Soccer vs. Lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Recently, DS has been to a few spring sport interest meetings at his high school, and is torn between soccer and lacrosse.

He has had three years of competitive soccer experience, and plays goalkeeper/defender. He used to be in great shape, but since starting at TJ, he found it hard to stay active and do homework. It has gotten better in the last few weeks, however, as he has been going on daily runs.

His experience in lacrosse is nothing. He has never played lacrosse competitively, and his experience comes from playing with his friends. He is interested in both sports, and doesn’t know what to choose.

What sport is more physically demanding? Is lacrosse easy to learn? I feel that he has been trying to convince himself to do lacrosse because he keeps on saying it is better on college apps (Its a TJ thing…), but it seems that he also wants to continue soccer.

What should I do to help him in his decision, and he is becoming more concerned as tryouts are coming up in February. If he does soccer, he needs to buy new cleats, shin guards, and gloves. If he plays lacrosse, I am assuming all he needs is a stick?

[Anonymous]

Soccer is harder on the body.

Lacrosse is hard to learn late if he wants to play in college but not impossible.

Does he want an extra curricular on his app or does he want to be recruited.

Lacrosse in public high school is a very low level of play.

Club lacrosse in HS is November and June-July.

Club soccer is either year round or mostly year round... Which sucks.

Tons of colleges have soccer and if he is competitive he could play SLACs.

You have to be really good to play Ivy for lacrosse. Many kids only play lacrosse to get the admissions bump since there is little to no scholarship money.
Not sure about Ivy soccer.

Mit does not recruit lacrosse.

So what is his goal? Extras or college play?

[Anonymous]

Whichever one he likes more. Did you hear the NPR story last week about how there's billions more money for academics over sports at the university level. He's not a sports superstar but he is an academic one - he should not worry about which looks better for colleges because he won't be playing them at college unless it's at the club level because he's interested in it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I asked him about his decision, and it seems like it is more about him trying to convince himself that lacrosse is better.

He has played competitively soccer for over 3 years now, and has some experience in lacrosse. He plays it with his friends and has played on a team for one year, so it isn't like he is completely new to it.

His biggest problem is that he wants to play both, but that isn't a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is harder on the body.

Lacrosse is hard to learn late if he wants to play in college but not impossible.

Does he want an extra curricular on his app or does he want to be recruited.

Lacrosse in public high school is a very low level of play.

Club lacrosse in HS is November and June-July.

Club soccer is either year round or mostly year round... Which sucks.

Tons of colleges have soccer and if he is competitive he could play SLACs.

You have to be really good to play Ivy for lacrosse. Many kids only play lacrosse to get the admissions bump since there is little to no scholarship money.
Not sure about Ivy soccer.

Mit does not recruit lacrosse.

So what is his goal? Extras or college play?

First of all, what is SLACs? I have never heard of it before...

It seems that he wants to start it off as an extra curricular, but wants to play at the collegiate level. He is a fan of both sports, and he feels like he would be good at either sport because he would be playing defense/keeper in both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I asked him about his decision, and it seems like it is more about him trying to convince himself that lacrosse is better.

He has played competitively soccer for over 3 years now, and has some experience in lacrosse. He plays it with his friends and has played on a team for one year, so it isn't like he is completely new to it.

His biggest problem is that he wants to play both, but that isn't a choice.

He can play on both a club soccer team and on his school lacrosse team during the spring. He will have 7-8 practices a week to attend but school sports have no games on the weekend while club soccer is only weekend games so he would not miss any games. Both of my kids do this in the spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Lacrosse in public high school is a very low level of play.

How would you even know that? What is the basis for this?

[Anonymous]

Most good HS lacrosse players play club lacrosse.

[Anonymous]

soccer because lax culture is a lot worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is harder on the body.

Lacrosse is hard to learn late if he wants to play in college but not impossible.

Does he want an extra curricular on his app or does he want to be recruited.

Lacrosse in public high school is a very low level of play.

Club lacrosse in HS is November and June-July.

Club soccer is either year round or mostly year round... Which sucks.

Tons of colleges have soccer and if he is competitive he could play SLACs.

You have to be really good to play Ivy for lacrosse. Many kids only play lacrosse to get the admissions bump since there is little to no scholarship money.
Not sure about Ivy soccer.

Mit does not recruit lacrosse.

So what is his goal? Extras or college play?

First of all, what is SLACs? I have never heard of it before...

It seems that he wants to start it off as an extra curricular, but wants to play at the collegiate level. He is a fan of both sports, and he feels like he would be good at either sport because he would be playing defense/keeper in both.

I agree with all of the PPs comments.

(SLAC is small, liberal arts college).

Good goalkeepers are hard to find in some of the local soccer clubs, so that's helpful. HS sports is not your way into college, though. Club sports is where they recruit from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:soccer because lax culture is a lot worse.

Depends where you live too.

I grew up in Fairfax Co. We didn't even have lacrosse in the late 80s at my HS. I find a good portion of VA to be really behind in LAX.

I'm married to a Hopkins grad with 3 best friends that were top Hopkins lacrosse players from Baltimore and Long Island. We live in Arlington and the lacrosse options are pretty limited. Soccer on the other hand is a big (and always has been) NoVa sport. Many of the best and greatest of the women (and many men) came out of this area.

[Anonymous]

unless he's a mega-star, just to with what he likes best. You'd already know if he's on track to be likely to be able to play at a college level (ie. a real stand out). Only about 5 % of kids who play in HS end up playing in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Recently, DS has been to a few spring sport interest meetings at his high school, and is torn between soccer and lacrosse.

He has had three years of competitive soccer experience, and plays goalkeeper/defender. He used to be in great shape, but since starting at TJ, he found it hard to stay active and do homework. It has gotten better in the last few weeks, however, as he has been going on daily runs.

His experience in lacrosse is nothing. He has never played lacrosse competitively, and his experience comes from playing with his friends. He is interested in both sports, and doesn’t know what to choose.

What sport is more physically demanding? Is lacrosse easy to learn? I feel that he has been trying to convince himself to do lacrosse because he keeps on saying it is better on college apps (Its a TJ thing…), but it seems that he also wants to continue soccer.

What should I do to help him in his decision, and he is becoming more concerned as tryouts are coming up in February. If he does soccer, he needs to buy new cleats, shin guards, and gloves. If he plays lacrosse, I am assuming all he needs is a stick?

If he is thinking about which "looks better on a college apps" then he is choosing for the wrong reason and it will show. You don't play sports to check off a box on a application and if you are then it really doesn't matter which one you choose.

[Anonymous]

both are the least diverse sports but that is changing big time and it will be fun to watch these entitled kids get their ... kicked soon enough

the boyz in the hood now carry lacrosse sticks....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:both are the least diverse sports but that is changing big time and it will be fun to watch these entitled kids get their ... kicked soon enough

the boyz in the hood now carry lacrosse sticks....

Doesn't mean they're any good