Losing by only 1 or 2 goals a problem most of this club's team would like to have. So this reads like this parent is needy for validation or they need to hang with the DCE crowd more often

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So was there much movement between NL, DC Express and VLC after all in either 2026 or 2025?

BLC to ML - zero
NL to ML - 1
NL to DCE - 1
VLC to ML - zero
VLC to DCE - 1
ML to DCE - 1
ML to NL - zero
ML to VLC - 1

This is incorrect. Don’t post this drivel when you don’t have a clue.

Here come the MadLax and TRW people.

Anonymous wrote:VLC 2026 has a new head coach this season who stands to fill in the gaps created by the previous coach, which there are several. Namely, losing key games by 1 or 2 points.

While there were only a few additions to the 2021-2022 roster, this team remains one of the more skilled group of 13/14 year-olds in the DC area.

Consider this: the top offensive producers for the #16-ranked Black Ops WSYL team are all from VLC 2026. Having a new head coach who is focused on being accountable/present, fostering player growth and who actually cares about winning games might be all these kids need to start drawing some serious attention.

Wow, really? ALL from VLC 2026? I hope this isn’t one of the VLC BlackOps dads posting this. That would be disappointing.

VLC 2026 has a new head coach this season who stands to fill in the gaps created by the previous coach, which there are several. Namely, losing key games by 1 or 2 points.

While there were only a few additions to the 2021-2022 roster, this team remains one of the more skilled group of 13/14 year-olds in the DC area.

Consider this: the top offensive producers for the #16-ranked Black Ops WSYL team are all from VLC 2026. Having a new head coach who is focused on being accountable/present, fostering player growth and who actually cares about winning games might be all these kids need to start drawing some serious attention.

Snore....

Anonymous wrote:So was there much movement between NL, DC Express and VLC after all in either 2026 or 2025?

BLC to ML - zero
NL to ML - 1
NL to DCE - 1
VLC to ML - zero
VLC to DCE - 1
ML to DCE - 1
ML to NL - zero
ML to VLC - 1

So was there much movement between NL, DC Express and VLC after all in either 2026 or 2025?

Anonymous wrote:PP - if you're unhappy, why don't you leave.

But it sounds like you are looking for someone to blame for your inability to teach your kid work ethic or his overall motivation.

If your kid gets an F on a test, it's probably because the teacher is bad too, right?

Either way, seek therapy or a new program because VLC will go on and kids will succeed without you.

Hey at least this mom is not and ungrateful quitter. As as her long diatribe stated she played HS and college so she knows the game

Question to the dude writing the book- in your opinion which club is doing a good job?

chill. its the crabs b team. they eventually play better in older ages and lose with dignity in tournaments when they score more than 3 goals

PP - if you're unhappy, why don't you leave.

But it sounds like you are looking for someone to blame for your inability to teach your kid work ethic or his overall motivation.

If your kid gets an F on a test, it's probably because the teacher is bad too, right?

Either way, seek therapy or a new program because VLC will go on and kids will succeed without you.

I appreciate this respectfully PP and your personal experience. I agree there's a disconnect, but it's NOT because of historical or present knowledge of the program. The game film is the game film. The team record is the team record. National youth travel lacrosse rankings are the rankings. Coaches and players post for practice/games or they don't.

VLC may once may have had positive, consistent lacrosse coaching. At one point in time, the NY Yankees used to be a baseball dynasty in Major League Baseball. I'm glad and we should all be glad your sons are having a positive travel team experience.

There is a big gap between how the VLC directors lead lacrosse teams and their other coaches run their teams. The VLC directors are disconnected from VLC teams they don't personally lead. That's likely the core problem. The coaches/directors may indeed have been responsive to parents, before their other coaching responsibilities (high school, world series) took priority. A VLC director showing up once or twice a year produces a noticeable better individual practice. This however does not move the needle any more than a substitute teacher in middle school.

To respond your college player challenge, this analogy may help bridge the understanding gap. For a different sport, my child was invited to join a youth all-star team this summer. Prior, my child and the all-star coach had never met in person. The all-star recommendation was made because of some demonstrated talent, personal practice, recreational league coaches, and BOTH parents supporting athletic development. If my child plays in college in the distant future, it won't be because of a figure-head all-star coach. For the record, that coach wouldn't claim credit for this. The point here is that coerelation does NOT always mean causation.

