It's true that the private schools send more kids than publics do to play D1 lacrosse. But if you look at the laxpower high school VA6A/5A thread you will see there are 2015 northern Virginia public school grads playing at UNC, Michigan, Brown, Ohio State, Bryant, Quinnipiac, etc. and there are public school commits to Hopkins, Bucknell, Ruthers, Drexel, VMI, etc. Also representation at many D 3 schools including Tufts, Amherst, Roanoke, etc. Coaches find good players. The programs at many private schools are longer standing and better developed. But there are lots of public school kids who make it all work and do really well! Good luck!

Mad lax sends more kids to Gonzaga every year than any program in the area.

Next Level to Landon is more of a symbolic relationship

Anonymous wrote:I disgree that your kid can be a "stud" - as a pp said - and a college coach will find him at a public school. That is very, very unlikely. Look at all the youth lacrosse clubs around this area. They're all good. Then the kids go to either public school track or private school track. Guess which ones play in college? It's the guys from Gtown Prep, Gonzaga, Landon, Bullis, etc. It isn't the guys from Churchill and Whitman. Similar kids but very different outcomes. My kid went to Churchill- I know of what I speak! These kids just don't get "found" at publics.

Madlax and VLC have a small handful of public school boys who will play at the college level. But this is not the norm. VLC used to steer boys to PVI. Madlax to Landon. It is a symbiotic relationship.

I disgree that your kid can be a "stud" - as a pp said - and a college coach will find him at a public school. That is very, very unlikely. Look at all the youth lacrosse clubs around this area. They're all good. Then the kids go to either public school track or private school track. Guess which ones play in college? It's the guys from Gtown Prep, Gonzaga, Landon, Bullis, etc. It isn't the guys from Churchill and Whitman. Similar kids but very different outcomes. My kid went to Churchill- I know of what I speak! These kids just don't get "found" at publics.

In the IAC and in some of the WCAC schools versus the Public schools:

Coaching is better and there are a lot more coaches per team.

Players are generally better. There a a few good players on public school teams but the overall quality is not there.

These are the kids your son will practice with, scrimmage with and compete with for a roster spot and playing time.

The competition is better and the games are bigger.

The IAC schools area known quantity and effectively are Brand names for college coaches.

But to send a kid to an IAC school just for lacrosse seems to be out of whack. It should be one reason of many to justify the expense.

Check out any college lacrosse roster - the majority of players are from independent schools, and the overwhelming majority of those are from the east coast.

Go to the school that is the best fit in areas other than lax. Your kid may not end up playing in a few yrs and then you're stuck at a place solely because of that sport. The high school just isn't that important in terms of lax recruiting anymore.

Anonymous wrote:If the club is godawful, why not switch? Is this club coach affiliated with an IAC school? The WCAC schools are also a cheaper option, especially Gonzaga.

If the 4 club teams in the greater DMV that routinely send their alums to play at the college level, 3 are run by asshats. So that is probably what is meant by "godawful." But if college play is the goal, these asshats get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Anonymous wrote:It's tough to see the field at gonzAga. The school is huge. I've been told they have cuts even in their freshman and JV team.

Then likely not a D1 prospect.

It's tough to see the field at gonzAga. The school is huge. I've been told they have cuts even in their freshman and JV team.

If the club is godawful, why not switch? Is this club coach affiliated with an IAC school? The WCAC schools are also a cheaper option, especially Gonzaga.

It depends what you and your son are looking for. The majority of kids who have made verbals to D1 schools come from private schools - especially those in the IAC.

At the end of the day, if your son is a STUD, college coaches will find him, regardless if he is at a local public or private.

Private school players are certainly more prepared for the college ranks - especially in the IAC most of these programs have very good coaching staffs in place and not to mention the competition ever day in practice is pretty intense.

If you can swing it or qualify for student aid, why not explore it.

The IAC has some of the best teams in the country. So true.

No.

My kids's club coach is saying that in addition to the thousands we spend on his godawful club, that we need to spend tens of thousands more on private school tuition to round out my son's lacrosse resume.

Can this possibly be true?