Anonymous wrote:Probably the biggest issue with VLC is the "directors" don't want to take any ownership. They just think the teams will be good by magic. They don't hire quality coaches at the younger level, and they don't provide any support to the coaches they do have. The lack of communication from them is dismal and they are good with it. Sad...

This is 100% true with VLC. Their motto has always been "trust the process" and they count on current families to bring in new talent. They do absolutely NOTHING to try and get the word out about their club, bring in new players, etc. While the boys can always practice more and better their game...the coaches do very little in giving them direction, motivation, understanding, etc. This is probably because the coaches get no support from management at all. No ownership with VLC management at all...ZERO. This is why the 27 team folded, it didn't happen overnight. Most of the boys gave them a couple of years and got several coaches, poor communication at best, and the excuse of trust the process. VLC just expected boys to show up at tryouts. Existing boys did show up, new boys didn't. The sign was there, little interest in the club. So boys went off to different teams and VLC couldn't field a team. The 26s, 28s, 29s have their issues...and all those younger teams are only there because of the Cavs merger. VLC couldn't field any of those teams if it wasn't for Cavs. What does this say for the future of VLC when so many of their teams are having issues. I truly wish VLC the best, there are some great folks over there. Great talent with amazing boys and families that have tried or are "trusting the process". This is a huge failure on Dico and management to have had 1 team fold and several others that are being held by a thread. Crabs might want to start getting in their business since they are connected with them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with VLC rather than providing true feedback on the program.

Fair enough. I’m only repeating what I’ve heard from a good family friend of our other 28 lacrosse player who plays on a competing club (well not really competition-sorry VLC!) it’s just what they have told us and the only reason their son is returning is “because of his friends “ on the team. Maybe it’s an incredible team and their view is wrong?🤷🏽

Wow that is some advanced trolling. I particularly like how you assert that your son’s unnamed team is better than VLC. Way to go tiger. To clear up any misconceptions:

- VLC 28 did not lose any quality players - some of the underperformers were cut or left
- VLC 28 is significantly better than any of its competitors (other than ML cap and the the top NL team)
- VLC 28 won the HOCO championship in the spring and punched above its weight at andrenlie cup.
- VLC 28 has possibly the best goalie and defenders in the area.
- coach talon is a quality coach although in terms of communication with parents and organization he could use some help
- if VLC invests in this team (Meaning Dico takes an interest in organizing and recruiting for it) I don’t see any reason why This team would not be competitive at the HOCO Elite level and top tournaments.

Ok VLC goalie dad… I just had to look up your amazing performance in the adrenaline cup. Y’all went 0-5. Only thing punching above your weight is your ego about this teams abilities. Yea I’d say Dico definitely needs to help out and probably start a new team from scratch if you think you’ll ever come near the elite level in hoco. I’m sure it’s a great team and all, but pass the joint

Are we still talking about kids that are currently 12yrs old?

Also, is there any correlation to how a team does in HoCo how those same kids do in HS or College?

A lot changes with all club teams as they hit the HS years. First of all, about 30-40% of the team will be new players. Usually late to the game great athletes who are really strong HS players and looking to get to the next level join the club. It happens without tryouts and usually a teammate of a current player. Kids who did not get a lot of PT also leave as parents know maybe D1 is not in the cards. The age thing evens out. VLC is typically a year younger than HOCO elite teams but the gap is smaller in HS. Scores and records on tourney machine really do not mean much. The purpose of club is showcasing for college coaches. HS team is where the score matters. Even with that, teams are playing to win but also to show well so the games are intense. The scores however do not always make sense. VLC team beat a team that then beat the #1 ranked team but then VLC lost to the team that lost to the team they just beat? Any given game there are bout 20 teams that could win any game in the top events. Playing well and getting recruited is what matters. Your son will soon forget about how they did in the HOCO league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with VLC rather than providing true feedback on the program.

