Feedback on Cavaliers Travel Lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Any feedback on this travel program? Are the coaches real coaches or just some dads who think their kid is going to be the next superstar?

Unfortunately where I'm located in Virginia, Madlax might be too much of a haul, but I know they have a well respected program. We are new to the area, from NY where lacrosse is serious business. Our local rec team was no where near competitive enough for our son.

[Anonymous]

I believe it is a girls program; Hooville Lax is the boy program

[Anonymous]

This is PP; I assume you’re in central Virginia? I am too (DC area transplant) so let me know if you have additional questions

[Anonymous]

No, they are based out of Ashburn/Leesburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, they are based out of Ashburn/Leesburg.

There is another Virginia based team with the same name, run by the Uva women’s lax coaches so easy confusion.

[Anonymous]

Cavalier has boys high school in No Va because we know some kids . It is for solid but not spectacular players and is probably a step above local rec teams.

There are also VLC (tryouts in August) and Blackwolf (invitation only but have camps where they can assess you, controversial head coach). Madlax head coach also has an image problem. IMHO it's not worth the money. They charge a $1200 fee on top of everything else that is a complete waste of money.

Next Level and DC Express are also around. Basically aside from Cavalier and VLC, you have to head to MD for higher level club lax.

Top clubs: Madlax, VLC, Blackwolf for recruiting but Next Level also has recruits playing for them.

[Anonymous]

From what I have heard in looking for a club for my younger boys, and this is all second hand from families who have left so take that for what it's worth, Cavs play down in tourneys to increase their standing so they're not as good as their rankings suggest. Also, supposedly they only practice their first string, so if your kids is 2nd or 3rd string, they won't get much practice time let alone playing time. Also, allegedly, their "college commits" include kids who played like one year of Cavs long ago. Cavs got beaten badly in a scrimmage by a local Loudoun rec team which didn't help their image out here. Families tend to leave, from what I've heard, for 3D or Evergreen if they want to stay in Loudoun, or make the drive to VLC/Madlax/etc. However, that's only the anti-Cavs view, so I'd love if you could find a happy family and ask them and report back, because there are more and more of us out here in Loudoun who don't want to drive all the way to Vienna and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Lots of happy families in our area. Good solid coaching. If your kid is awesome/super interested in college lax, they will want to move on as they hit high school. If practices are convenient location to you and your kid is not in high school, it's a fine option.

[Anonymous]

The best kids at Cavalier leave for VLC, generally speaking. They are focused on money and play in lower tournaments to accumulate wins to satisfy the younger parents. As said previously, eventually the kids who want to play in college leave for VLC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any feedback on this travel program? Are the coaches real coaches or just some dads who think their kid is going to be the next superstar?

Unfortunately where I'm located in Virginia, Madlax might be too much of a haul, but I know they have a well respected program. We are new to the area, from NY where lacrosse is serious business. Our local rec team was no where near competitive enough for our son.

The comments here are spot on. Cavs tend to play in lower tournaments that don't bring in AA clubs. VLC, Madlax & Blackwolf are much better in respects to college recruiting (if that is your son's goal). DC Express is another club that recently started up, may be a good fit depending on your son's age group. These clubs often compete with Express, Team 91, Igloo, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any feedback on this travel program? Are the coaches real coaches or just some dads who think their kid is going to be the next superstar?

Unfortunately where I'm located in Virginia, Madlax might be too much of a haul, but I know they have a well respected program. We are new to the area, from NY where lacrosse is serious business. Our local rec team was no where near competitive enough for our son.

Do you think that it is just for shits and giggles here? Balt/DC is and has been the epicenter of US lacrosse for as long as I can remember.

[Anonymous]

DS is on a Cavs team. His coach does not have a son on the team, though I know there is at least one other Cavs team that does have a dad with a son on the team.

So far I have been satisfied with the experience. The team is not "too big" so my son gets good field time in games. The main gripe is they play in the Howard County league, so every Sunday I had to drive 90 minutes each way. Their coaches are here:

https://leagueathletics.com/Page.asp?n=81828&org=CAVALIERLACROSSE.COM

It is definitely a step up from a rec team, unless the rec team is stacked with travel players (such rec teams certainly exist around here). Three players have left to join other teams since my son started, though two of them joined 3D and Evergreen because their dads were tired of driving out to Howard County. From what I hear, 3D and Evergreen aren't as good as the Cavs. The other kid joined VLC - but he lived in Fairfax (most Cavs live in Ashburn or Leesburg) so that might have been a logistical decision as well as "trading up".

All the parents I have talked to on the team say "avoid MadLax", though none of them have direct experience with MadLax. I went and watched a MadLax practice and I didn't see any of the "shouting a-hole coach" problem that I hear MadLax has. Still, my inclination is to avoid them.

Cavs play down in tourneys to increase their standing so they're not as good as their rankings suggest.

