Anonymous wrote:The only "magic formula" to making Capital is to be good. Is your kid big, strong and fast? Can they play with either hand? Is their Lax IQ high? etc. It doesn't matter which club you play for as long as you can play. The advantage of playing for teams like Pride and Stars is that you play the top teams from Baltimore. These are usually beatings, but it forces the girls to work harder and adapt. The girls realize they need to get faster, better at the draw, eliminate turnovers, etc. If you're on a weaker team that is in weaker brackets, you never learn these valuable lessons.

NL ‘28s play the A division. NL plays Heros, Coppermine, M&D, Crush and Maryland United. NL ‘28’s played most of the teams ranked in the top 10 this year. I wish they’d play more competitive tournaments, but I do not see Stars or Pride having an advantage over NL ‘28s or vice versa. All 3 are roughly the same.

Totally Agree with the above. Lots of girls play on weaker teams in weaker brackets and go 5-1 every tournament. It creates a false sense of ability. Don't get me wrong, it's nice for girls to have success, win some games and feel good about themselves. However, if these same girls are talking about making Capital - good luck. It's an entirely different level.

The only "magic formula" to making Capital is to be good. Is your kid big, strong and fast? Can they play with either hand? Is their Lax IQ high? etc. It doesn't matter which club you play for as long as you can play. The advantage of playing for teams like Pride and Stars is that you play the top teams from Baltimore. These are usually beatings, but it forces the girls to work harder and adapt. The girls realize they need to get faster, better at the draw, eliminate turnovers, etc. If you're on a weaker team that is in weaker brackets, you never learn these valuable lessons.

Anonymous wrote:For 27 … BLC

But where else?

For 27 … BLC

Anonymous wrote:I always read how Stars and Pride Red are the primary feeders for CLC Blue. Would any girls on NL ‘27 or ‘28 have a legitimate shot?

The answer is yes because where else is CLC Blue going to find players?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it when I see it with NL playing in better tournaments. Until they do, expect to continue to lose players to better clubs, especially without a solid recruiting history.

What is the issue exactly? Do they need to sign up immediately and are dropping the ball or is it invitation only? They have to be able to do something? Can't imagine the tournaments wouldn't want the money.

2023 Summer tournament sign-ups are already mostly done for the big ones and sign-ups for this fall were done in January. There are only so many fields and team slots.

You get more leeway when you have been established in those tournaments for years or run tournaments yourself.

STEPS/YJ run Lax for the Cure, LLL, G8, Prime Time
Robinsons/M&D do both MidAtlantic tournaments and NGLL
thinkLAX/Rebels do both Summer Genesis tournaments, Impulse, National Fall Lax Fest

This right here, most tourneys that all the top clubs/teams go to either 1) are invite only, 2) booked years in advance with waitlists and/or 3) Require you to go to other tourneys to get you in etc. So for G8, they will maybe invite you after you go to Live Love Lax for years etc. It's a difficult situation to get into the big tourneys if you don't have a history of going to tourneys, have strong teams or recruiting. If you have connections to YJ or M&D then you get help getting into tourneys. Same goes for Renegades and Rebels through ThinkLax.

There is also the feud going on between STEPS/YJ and now 3step (M&D and Robinson Sports). M&D has bowed out of G8 and now STEPS/YJ has stood up Maryland Cup the same weekend as Summer Mid Atlantic. My take is 3step has more resources and pulls in the better teams with all the Maryland teams. STEPS and YJ bring in weaker clubs other than YJ and some STEPS teams. Monster and CT Grizzlies tend to follow STEPS/YJ at times but the younger CT grizzlies teams are not good. Aces follows more of the M&D/3Step path.

Anonymous wrote:And the tournament directors are all at least friendly. 'X' needs last minute entry for their team into 'Y' tournament that is full? Expect the same to happen the other way around.

NL may be flashy because of the boys side, but it is not a good draw for the girls in the long run. The 2026s that went are in for a rude awakening.

That is upsetting as they are all great girls who were sold on the program pretty hard by NL and some parents. Fingers crossed it works out for them.

And the tournament directors are all at least friendly. 'X' needs last minute entry for their team into 'Y' tournament that is full? Expect the same to happen the other way around.

NL may be flashy because of the boys side, but it is not a good draw for the girls in the long run. The 2026s that went are in for a rude awakening.

Good information here re who runs what tournaments. Unfortunate because NL has a great program for the younger groups. Maybe they should try to focus on younger groups and form a relationship with Capital as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it when I see it with NL playing in better tournaments. Until they do, expect to continue to lose players to better clubs, especially without a solid recruiting history.

What is the issue exactly? Do they need to sign up immediately and are dropping the ball or is it invitation only? They have to be able to do something? Can't imagine the tournaments wouldn't want the money.

Likely a few things... I used to help work on tournament registrations. Some of the top tournaments are invitation only to top clubs. Tournaments want teams and clubs that attract college recruiters. NL is definitely not that since they have never had a female player recruit (although apparently they have pulled a fast one on some new 2026 players and convinced them that they can). Some teams are sent pre-registration links to register teams before they open to everyone else. Clubs also have to pay deposits for tournaments almost a full year ahead and since NL teams are so up and down they probably don't know year to year if they are even fielding a team at that age group. They just aren't at the level that IWLCA and others are really looking for at their tournaments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it when I see it with NL playing in better tournaments. Until they do, expect to continue to lose players to better clubs, especially without a solid recruiting history.

What is the issue exactly? Do they need to sign up immediately and are dropping the ball or is it invitation only? They have to be able to do something? Can't imagine the tournaments wouldn't want the money.

2023 Summer tournament sign-ups are already mostly done for the big ones and sign-ups for this fall were done in January. There are only so many fields and team slots.

You get more leeway when you have been established in those tournaments for years or run tournaments yourself.

STEPS/YJ run Lax for the Cure, LLL, G8, Prime Time
Robinsons/M&D do both MidAtlantic tournaments and NGLL
thinkLAX/Rebels do both Summer Genesis tournaments, Impulse, National Fall Lax Fest

Anonymous wrote:Believe it when I see it with NL playing in better tournaments. Until they do, expect to continue to lose players to better clubs, especially without a solid recruiting history.

What is the issue exactly? Do they need to sign up immediately and are dropping the ball or is it invitation only? They have to be able to do something? Can't imagine the tournaments wouldn't want the money.

Believe it when I see it with NL playing in better tournaments. Until they do, expect to continue to lose players to better clubs, especially without a solid recruiting history.

Anonymous wrote:I always read how Stars and Pride Red are the primary feeders for CLC Blue. Would any girls on NL ‘27 or ‘28 have a legitimate shot?

Having played NL 28, they have at least 2 players that could make Capital Blue.

As for Pride Red having players to make the top Maryland teams, maybe 1 player. You need to stand out to make a team that is already pretty loaded. That usually means you need to be better than 75% of their current roster which is difficult.