Fair enough. I’m only repeating what I’ve heard from a good family friend of our other 28 lacrosse player who plays on a competing club (well not really competition-sorry VLC!) it’s just what they have told us and the only reason their son is returning is “because of his friends “ on the team. Maybe it’s an incredible team and their view is wrong?🤷🏽

Wow that is some advanced trolling. I particularly like how you assert that your son’s unnamed team is better than VLC. Way to go tiger. To clear up any misconceptions:

- VLC 28 did not lose any quality players - some of the underperformers were cut or left
- VLC 28 is significantly better than any of its competitors (other than ML cap and the the top NL team)
- VLC 28 won the HOCO championship in the spring and punched above its weight at andrenlie cup.
- VLC 28 has possibly the best goalie and defenders in the area.
- coach talon is a quality coach although in terms of communication with parents and organization he could use some help
- if VLC invests in this team (Meaning Dico takes an interest in organizing and recruiting for it) I don’t see any reason why This team would not be competitive at the HOCO Elite level and top tournaments.

Ok VLC goalie dad… I just had to look up your amazing performance in the adrenaline cup. Y’all went 0-5. Only thing punching above your weight is your ego about this teams abilities. Yea I’d say Dico definitely needs to help out and probably start a new team from scratch if you think you’ll ever come near the elite level in hoco. I’m sure it’s a great team and all, but pass the joint

Are we still talking about kids that are currently 12yrs old[i]?

Also, is there any correlation to how a team does in HoCo how those same kids do in HS or College?

13 or 14 yrs old if they are at Mad Lax. But I digress because this is a VLC thread. So yes, 12 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News flash, no travel lacrosse teams are objectively perfect, or even anywhere close to perfect. Think about it - how can you possibly keep 20+ families happy where playing time is a zero sum game, and all the little Billy's (or Katie's) self esteem depends BOTH on getting PT, and ALSO being on a winning team. Every parent thinks that their son is 10% to 50% better than he actually is. Even directors and coaches with CEO level social skills and management skills from the real world could not please everybody. And, reality is that youth travel coaches and directors definitely do not have that level of social/management skill - their skills range from ok at best, to pretty awful at worst. And they are not paid enough for anybody to hold them accountable in that respect. So therefore most teams are a dysfunctional group, even the so called elite teams.

If you had gone to True, you would be trading one set of problems for another. True is a revolving door, money grab with very uneven levels of coaching and players. The MadLax owner is an excellent businessman, but a lot of people think he is an a-hole, and he actually coaches the 2028 team himself. Trust me, if you went to MadLax, there would be plenty of things you would not like, and at any rate, if your son is on a team that plays in AAA (two levels down from elite in HoCo), there are probably no more than 4-5 players on the roster that would would make MadLax in any event. Same with Hawks and NextLevel.

Bottom line, stop complaining about coaches, directors, communication, etc. and work on what you can actually control, your own son's development as a player and a person.

PS - the parent who came on here trash talking about the team's HoCo championship in a lower division and claiming that the 0-5 showing at Adrenaline was somehow a badge of honor is not doing the team's image any favors. One of the more rational parents should text him/her to cool it.

You mean the goalie parent with “one of the best goalies in the area”. I bet they were one of the people trying to head to True with their cadre of remarkable players. Sounds like a nightmare team with nightmare parents. The parents are probably the problem, not the club.

+1 ^^^^

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with VLC rather than providing true feedback on the program.

Fair enough. I’m only repeating what I’ve heard from a good family friend of our other 28 lacrosse player who plays on a competing club (well not really competition-sorry VLC!) it’s just what they have told us and the only reason their son is returning is “because of his friends “ on the team. Maybe it’s an incredible team and their view is wrong?🤷🏽

Wow that is some advanced trolling. I particularly like how you assert that your son’s unnamed team is better than VLC. Way to go tiger. To clear up any misconceptions:

- VLC 28 did not lose any quality players - some of the underperformers were cut or left
- VLC 28 is significantly better than any of its competitors (other than ML cap and the the top NL team)
- VLC 28 won the HOCO championship in the spring and punched above its weight at andrenlie cup.
- VLC 28 has possibly the best goalie and defenders in the area.
- coach talon is a quality coach although in terms of communication with parents and organization he could use some help
- if VLC invests in this team (Meaning Dico takes an interest in organizing and recruiting for it) I don’t see any reason why This team would not be competitive at the HOCO Elite level and top tournaments.