I believe that great coaching can unlock enormous individual potential and bad coaching can make kids quit the game. Youth lacrosse players play in college, because of their commitment, but also because of committed parents and coaches helping them along the way. I don't see any middle-school player capable of anticipating the elevated levels of play in high school and college (I've played both). Elite youth lacrosse coaches emulate this and AAA coaches should be at least making material strides towards this. Youth lacrosse players play in college, because of their commitment, but also because of committed parents and coaches helping them along the way.

I'm happy to read your player and parental commitment. However, for other VLC families, the coaching element is way off and that's NOT AT ALL what they were promised. For these families, youth travel lacrosse is serious investment of time, money, and self-esteem. For them, coaching is really important and I believe that they would appreciate it if the VLC organization took this equally as serious. Some of these VLC coaches appear to be mailing it in. So, yes, people are upset.

For the sake of the kids and the sport of lacrosse, I'd like to see VLC restore itself to its former positive influence. However, if VLC continues to decline, I don't want lacrosse families to say they weren't warned.

Here's my question back to you:

If VLC coaching wasn't the problem, the process model continues to succeed, and this was really "a player driven process" - why would VLC be making any coaching changes this year? It's not the practice location changes, is it?

I feel like there's a lot of animosity in the above post, but it is also uneducated and looks to be from youth parent based on the lack of historical or present knowledge across the program.

Unsure if you're referring to me, but my kid has played for VLC for three years, so I certainly have "present knowledge" of the program as far as one team is concerned. I also talk to parents on other teams, and none of them has reported an experience anywhere near as positive as what you describe.

The coaches coach, mentor, and guide the players, showing them what right looks like and explaining what it will take for them to succeed at the next level. I know my son(s) receive emails, texts, notes from their Coaches throughout the year to keep them focused and goal oriented.

My son never received any of that. The other parents on the team never mentioned anything like that, either. The only messages we got from the coaches throughout the season were directed to the entire team, on TeamApp, and they were of the generic "a few words about the game we just had" variety. The coaching was ineffective for the team as a whole, and the mentoring was non-existent.

I am glad your sons had a different and better experience, but my son did not, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way (eg, the PP who made the long post).

Z and Dico respond to any question/inquiry I've had promptly and have squashed any player/parent disturbances professionally. I'm sure they'd assist or educate you if you asked.

I don't even know of any "player/parent disturbances" on our team. I can't think of any players or parents who were disruptive. The kids and the parents are all very nice people. I know several players quit in disgust, which does not count as a "disturbance" in my book.

I do know, however, that Z and Dico responded to parental concerns - and a lot of parents on the team had such concerns - extremely unprofessionally. Don't count on them to "assist" you.

Lastly, if the process is so broken as you say, why does this program continue to churn out college players? Having been here for over 6 years now, I can tell you that their processes, scheduling, methodologies mirror what they were in 2015. They just practice at different locations now.

The way my son's team was coached was so dramatically different from what you describe that I think your knowledge is team-specific and coach-specific. As in many other clubs, if you get lucky and have a great coach, that's great, but if you get a coach who's just phoning it in, that's not so great.

I suspect that VLC is generating college players in spite of the coaching, not because of it. As the other PP said, they recruit talent, they don't develop it.

My son left the house around 6am this morning to go workout with his teammates. I only say this because he knows that only he can control his future, not the coaches, parents, or teachers.

Like the coaches always say, "It's a player driven process."

Yes, the players have to do a lot of work outside practice. But this does not absolve the coach of responsibility. It is not true that only your son controls his future, because the quality of coaching he receives very definitely affects his future. He will get better with lots of wall ball and just from being on the field with a stick in his hand, but there are limits to that, and he will improve even more significantly with proper coaching. In the future, he will compete against kids who have had proper coaching, and if he's had half-assed coaching then he is at a disadvantage.

The overall attitude of the team coach this past season was to disclaim any responsibility for losses and failures to improve. This was disappointing to say the least.

like pp has shared, things the vlc did and was known for, they dropped the ball, were told and didnt care enough to pick it up at their feet. dont assume ignorance and its not 2015. when vlc dir tell starting offensive players and their parents they don't a working offhand going into hs, they know there's a problem, team can only move the ball in 1 direction.. older players cant believe what goes on regularly w. young teams but their loyalty is to their hs, not a 4 week club circuit. some coaching changes but recycling some lower expectation staff too. it can get better - good that its worked out for you