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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Do these kids play for their schools and do travel teams? How does that work?[/quote]

The travel team issue is tricky.  The following answer is for boys:

1.  The worst conflict is soccer, where the highest level outside teams, "Academy" teams, bar the players from playing with their HS team after 9th grade.  Even the non-Academy club soccer programs often have multiple weekday practices so kids go to their club practice after practicing with their school team.

2. Basketball's outside teams, the AAU system, starts after the HS season is over so while AAU basketball might interfere with a basketball player wanting to do a spring sport, it won't stop him from playing for his school team.

3.  Football is still school-centered, although the summer 7 v. 7 set-up is growing in popularity and influence in the recruiting process.

4.  Lacrosse clubs are still heaving focused on the summer, and although summer club and tournaments are increasingly the center of gravity for recruiting, there's not a conflict with the HS season (and college coaches still talk a lot to the HS coaches, especially at the more well-established programs).

5.  Outside baseball heavily focused on the summer, no conflict with the HS season.

6.  High school ice hockey in this area, while improving, is still relatively low level so good players in this area must and do club.  A reasonable amount of conflicts with the HS team schedule ensues, but many kids do still play for the HS teams.

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Really nice and informative breakdown, PP.  My son, who attends STA plays travel lacrosse and football.  Football only throu school.  He has many friends who play travel soccer and AAU basketball and Team Maryland ice hockey.  Your information is really good for the older kids.  Hope people read it.  Wish someone had spelled it all out for me so nicely years ago.  I would just add the following for people with young boys.  It s mostly the same for girls, by the way:

Football- low key start to football through the Rockville Football League.  Starts around 7 yrs old.  Teams start out by age then gradually take weight into account and later on ability.  Appropriate for boys of all levels as there are lower key, less physical teams and larger, more intense teams as they get older.  The teams are not by school but by geographical area.  DC boys lay on the Blessed Sacrament team.  Blessed Sacrament program is very well run and a string program.  Run by the Strachan brothers.  For boys who are really advanced and want to play at a higher level there is the

Lacrosse - kids can start out as young as 4 or 5 at clinics through Bethesda League, Next Level indoor facilities, Breakout Clinics or Madlax.  All programs can be read about and researched on line.  All have it for boys and girls.  All have solid, well run beginning programs.  Next Levels clinics for youngsters may be the most organized and well one as they have an actual physical locations/building.  All also start fielding teams at the Under 7 age group.  At that age the program you choose doesn't make much difference as long as your kid is having FUN.  This is key.  If it's not fun, if the coaching is too intense, which can happen, that is a sign it's not a good program for the little kids.

Soccer - the Maryland programs are much better than the Stoddert program.  I speak for personal experience.  Still, purely for fun Stoddert is fine.  This is the easiest sport to find stuff for the little ones as it's most prevalent.

Basketball - if you are Cathilic, there is the CYO which you can find about through your church.  Otherwise there is One-On-One which holds clinics and league at the Lab school.  They have a website.  There is also HoopEd which has clinics and leagues too.  Also on line info available.  Both are nice beginner programs.  Jellef boys and girls club has a league too which is very good and sightly more competitive.  AAU is the hard-core league for exceptionally talented players when they get a bit older.

Ice hockey- members of CCC have their own program which many members seem to do.  Very popular at that club.  If not a member, Cabin John has programs.  The elite players usually try out for Team Maryland and then go from there.  Lots of opportunities to play on teams of different levels.  Very intense during the season and more out of town travel at a younger age than any other sport.

Baseball/Softball -honestly, I have no idea about these. Kids tried them through camps and it didn't click.  Mine preferred lacrosse.  Know the are good programs though.  Also, Maret has a good high school baseball program and I don't think it was mentioned above.  
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