Ok VLC goalie dad… I just had to look up your amazing performance in the adrenaline cup. Y’all went 0-5. Only thing punching above your weight is your ego about this teams abilities. Yea I’d say Dico definitely needs to help out and probably start a new team from scratch if you think you’ll ever come near the elite level in hoco. I’m sure it’s a great team and all, but pass the joint

Are we still talking about kids that are currently 12yrs old?

Also, is there any correlation to how a team does in HoCo how those same kids do in HS or College?

Anonymous wrote:News flash, no travel lacrosse teams are objectively perfect, or even anywhere close to perfect. Think about it - how can you possibly keep 20+ families happy where playing time is a zero sum game, and all the little Billy's (or Katie's) self esteem depends BOTH on getting PT, and ALSO being on a winning team. Every parent thinks that their son is 10% to 50% better than he actually is. Even directors and coaches with CEO level social skills and management skills from the real world could not please everybody. And, reality is that youth travel coaches and directors definitely do not have that level of social/management skill - their skills range from ok at best, to pretty awful at worst. And they are not paid enough for anybody to hold them accountable in that respect. So therefore most teams are a dysfunctional group, even the so called elite teams.

If you had gone to True, you would be trading one set of problems for another. True is a revolving door, money grab with very uneven levels of coaching and players. The MadLax owner is an excellent businessman, but a lot of people think he is an a-hole, and he actually coaches the 2028 team himself. Trust me, if you went to MadLax, there would be plenty of things you would not like, and at any rate, if your son is on a team that plays in AAA (two levels down from elite in HoCo), there are probably no more than 4-5 players on the roster that would would make MadLax in any event. Same with Hawks and NextLevel.

Bottom line, stop complaining about coaches, directors, communication, etc. and work on what you can actually control, your own son's development as a player and a person.

PS - the parent who came on here trash talking about the team's HoCo championship in a lower division and claiming that the 0-5 showing at Adrenaline was somehow a badge of honor is not doing the team's image any favors. One of the more rational parents should text him/her to cool it.

You mean the goalie parent with “one of the best goalies in the area”. I bet they were one of the people trying to head to True with their cadre of remarkable players. Sounds like a nightmare team with nightmare parents. The parents are probably the problem, not the club.

News flash, no travel lacrosse teams are objectively perfect, or even anywhere close to perfect. Think about it - how can you possibly keep 20+ families happy where playing time is a zero sum game, and all the little Billy's (or Katie's) self esteem depends BOTH on getting PT, and ALSO being on a winning team. Every parent thinks that their son is 10% to 50% better than he actually is. Even directors and coaches with CEO level social skills and management skills from the real world could not please everybody. And, reality is that youth travel coaches and directors definitely do not have that level of social/management skill - their skills range from ok at best, to pretty awful at worst. And they are not paid enough for anybody to hold them accountable in that respect. So therefore most teams are a dysfunctional group, even the so called elite teams.

If you had gone to True, you would be trading one set of problems for another. True is a revolving door, money grab with very uneven levels of coaching and players. The MadLax owner is an excellent businessman, but a lot of people think he is an a-hole, and he actually coaches the 2028 team himself. Trust me, if you went to MadLax, there would be plenty of things you would not like, and at any rate, if your son is on a team that plays in AAA (two levels down from elite in HoCo), there are probably no more than 4-5 players on the roster that would would make MadLax in any event. Same with Hawks and NextLevel.

Bottom line, stop complaining about coaches, directors, communication, etc. and work on what you can actually control, your own son's development as a player and a person.

PS - the parent who came on here trash talking about the team's HoCo championship in a lower division and claiming that the 0-5 showing at Adrenaline was somehow a badge of honor is not doing the team's image any favors. One of the more rational parents should text him/her to cool it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

I agree with the prediction - I think DCE will scoop up the core of the 28’s unless VLC ups their game but I disagree with the evaluation of the team. Coach Tallon is a high quality coach with a great rapport with the kids. I don’t think he’s getting the support he needs from VLC’s but he’s totally capable of turning the 28’s into a high-quality team. Particularly if they can rationalize the rosters of the A team and the B team. Also, to my knowledge all of the better players are returning. To my understanding they only lost a fairly unathletic attack and a couple of unskilled middies.

