Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a 2027 thread, but agree that Next Level 2028 is top team at that age group. Last three times Next Level-Madlax played during this spring and last summer, Next Level won every single game. Madlax is well ahead of BLC, but that gap is closing.

Is it really???

Madlax is the better team. With better players.

Anonymous wrote:This is a 2027 thread, but agree that Next Level 2028 is top team at that age group. Last three times Next Level-Madlax played during this spring and last summer, Next Level won every single game. Madlax is well ahead of BLC, but that gap is closing.

Is it really???

This is a 2027 thread, but agree that Next Level 2028 is top team at that age group. Last three times Next Level-Madlax played during this spring and last summer, Next Level won every single game. Madlax is well ahead of BLC, but that gap is closing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For 2028s, Next Level is top team, then Madlax, then BLC and VLC. Best players from Landon play for Next Level, but a few good ones play for Madlax and BLC too.

Madlax is the top team.

In the dream world of MadLax Dads, yes. In the real world, NextLevel consistently beats MadLax, but at least in 2028 they are close. In 2027, NextLevel embarrassed MadLax by ten goals in the HoCo playoffs.

Anonymous wrote:For 2028s, Next Level is top team, then Madlax, then BLC and VLC. Best players from Landon play for Next Level, but a few good ones play for Madlax and BLC too.

Madlax is the top team.

Is the 27 class strong?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+2
High school coaches typically stay out of club politics and player movement. If a player is good enough as a rising 8th grader that a school like Prep or Gonzaga is recruiting him, the coach will assume that that the player is developing well on his current team, and will say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The coach has nothing to gain, and actually something to lose (respect, credibility, appearing controlling), by telling a player to quit his travel team and join a different one.

I was told HS teams do not recruit for sports.

you must be new here.

For 2028s, Next Level is top team, then Madlax, then BLC and VLC. Best players from Landon play for Next Level, but a few good ones play for Madlax and BLC too.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone describe the 2028 landscape? In a similar situation with DS who is trying out for multiple teams this summer as he wants to change clubs.

One thing I would not pay any attention to is US Club lacrosse rankings. They mean very little at this age group. Look for the events the older HS teams are entering and be sure they provide future exposure. Currently these would be Naptown, Crabfeast, NAL, NLF events. After that, pick the team with the best location for you and one where he will have friends on the team. Players do move between teams even through HS. If playing a specialty position be sure that you will get playing time. Riding the bench only helps the club's finances. For most years those teams are Madlax, Next Level, DCE, and VLC. Look at the current 2023 class and you can view the recruiting on IL. This should give an indication of how the clubs finish if this is important to you. At the middle school level I think most parents are looking for a club to provide access to college opportunities if the player has that potential.

Can anyone describe the 2028 landscape? In a similar situation with DS who is trying out for multiple teams this summer as he wants to change clubs.

Anonymous wrote:+2
High school coaches typically stay out of club politics and player movement. If a player is good enough as a rising 8th grader that a school like Prep or Gonzaga is recruiting him, the coach will assume that that the player is developing well on his current team, and will say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The coach has nothing to gain, and actually something to lose (respect, credibility, appearing controlling), by telling a player to quit his travel team and join a different one.

I was told HS teams do not recruit for sports.

+2
High school coaches typically stay out of club politics and player movement. If a player is good enough as a rising 8th grader that a school like Prep or Gonzaga is recruiting him, the coach will assume that that the player is developing well on his current team, and will say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The coach has nothing to gain, and actually something to lose (respect, credibility, appearing controlling), by telling a player to quit his travel team and join a different one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from MadLax. At the defensive end they are stacked, so your son will have difficulty getting on the field. Offensively the team has been gutted the past 2 years by daddy ball, and is painful to watch, which is why the team is no longer competitive with top 10 teams like NextLevel, West Coast starz, and the Long Island teams. So whatever position your son plays, he would be looking for a new team by November.

+1
The team used to be well coached, but parent coaching never works at this level.

Great comments here, but the one thing no one is talking about is likely high school attendance.

I expect MadLax to pick up a bunch of talent this summer. The Georgetown Prep coach (and to a lesser extent the Gonzagacoach) will push boys he is recruiting to MadLax if they aren't playing there already. This may pull some kids across multiple clubs.

Similarly many of the Bullis kids will make their way to next level. Though the Bullis coach doesn't get as involved with club as some other coaches.

After going through the jump to high school twice, I can tell you this post is BS. The only high school coach that seems to push their kids towards a school is MadLax and Landon. The coaches at GP and G don’t care and have kids at all the major clubs.

My advice…try out at all clubs and see which team suits you. The parents of the teams will vary a great deal year to year, as will the coaches. Don’t worry about high school affiliation or what is happening in other years. Focus on the team for your year and the best fit.

+1
There is no pressure from the Prep or Gonzaga coaches to join MadLax. If a HS coach is recruiting a 2027 (a rising 8th grader) he will be selling the family on the school itself, not wasting capital trying to steer the player from one travel program to another. The one exception would be if the HS coach happens to own the travel program, Dematha/NextLevel, but the Prep and Gonzaga coaches have no such relationship with MadLax.
Now in some classes there is peer pressure among kids at Landon to join MadLax, but that is not happening in 2027. The good Landon players in that class all play for NextLevel or BLC, and it would be a cold day before they would play for MadLax. Their parents can’t stand the ML program, and the boys can’t stand the MadLax player(s) in the class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from MadLax. At the defensive end they are stacked, so your son will have difficulty getting on the field. Offensively the team has been gutted the past 2 years by daddy ball, and is painful to watch, which is why the team is no longer competitive with top 10 teams like NextLevel, West Coast starz, and the Long Island teams. So whatever position your son plays, he would be looking for a new team by November.

+1
The team used to be well coached, but parent coaching never works at this level.

Great comments here, but the one thing no one is talking about is likely high school attendance.

I expect MadLax to pick up a bunch of talent this summer. The Georgetown Prep coach (and to a lesser extent the Gonzagacoach) will push boys he is recruiting to MadLax if they aren't playing there already. This may pull some kids across multiple clubs.

Similarly many of the Bullis kids will make their way to next level. Though the Bullis coach doesn't get as involved with club as some other coaches.

After going through the jump to high school twice, I can tell you this post is BS. The only high school coach that seems to push their kids towards a school is MadLax and Landon. The coaches at GP and G don’t care and have kids at all the major clubs.

My advice…try out at all clubs and see which team suits you. The parents of the teams will vary a great deal year to year, as will the coaches. Don’t worry about high school affiliation or what is happening in other years. Focus on the team for your year and the best fit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of the top players from those teams will tryout for for DCE?

Probably a lot. The DCE 2025 and 2026 teams are well ahead of NL, ML, and VLC, so they must be doing something right.

DCE 2025 is very good but not “well ahead” of NL (who beat them last weekend) and ML. All three are good and can beat each other. VLC trails behind.

DCE 2026 probably is fairly characterized as being “well ahead” of the others.

At 2027, NL is “well ahead” of the rest with ML next in line and BLC and VLC trailing very far behind.

Here is where DC Express 2025 and 2026 are ranked as of June 24, 2022 in US Club Lacrosse Rankings, compared to the other three programs. The 2027 DC Express team will not come into existence until next month, so it can't yet be compared to the other three.

2025

6 - DC Express
10 - MadLax
17 NextLevel
88 - VLC

2026

13 - DC Express
23 - MadLax
49 - VLC
55 - NextLevel