I don't agree with that. Or at least, it doesn't apply to our Cavs team.

supposedly they only practice their first string, so if your kids is 2nd or 3rd string, they won't get much practice time let alone playing time.

Also not true for our Cavs team. Everyone practices. The kids rotate through the drills. I'm standing there watching, and I'd say something to the coach if I saw my kid doing nothing for an extended period.

Cavs got beaten badly in a scrimmage by a local Loudoun rec team which didn't help their image out here.

I never heard of that, though as I said, there are rec teams that are stacked with travel players.

[Anonymous]

Just the head guy at Madlax is a yeller. Other coaches often come from coaching at local privates and use Madlax to recruit if they need certain players as seniors graduate. Maddux, the head guy will tell all the boys "I'm looking at you for the Capital team" but it is often to get kids to sign up and then field the second team which is not nearly as competitive. There is also an extra $1200 annual fee which buys you NOTHING. So you may want to avoid it and tryout for Blackwolf, VLC, Next Level (in MD) or DC Express which may be the equivalent of Cavs - I'm not positive though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is on a Cavs team. His coach does not have a son on the team, though I know there is at least one other Cavs team that does have a dad with a son on the team.

So far I have been satisfied with the experience. The team is not "too big" so my son gets good field time in games. The main gripe is they play in the Howard County league, so every Sunday I had to drive 90 minutes each way. Their coaches are here:

https://leagueathletics.com/Page.asp?n=81828&org=CAVALIERLACROSSE.COM

It is definitely a step up from a rec team, unless the rec team is stacked with travel players (such rec teams certainly exist around here). Three players have left to join other teams since my son started, though two of them joined 3D and Evergreen because their dads were tired of driving out to Howard County. From what I hear, 3D and Evergreen aren't as good as the Cavs. The other kid joined VLC - but he lived in Fairfax (most Cavs live in Ashburn or Leesburg) so that might have been a logistical decision as well as "trading up".

All the parents I have talked to on the team say "avoid MadLax", though none of them have direct experience with MadLax. I went and watched a MadLax practice and I didn't see any of the "shouting a-hole coach" problem that I hear MadLax has. Still, my inclination is to avoid them.

Cavs play down in tourneys to increase their standing so they're not as good as their rankings suggest.

I don't agree with that. Or at least, it doesn't apply to our Cavs team.

supposedly they only practice their first string, so if your kids is 2nd or 3rd string, they won't get much practice time let alone playing time.

Also not true for our Cavs team. Everyone practices. The kids rotate through the drills. I'm standing there watching, and I'd say something to the coach if I saw my kid doing nothing for an extended period.

Cavs got beaten badly in a scrimmage by a local Loudoun rec team which didn't help their image out here.

I never heard of that, though as I said, there are rec teams that are stacked with travel players.

I am the above (not OP) poster so thanks for the info! I haven't been able to find any current Cavs parents, so I appreciate the positive response.

I believe that Evergreen also played some HoCo this year but I don't know about 3D.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is on a Cavs team. His coach does not have a son on the team, though I know there is at least one other Cavs team that does have a dad with a son on the team.

So far I have been satisfied with the experience. The team is not "too big" so my son gets good field time in games. The main gripe is they play in the Howard County league, so every Sunday I had to drive 90 minutes each way. Their coaches are here:

https://leagueathletics.com/Page.asp?n=81828&org=CAVALIERLACROSSE.COM

It is definitely a step up from a rec team, unless the rec team is stacked with travel players (such rec teams certainly exist around here). Three players have left to join other teams since my son started, though two of them joined 3D and Evergreen because their dads were tired of driving out to Howard County. From what I hear, 3D and Evergreen aren't as good as the Cavs. The other kid joined VLC - but he lived in Fairfax (most Cavs live in Ashburn or Leesburg) so that might have been a logistical decision as well as "trading up".

All the parents I have talked to on the team say "avoid MadLax", though none of them have direct experience with MadLax. I went and watched a MadLax practice and I didn't see any of the "shouting a-hole coach" problem that I hear MadLax has. Still, my inclination is to avoid them.

Cavs play down in tourneys to increase their standing so they're not as good as their rankings suggest.

I don't agree with that. Or at least, it doesn't apply to our Cavs team.

supposedly they only practice their first string, so if your kids is 2nd or 3rd string, they won't get much practice time let alone playing time.

Also not true for our Cavs team. Everyone practices. The kids rotate through the drills. I'm standing there watching, and I'd say something to the coach if I saw my kid doing nothing for an extended period.

Cavs got beaten badly in a scrimmage by a local Loudoun rec team which didn't help their image out here.

I never heard of that, though as I said, there are rec teams that are stacked with travel players.

I am the above (not OP) poster so thanks for the info! I haven't been able to find any current Cavs parents, so I appreciate the positive response.

I believe that Evergreen also played some HoCo this year but I don't know about 3D.

Playing in HoCo is generally considered a good thing. Best league with lots of teams and levels of play so your son can get competitive games. It’s a drive but that’s where you have to go for good games.