Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While many posters make great points, it is undeniable that it is harder to get a spot on a club team if your daughter starts in middle school. Because these clubs start younger, the teams fill up and the girls who play year-round are inevitably better. So while it would be great to wait until middle school, the reality is that is a big risk unless your daughter is a truly talented athlete. Based on the feedback here, it sounds like Stars isn’t a good option in the younger age groups. I’ll look at alternatives. Thanks.

Before making any decisions, I think you need to understand what your daughter wants to get out of lacrosse. Will this be something she wants to do for fun or does she dream of playing on a bigger stage. My guess is she doesn't know in 3rd/4th grade, so I would not be overly-consumed with finding a travel club this early. Once she knows what she wants from lacrosse, depending on her answer you should pick a travel program that best aligns with her goals. If it's for fun find a program that really serves as an extension to rec lacrosse. If it's to play on a bigger stage tryout for programs that play at the most competitive level. There are plenty of options.

If she plans to play at the highest level I would not prescribe to the idea your daughter will automatically make the team year after year simply because she joined the club in 3rd/4th grade. The best clubs will look for the best talent to fill their rosters every year. There will be some overbearing parents who try to influence placement or control the situation as eluded to, but as mentioned the best clubs will focus on potential talent.

Parent of older HS-aged lax players here. While what you say above is technically true, it rarely happens that smoothly or perfectly in real life. Talent and team selections are purely subjective. Often the coaches or evaluators “see” what they expect to see and that means a player who has been on a team and performed well will be selected over a new player whom is unknown even if the new player is more talented. Team selections are far too subjective and political to make this assumption. We have all seen it happen far too often.

OP, pick a program, Pride, Stars, MC Elite, whatever and get your daughter playing. Regardless of what you read here, they aren’t that different.

Parent of a girl who plays for a Baltimore Club and I agree. All kids play better once they have had a season or two of club and it is difficult for rec girls to get a spot on the team after sixth grade or so. At that point, all the movement seems to be between clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While many posters make great points, it is undeniable that it is harder to get a spot on a club team if your daughter starts in middle school. Because these clubs start younger, the teams fill up and the girls who play year-round are inevitably better. So while it would be great to wait until middle school, the reality is that is a big risk unless your daughter is a truly talented athlete. Based on the feedback here, it sounds like Stars isn’t a good option in the younger age groups. I’ll look at alternatives. Thanks.

Before making any decisions, I think you need to understand what your daughter wants to get out of lacrosse. Will this be something she wants to do for fun or does she dream of playing on a bigger stage. My guess is she doesn't know in 3rd/4th grade, so I would not be overly-consumed with finding a travel club this early. Once she knows what she wants from lacrosse, depending on her answer you should pick a travel program that best aligns with her goals. If it's for fun find a program that really serves as an extension to rec lacrosse. If it's to play on a bigger stage tryout for programs that play at the most competitive level. There are plenty of options.

If she plans to play at the highest level I would not prescribe to the idea your daughter will automatically make the team year after year simply because she joined the club in 3rd/4th grade. The best clubs will look for the best talent to fill their rosters every year. There will be some overbearing parents who try to influence placement or control the situation as eluded to, but as mentioned the best clubs will focus on potential talent.

Parent of older HS-aged lax players here. While what you say above is technically true, it rarely happens that smoothly or perfectly in real life. Talent and team selections are purely subjective. Often the coaches or evaluators “see” what they expect to see and that means a player who has been on a team and performed well will be selected over a new player whom is unknown even if the new player is more talented. Team selections are far too subjective and political to make this assumption. We have all seen it happen far too often.

OP, pick a program, Pride, Stars, MC Elite, whatever and get your daughter playing. Regardless of what you read here, they aren’t that different.

Anonymous wrote:While many posters make great points, it is undeniable that it is harder to get a spot on a club team if your daughter starts in middle school. Because these clubs start younger, the teams fill up and the girls who play year-round are inevitably better. So while it would be great to wait until middle school, the reality is that is a big risk unless your daughter is a truly talented athlete. Based on the feedback here, it sounds like Stars isn’t a good option in the younger age groups. I’ll look at alternatives. Thanks.

Before making any decisions, I think you need to understand what your daughter wants to get out of lacrosse. Will this be something she wants to do for fun or does she dream of playing on a bigger stage. My guess is she doesn't know in 3rd/4th grade, so I would not be overly-consumed with finding a travel club this early. Once she knows what she wants from lacrosse, depending on her answer you should pick a travel program that best aligns with her goals. If it's for fun find a program that really serves as an extension to rec lacrosse. If it's to play on a bigger stage tryout for programs that play at the most competitive level. There are plenty of options.

If she plans to play at the highest level I would not prescribe to the idea your daughter will automatically make the team year after year simply because she joined the club in 3rd/4th grade. The best clubs will look for the best talent to fill their rosters every year. There will be some overbearing parents who try to influence placement or control the situation as eluded to, but as mentioned the best clubs will focus on potential talent.

