schools in the nation and difficult to get in. For many parents it is the only way to get their kids into these top levels schools.

While club play is still very important, many of the top HS lacrosse coaches have connections to the college recruiters at these schools. That is why it does not equally apply to the other sports or strong students. If a coach or school isn't going to actively promote the kid and the parent "perceives" there may be an issue, they will look for greener pastures.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever considered that if Lax was the only way these kids could get into these top schools that maybe the top schools aren't going to be the right fit for them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have posted this in the past but I still dont understand why the WCAC, IAC, and MAC all merge to form a super conference and have a, A, B, & C Division for reach sport.

The individual school can then choose which division (A, B or C) they would like to compete in based on how competitive their program is.

For example, a school like St. Albans might compete in the "A" Division for baseball and soccer, but might opt to play in the "B" Division for lacrosse or basketball. Sidwell for example might have their soccer and basketball teams in the "A" Division but their lacrosse and baseball teams might opt to play in the "C" division.

The Baltimore based MIAA follows this model, and has close to a 25 team athletic conference. It is very well organized and it prevents athletic contests getting out of hand.

Excellent idea. In California (CIF) you are placed in a different Division for each sport, so your Girl's Tennis Team might compete in Division 4 and your Boy's Football Team might compete in Division 6. Moreover, the teams are re-evaluated for existing talent, coaches, etc. and can be moved up or down Divisions in certain years.

I'm sure there are many ways to end up with more competitive conference groupings.

But as a longtime IAC watcher, I don't think anyone from Baltimore or California can appreciate the glacial pace at which the IAC moves (or doesn't move) and the barreirs to any kind of minor change.

In order for the Baltimore system (or any other) to work, there would have to be someone driving it. There has never been and likely there never will be anyone to take on that challenge. There is no Conference commissioner or conference office. You would also have to have a degree of trust between the various Athletic Departments to do this. I certainly have never seen that. In fact, competitiveness and lack of trust is all I have ever witnessed.

For example, I have been told that Potomac has been interested in the past in joining the IAC. The IAC has never gotten enough members to sign on to this. And its not because it isn't a good idea for Potomac and the IAC. But if SSSA or Landon feel that impinges upon their territory for students or for players, it's dead in the water. (That's just an example, not a real situation.)

[Anonymous]

What is going on in the lacrosse world today?

SJC nearly upsets Landon. Landon ends up winning 10-6 but it was a one goal game with under 5 minutes left in the game.

Gonzaga gets smoked by McDonogh, the game was over at halftime.

Parity has arrived

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is going on in the lacrosse world today?

SJC nearly upsets Landon. Landon ends up winning 10-6 but it was a one goal game with under 5 minutes left in the game.

Gonzaga gets smoked by McDonogh, the game was over at halftime.

Parity has arrived

Ha ha. Good one but, no, it hasnt.

SJC has surprised a few teams this year. Noone expects them to be any good. It sounds like Landon just had to recover from the shock. They are ranked #2 and #3 nationally in the two top polls. SJC has never been ranked at all and is not a school anyone thinks of as a contender. Good for SJC, they are riding the wave of surprise well. I hope they have a great season!

As for McDonogh beating Gonzaga, that is NO surprise. McD is a top team nationally and ranked in the top 10 this year. Gonzaga is supposed to be down this year. and, if it makes any of the top 25 ranking its much further down, like under #20 No surprise in that defeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever considered that if Lax was the only way these kids could get into these top schools that maybe the top schools aren't going to be the right fit for them?

You are clueless. Lax doesn't get a kid into a college they wouldn't otherwise get into, it just gives them the boost to by pass other kids. Its the equivalent of being a legacy or maybe even better. Colleges are smart, they want kids with the most promise, the most going for them and those are these athletes. Smart lacrosse players are one of the best bets a college can take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have posted this in the past but I still dont understand why the WCAC, IAC, and MAC all merge to form a super conference and have a, A, B, & C Division for reach sport.

The individual school can then choose which division (A, B or C) they would like to compete in based on how competitive their program is.

For example, a school like St. Albans might compete in the "A" Division for baseball and soccer, but might opt to play in the "B" Division for lacrosse or basketball. Sidwell for example might have their soccer and basketball teams in the "A" Division but their lacrosse and baseball teams might opt to play in the "C" division.

The Baltimore based MIAA follows this model, and has close to a 25 team athletic conference. It is very well organized and it prevents athletic contests getting out of hand.

Excellent idea. In California (CIF) you are placed in a different Division for each sport, so your Girl's Tennis Team might compete in Division 4 and your Boy's Football Team might compete in Division 6. Moreover, the teams are re-evaluated for existing talent, coaches, etc. and can be moved up or down Divisions in certain years.

I'm sure there are many ways to end up with more competitive conference groupings.

But as a longtime IAC watcher, I don't think anyone from Baltimore or California can appreciate the glacial pace at which the IAC moves (or doesn't move) and the barreirs to any kind of minor change.

In order for the Baltimore system (or any other) to work, there would have to be someone driving it. There has never been and likely there never will be anyone to take on that challenge. There is no Conference commissioner or conference office. You would also have to have a degree of trust between the various Athletic Departments to do this. I certainly have never seen that. In fact, competitiveness and lack of trust is all I have ever witnessed.

For example, I have been told that Potomac has been interested in the past in joining the IAC. The IAC has never gotten enough members to sign on to this. And its not because it isn't a good idea for Potomac and the IAC. But if SSSA or Landon feel that impinges upon their territory for students or for players, it's dead in the water. (That's just an example, not a real situation.)

There are many reasons why the school's don't want a "super conference." Why be in a minor league "C Division" with devalued championships when you have your own conference you can win outright? Why blow up conferences when there's 70 years of tradition? Why form a mega-conference when some schools go crazy over sports and others don't? Why form a conference when some schools give merit money that can function as athletic scholarships and others are straight need-based?

