IWLCA Open Zoom Call

[Anonymous]

The IWLCA is hosting an open zoom call for parents and players to explain its decision to reommend to the NCAA (pending this week) that the official contact date for the 2022 class be moved from September 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021. You get to the registration by going to through the IWLCA's instagram bio link. Not sure how interactive this will be but this is the chance to hear this straight from the horse's mouth.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone happen to listen in on the call?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone happen to listen in on the call?

I did. They said nothing particularly surprising and plan to have a recording up on their website in a couple days.

[Anonymous]

Did they explain why the men's lacrosse coaches are ok with 9/1 but the women's coaches need an extra year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did they explain why the men's lacrosse coaches are ok with 9/1 but the women's coaches need an extra year?

Yes. But first, note that the women's coaches do not frame the situation as asking for an extra year, given how much has not and will not likely take place for months. Their reasons for delay were several, and all very reasonable IMO, including: Many 2022s lost their spring HS season and much of their summer club season and many HS will be online only this fall with no sports; the college coaches have not seen the 2022s play since November; there are many 2022s they did not see play in November and a lot will happen in a player's development since then; they do not know how long the dead period will be extended; the coaches may not see the 2022s play again until early next summer; film is a supplement to live, in-person recruiting and they will not recruit based only on film; different parts of the country are under differing restrictions at different times, who knows what will happen with this fall season and they want to be fair to all of the 2022s; many college campuses are shut down this coming semester; the coaches have not seen their existing team members since March and with so many campuses going online, they may not see their current players again until January; they need time to assess their roster needs, consider any budget cuts re scholarship allocations and the fifth year of eligibility.

As far as men's coaches, the women's coaches said that while they support those coaches, they think the men's coaches are rushing the process. They also suggested some of the men's coaches are worried about being furloughed and think that if they are actively recruiting as of 9/1 that they will somehow be able to keep their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they explain why the men's lacrosse coaches are ok with 9/1 but the women's coaches need an extra year?

Yes. But first, note that the women's coaches do not frame the situation as asking for an extra year, given how much has not and will not likely take place for months. Their reasons for delay were several, and all very reasonable IMO, including: Many 2022s lost their spring HS season and much of their summer club season and many HS will be online only this fall with no sports; the college coaches have not seen the 2022s play since November; there are many 2022s they did not see play in November and a lot will happen in a player's development since then; they do not know how long the dead period will be extended; the coaches may not see the 2022s play again until early next summer; film is a supplement to live, in-person recruiting and they will not recruit based only on film; different parts of the country are under differing restrictions at different times, who knows what will happen with this fall season and they want to be fair to all of the 2022s; many college campuses are shut down this coming semester; the coaches have not seen their existing team members since March and with so many campuses going online, they may not see their current players again until January; they need time to assess their roster needs, consider any budget cuts re scholarship allocations and the fifth year of eligibility.

As far as men's coaches, the women's coaches said that while they support those coaches, they think the men's coaches are rushing the process. They also suggested some of the men's coaches are worried about being furloughed and think that if they are actively recruiting as of 9/1 that they will somehow be able to keep their jobs.

Oh come on, main reason they are asking for a delay is to pad their bank accounts - if they actually have to admit which 22s they are seriously interested in on sept 1, they can’t make up the revenue they lost when camps and clinics were cancelled this summer and fall. 22s won’t come to their winter and spring clinics if they know they have no shot at being recruited. The coaches have seen enough of the 22s to have a general idea of who they want to seriously consider. This is all about money, just like everything else.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is awful. It all sounds good but it comes down to money in the coach's pockets. I've already been getting letters from coaches announcing prospect days for my kid who has zero chance of getting accepted into that university.

[Anonymous]

They lost 6-8 weeks of camps, clinics, etc. Very, very few college coaches ever go to see HS matches. So that lost spring thing is total BS. Its all economics for them. I hope the NCAA either denies their request OR approves it with the caveat that all the funds that they've been pocketing go to the schools' athletic departments. Could not be more transparent that this is all about the money.

[Anonymous]

When they openly acknowledged that this would only give the 22s a 60-day headstart on the recruiting from the 23s, my wife and i openly laughed. How ridiculous an argument is that?

[Anonymous]

Couldn't you argue that with all this extra time on their hands, coaches could have been doing extra special due diligence on the 22s, whether it be film, social media history, etc, instead of basically saying 'we haven't finished our homework'??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't you argue that with all this extra time on their hands, coaches could have been doing extra special due diligence on the 22s, whether it be film, social media history, etc, instead of basically saying 'we haven't finished our homework'??

Yes, that is very true. This is a blatant money grab and it’s disgusting. Totally against the best interests of the kids. They should be ashamed of themselves but instead made vague threats that we better not question this. I don’t want my kid to play for a coach who values money over her. There’s not really any money for families to recoup in scholarships as they are rare in lax and will now be rarer with tightened budgets. I didn’t care about that before now but this action by the IWLCA makes me reconsider spending money just to pad a coach’s income. Better to save the cash for college.

[Anonymous]

agreed on all points..this is ridiculous. Listened to most of the calls (missed first ten minutes) and like the rest of you agree its crazy. Truly hope the NCAA thinks a little bit more about this conundrum and comes up with something "else" the idea oof shelling out fr another years worth of camps showcases, etc is total bs...these kids need to at least be allowed to talk to coaches to find out "where' they should be targeting. blatant and horrible money grab..ralize they need to pay their assistants but c'mon!!

[Anonymous]

With all the push for greater opportunities - not to mention Title IX, can anyone explain to me how, if this is approved by the NCAA, wouldn't create the mother of all class action lawsuits? Its blatantly pay to play.

[Anonymous]

It is pay to play. It is just awful how the coaches push all these camps with these poor kids hoping to play with no feedback. Football has it right allows kids to accept offers etc but only allows to commit later on. An average player out of state flying, hotel stay, camp expenses and you times that for at least 5 schools they may be interested in. I mean come on coaches, how is that fair when I kid could be wasting time looking at schools they may have no chance to play at. The club lacrosse world has lost its way and the kids aren’t playing real lacrosse. Same kids getting ball and not passing just so they can score. That isn’t real lacrosse. The system is absolutely broken all the way around. I feel for the 2022’s they are so anxious about film that they aren’t playing the game. So much anxiety for these kids. If there is anyone concerned about the game, allow feedback and allow the game to be played like it should or just one big ball hog fest. That is what I want to call this game now.

[Anonymous]

At the risk of sounding naive, I don’t think this is about camp money. Coaches are genuinely concerned about not seeing players in person. Reluctant to recruit on tape. Want to see interaction with teammates, coaches, officials. How they move and position themselves without the ball, which you often can’t see when the film is only following the ball. How they communicate on the field and sideline. How kids carry themselves before and after games. How they interact with their parent(s). Stuff you just can’t see on film. Plus the fact that they don’t know what their rosters are going to look like in 2021 or 2022. These are four year commitments often with scholarship money behind them. I don’t think anyone coaches Women’s lacrosse for the Big payday.