While many posters make great points, it is undeniable that it is harder to get a spot on a club team if your daughter starts in middle school. Because these clubs start younger, the teams fill up and the girls who play year-round are inevitably better. So while it would be great to wait until middle school, the reality is that is a big risk unless your daughter is a truly talented athlete. Based on the feedback here, it sounds like Stars isn’t a good option in the younger age groups. I’ll look at alternatives. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:Lacrosse parents and culture are so toxic and new money I can’t stand it. I really wish my daughter, who plays for stars, would find interest in another sport. This thread is just a small example of the disgusting behavior by parents which is then emulated by their daughters. The gossip, back stabbing, social worth based on the athleticism of their child. It’s awful.

Agreed. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree and it's ruining the game for many. Club lacrosse has become big business. Clubs recognize the feeding frenzy parents are creating and are taking full advantage of the situation. In many ways we can't blame them. It's simply business and that's how businesses work. You see a demand and you capitalize on it.

Where clubs can do a better job is cutting out the parent politics and the influences of a few bad apples. They need to stay focused on identifying potential talent, developing that talent, and working with girls to place them in college if this is their passion and ultimate goal. Rarely have I seen club coaches take a personal interest in individual players who have the potential to play at the next level, pull them aside, and work with them one-on-one to elevate their games. This seems to be a lost art in coaching today. It's understandable though because the business has to keep running and focusing on a few players with the most potential won't keep the lights on.

Ultimately, how many players a club places in college and specifically what colleges will determine their brand. It's up to the clubs to decide if they want to be an elite or a mediocre brand. Those who want to be elite will build their brands based on talent and potential, not the control of toxic parents.

Anonymous wrote:NP. What are the best clubs for younger elementary girls? Any have a club in which they’ve had a good experience for the younger years?

Pride.

Anonymous wrote:NP. What are the best clubs for younger elementary girls? Any have a club in which they’ve had a good experience for the younger years?

It is a waste of time and money to play for any club in 3rd or 4th grade. Have your daughter play rec lax and other sports. See what she is actually good at and really likes. Besides the “status” of walking around with a boathouse jacket that has the name of a club on it around her classmates. Seriously. If she’s any good she’ll be fine waiting a couple more years. At this age for any club it’s just a money grab.

NP. What are the best clubs for younger elementary girls? Any have a club in which they’ve had a good experience for the younger years?

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me about the Stars program for younger grades? Their website doesn’t have much information about the 3rd/4th grade teams (practices, games, tournament commitments, etc.) and I have a 3rd grade daughter who wants to try club lacrosse. I heard from one family that the younger grades are completely neglected at Stars. I am trying to understand if that is accurate and whether we should look elsewhere.

The family you are talking to is right. My daughter is on a younger team and we haven’t heard an update from Stars in three months. At this point I assume we don’t have any practices or tournaments this summer which is probably a blessing because we would lose anyway.

Can someone tell me about the Stars program for younger grades? Their website doesn’t have much information about the 3rd/4th grade teams (practices, games, tournament commitments, etc.) and I have a 3rd grade daughter who wants to try club lacrosse. I heard from one family that the younger grades are completely neglected at Stars. I am trying to understand if that is accurate and whether we should look elsewhere.

I'm a Pride parent and I couldn't agree with the PP more. The toxicity and petty jabs at the girls and the Clubs are ridiculous. Most of the parents I know at Pride have friends at Stars and Capitol, and the girls all know each other by 7-8th grade so what's the point? We all know there's good and bad aspects at both Clubs, and as parents, we're simply choosing the best fit for our daughters.

Based on my experience, I think there's a handful of bad actors from both Clubs stirring the pot in this forum. We need to start calling them out so they crawl back under their rocks and stop degrading the girls. Enough is enough.

Lacrosse parents and culture are so toxic and new money I can’t stand it. I really wish my daughter, who plays for stars, would find interest in another sport. This thread is just a small example of the disgusting behavior by parents which is then emulated by their daughters. The gossip, back stabbing, social worth based on the athleticism of their child. It’s awful.

Anonymous wrote:Let’s stop all this talk about 11 year olds beating 12 year olds in 7v7 indoor. How have the clubs done in real leagues? Looking at NGLL standings from last year, I don’t see Pride anywhere. Kudos to MC Elite and Stars for playing real competition there for several years.

I read somewhere that Pride is going to step up and finally play real competition in the NGLL this year. If so, it’s about time they stop playing weak schedules and bragging about it. Kudos to them too. As a Baltimore parent, we will enjoy beating all of them.

How about we stop all this gossip about 11 and 12 year girls' lacrosse period.

Let’s stop all this talk about 11 year olds beating 12 year olds in 7v7 indoor. How have the clubs done in real leagues? Looking at NGLL standings from last year, I don’t see Pride anywhere. Kudos to MC Elite and Stars for playing real competition there for several years.

I read somewhere that Pride is going to step up and finally play real competition in the NGLL this year. If so, it’s about time they stop playing weak schedules and bragging about it. Kudos to them too. As a Baltimore parent, we will enjoy beating all of them.

Sad time for Pride parents that are the ones on here posting about indoor championships. They even fail to mention that in all teams/all games head to head Pride team vs. Stars team at St. James, Stars won over 60% of the head-to-head matchups vs. Pride. By their logic, we know who the better club is now with that stat.