With all that said, there's been some talk of the IACS and MAC (which contains Potomac, Flint Hill, Maret, Sidwell, GDS, St. Andrews, St. James) moving towards a structure more like the biggest private school girls' league, the ISL, and having two divisions which would be different depending on how good a school was in a given sport. (So you could be in the top division in football and the lower division in baseball.) I don't know the "state of play" of those discussions, but I believe they happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever considered that if Lax was the only way these kids could get into these top schools that maybe the top schools aren't going to be the right fit for them?

You are clueless. Lax doesn't get a kid into a college they wouldn't otherwise get into, it just gives them the boost to by pass other kids. Its the equivalent of being a legacy or maybe even better. Colleges are smart, they want kids with the most promise, the most going for them and those are these athletes. Smart lacrosse players are one of the best bets a college can take.

Different poster, but, no. Most of the Ivy lacrosse recruits, while strong students who will do fine academically, would have no chance of admission without the recruited athlete hook. The recruited athlete hook is far more significant than legacy, and the Ivies are quite open about acknowledging that. These are good students. But they are going to schools that reject 93% of their applicants, including many with perfect GPAs and perfect board scores.

[Anonymous]

Lacrosse is a great sport .

You idiots are ruining it. It's not like the best athletes in the world play lacrosse. Why are you fighting to be king crap of turd mountain? It's embarrassing .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lacrosse is a great sport .

You idiots are ruining it. It's not like the best athletes in the world play lacrosse. Why are you fighting to be king crap of turd mountain? It's embarrassing .

Easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Lax is a sport where 5'9" white guys can play Division I.
2. Las helps you get into Ivies, dude.
3. The Ivy Lax alums hook you up with sweet Wall Street gigs, bro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lacrosse is a great sport .

You idiots are ruining it. It's not like the best athletes in the world play lacrosse. Why are you fighting to be king crap of turd mountain? It's embarrassing .

Easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Lax is a sport where 5'9" white guys can play Division I.
2. Las helps you get into Ivies, dude.
3. The Ivy Lax alums hook you up with sweet Wall Street gigs, bro.[/quote

But it's def below avg pen*s size with corresponding angst. Totally beta.

[Anonymous]

"With all that said, there's been some talk of the IACS and MAC (which contains Potomac, Flint Hill, Maret, Sidwell, GDS, St. Andrews, St. James) moving towards a structure more like the biggest private school girls' league, the ISL, and having two divisions which would be different depending on how good a school was in a given sport. (So you could be in the top division in football and the lower division in baseball.) I don't know the "state of play" of those discussions, but I believe they happened."

It'd take an enthusiastic response by all the IAC members to even get this considered. Sounds like a MAC idea.

If Potomac can't even get considered for IAC membership, what makes anyone think the IAC would decide to move to a completely different structure.

What IAC problem or problems would that solve?

Sidwell used to be in the IAC and dropped out because they couldn't compete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever considered that if Lax was the only way these kids could get into these top schools that maybe the top schools aren't going to be the right fit for them?

You are clueless. Lax doesn't get a kid into a college they wouldn't otherwise get into, it just gives them the boost to by pass other kids. Its the equivalent of being a legacy or maybe even better. Colleges are smart, they want kids with the most promise, the most going for them and those are these athletes. Smart lacrosse players are one of the best bets a college can take.

Different poster, but, no. Most of the Ivy lacrosse recruits, while strong students who will do fine academically, would have no chance of admission without the recruited athlete hook. The recruited athlete hook is far more significant than legacy, and the Ivies are quite open about acknowledging that. These are good students. But they are going to schools that reject 93% of their applicants, including many with perfect GPAs and perfect board scores.

College is about much more than bringing together all the kids who got 100% on one test and if you don't understand that it's not really worth arguing this point. As the parent of a Holton lacrosse player I can assure you that these girls are top students who maintain a very challenging schedule in addition to playing lacrosse (and often one additional sport) year round. This requires discipline and hard work. You know, the kind of thing that make people successful in life. Maybe colleges want kids like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not just create a superconference:

Landon
Bullis
Gonzaga
Prep
PVI
SSSA


And a good conference:

St Johns
Dematha
Episcopal
Potomac
St Albans
DJO

+1 or the SuperConference mentioned in another post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever considered that if Lax was the only way these kids could get into these top schools that maybe the top schools aren't going to be the right fit for them?

You are clueless. Lax doesn't get a kid into a college they wouldn't otherwise get into, it just gives them the boost to by pass other kids. Its the equivalent of being a legacy or maybe even better. Colleges are smart, they want kids with the most promise, the most going for them and those are these athletes. Smart lacrosse players are one of the best bets a college can take.

Different poster, but, no. Most of the Ivy lacrosse recruits, while strong students who will do fine academically, would have no chance of admission without the recruited athlete hook. The recruited athlete hook is far more significant than legacy, and the Ivies are quite open about acknowledging that. These are good students. But they are going to schools that reject 93% of their applicants, including many with perfect GPAs and perfect board scores.

College is about much more than bringing together all the kids who got 100% on one test and if you don't understand that it's not really worth arguing this point. As the parent of a Holton lacrosse player I can assure you that these girls are top students who maintain a very challenging schedule in addition to playing lacrosse (and often one additional sport) year round. This requires discipline and hard work. You know, the kind of thing that make people successful in life. Maybe colleges want kids like that?

The girls may be but the boys are hardly rocket scientists. When my DS was at Landon 99% of the lacrosse players took the easiest courses and were not the top students in the grade nor were many of the other players in other grades. It was pretty well known that they got into these schools because of lacrosse otherwise they would never had a chance.