Anonymous wrote:Only time will tell how this all plays out. The standard for the new Pride HS team should not be competing with Capital or for Capital competing with Pride. Both programs should be striving to be as good or better than the MD and LI teams. This will be a tall order given the talent pool is now split between two programs. The landscape of club lacrosse for HS girls in NOVA will not be the same as the past. Capital Blue today will not be the same as Capital Blue of the past. It simply can't be given the best talent in NOVA is spread across multiple teams now.
Given most of the Pride players opted to stay with Pride says a lot about how those players feel about their teammates, their coaches, and the Pride program. Capital no longer has a monopoly on HS talent where historically the best youth players funneled into their program. At least for now it appears the best talent will be split between two programs. While it's great to have an open market to choose from this will impact the strength of both programs at least in the short term. It's too early to tell how this will play out in the long-run.
One thing is for sure. Club lacrosse has become big business driven by parents on an endless quest to have their daughters be the next superstar. Clubs see this and are taking advantage of the business opportunity these frenzied parents have created. Who can blame them. At the end of the day the club(s) that survive will be the one(s) that deliver expected results. The assumption is parents are spending all of this money on club lacrosse, so their daughters will have the opportunity to play at the college level. If this is the end goal whichever club is able to deliver these results in the new NOVA HS lacrosse landscape will survive.
This is a great post and I think hits some many thoughtful points! Well said!
I wouuld agree that htere is much talent in NoVA and all of it is not at just the Capitals and Prides of the world...the rosters of some state champions both public and private will illustrate that these girls are playiong everywhere..Metro, CRASH, Cardinal, etc etc. The thgouth of these parents that just one club must be the answer is realyl laughable...I woudl even say that as recruiting rules have changed (which shockingly no one discusses) even the other clubs that have been labeled as "dominant" are nto nearly dominating the way they used to be..simply look at Yellow Jackets, M&D...theyh are amazing programs but the younger grades..22's ans 23's are defnitely not dominating liek they once did...same with Capital and others..there are choices now and the teams that stay together will enjoy the most on field success...the kids jumping form team to team are hurting themelves...and for what? wins?? The wins mean absolutely ntohign int he recuriting process.
There is room for clubs and we need them so eveyr girls that wants to play year round can play...but I'll go further and say that the clubs that will survive and prosper wil be the oens that put the work in...you can do nothign but admire what PRIDE is doing in their growht plan...but is takign that coach a ton of work...you have to roll up your sleeves, have community support and put in a a ton of hours both on the field and off. Capital is an amazing offering as well (and was last year too!). All of these clubs ahev wonderfulyl committed folks...the onese htat comntinue to work hard and keep the athletes best interest first will do just fine. However, the ones that allow parents too much influence and manage arounf their own kids best interests are the ones that will be smelled out a mile away...will be punished on these forums...and be setback eons for the next gropoup of leaders to try to unwind and rebuild. WIll be interesting to see what this landscape looks liek in five years.