I don’t have a 28 kid, but do have an older kid who has been coached by Talon on the high school level. Maybe he’s better with the younger set. He’s an excellent assistant though. But a head coach? Good luck with that. Does he even communicate?

Parents aren't happy with the complete lack of communication on the 28 team. A core group almost left for True because of it and other parents are making their kids stay because of VLC's rep.

Why didn't they leave for True? Could it be that what is perceived as "lack of communication" is really "not catering to my personal demands for what I want for my son and who I think should be on the field"? Because, you know, Northern Virginia and everyone thinks that what happens in 6th and 7th grade will make or break their son getting into a D1 school for lacrosse.

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by "lack of communication?"

Literally no communication. Very disorganized.

Can you explain what you mean by "lack of communication?"

Probably the biggest issue with VLC is the "directors" don't want to take any ownership. They just think the teams will be good by magic. They don't hire quality coaches at the younger level, and they don't provide any support to the coaches they do have. The lack of communication from them is dismal and they are good with it. Sad...

Sounds like the thing going down hill at VLC are the parents of the younger teams. As a parent of a former VLC player none of the parents on our son's team would ever "make" a kid stick with VLC

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

I agree with the prediction - I think DCE will scoop up the core of the 28’s unless VLC ups their game but I disagree with the evaluation of the team. Coach Tallon is a high quality coach with a great rapport with the kids. I don’t think he’s getting the support he needs from VLC’s but he’s totally capable of turning the 28’s into a high-quality team. Particularly if they can rationalize the rosters of the A team and the B team. Also, to my knowledge all of the better players are returning. To my understanding they only lost a fairly unathletic attack and a couple of unskilled middies.

I don’t have a 28 kid, but do have an older kid who has been coached by Talon on the high school level. Maybe he’s better with the younger set. He’s an excellent assistant though. But a head coach? Good luck with that. Does he even communicate?

Parents aren't happy with the complete lack of communication on the 28 team. A core group almost left for True because of it and other parents are making their kids stay because of VLC's rep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with VLC rather than providing true feedback on the program.

Fair enough. I’m only repeating what I’ve heard from a good family friend of our other 28 lacrosse player who plays on a competing club (well not really competition-sorry VLC!) it’s just what they have told us and the only reason their son is returning is “because of his friends “ on the team. Maybe it’s an incredible team and their view is wrong?🤷🏽

Wow that is some advanced trolling. I particularly like how you assert that your son’s unnamed team is better than VLC. Way to go tiger. To clear up any misconceptions:

- VLC 28 did not lose any quality players - some of the underperformers were cut or left
- VLC 28 is significantly better than any of its competitors (other than ML cap and the the top NL team)
- VLC 28 won the HOCO championship in the spring and punched above its weight at andrenlie cup.
- VLC 28 has possibly the best goalie and defenders in the area.
- coach talon is a quality coach although in terms of communication with parents and organization he could use some help
- if VLC invests in this team (Meaning Dico takes an interest in organizing and recruiting for it) I don’t see any reason why This team would not be competitive at the HOCO Elite level and top tournaments.

Lolol! They were essentially in the B bracket🤣🤣🤣 I’d love to see VLC in the elite bracket, that would be comical. You are clearly a ValC parent who is dilusional.

All of their defenders would ride the bench on ML or NL or even BLC.

I’m assuming that you are an ML parent since you sound like one. How can you look down on VLC when you got stomped in HOCO and have to bring in ringers and holdbacks to replace you own kids to have a chance at a summer tournament.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is the 2028 “elite” team will go the way of the 2027s. They have zero clue as to how to run a youth program. The two coaches are young and immature. Someone needs to send an adult in. A few of their top player have scattered leaving them with a skeleton of a team.

I think the coaching is good at some years, but certainly not at the younger years. Too bad they couldn’t take what Cavs did well and fold it in. They really bungled that merger.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with VLC rather than providing true feedback on the program.

Sure thing, DiCo. 🙄