Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Point made above that there has to be some responsibility or accountability for these clubs that put out information that is basically bordering on misleading. Case in point BLC just posted that their 26 team is going to a tournament this weekend “NXT Level 8” that has all the best 8th grade teams from all over the country. While in fact, most of the best 26 teams will be at Mid-Atlantic (and concentrated in one bracket).

This is not a criticism of the 26 BLC team and they should play where it is a good fit for them - but why does the club post that - it is just not close to accurate. I can see that being misleading to parents of younger kids looking at clubs who don’t yet know the lay of the land.

Very good point. They also aren't even in the highest bracket of their tournament....

Agreed - they shouldn't be doing that. Signed - a parent on that team

Anonymous wrote:Point made above that there has to be some responsibility or accountability for these clubs that put out information that is basically bordering on misleading. Case in point BLC just posted that their 26 team is going to a tournament this weekend “NXT Level 8” that has all the best 8th grade teams from all over the country. While in fact, most of the best 26 teams will be at Mid-Atlantic (and concentrated in one bracket).

This is not a criticism of the 26 BLC team and they should play where it is a good fit for them - but why does the club post that - it is just not close to accurate. I can see that being misleading to parents of younger kids looking at clubs who don’t yet know the lay of the land.

Very good point. They also aren't even in the highest bracket of their tournament....

Point made above that there has to be some responsibility or accountability for these clubs that put out information that is basically bordering on misleading. Case in point BLC just posted that their 26 team is going to a tournament this weekend “NXT Level 8” that has all the best 8th grade teams from all over the country. While in fact, most of the best 26 teams will be at Mid-Atlantic (and concentrated in one bracket).

This is not a criticism of the 26 BLC team and they should play where it is a good fit for them - but why does the club post that - it is just not close to accurate. I can see that being misleading to parents of younger kids looking at clubs who don’t yet know the lay of the land.

[quote=Anonymous]I think most experienced coaches know teaching isolation plays to 4,5,6th graders is not teaching the game of lacrosse. Coaches should be focused on teaching offensive movement and general motion. A good coach will teach players to move the ball from a young age a bad coach will allow midfielders to get ball and just go to cage. Folks you should recognize from a young age what your coach is teaching. The focus should be on seeing the field, open players and moving the ball because that is the way to develop good players down the road. [/quote]

True but its hard to stop 3rd 4th 5th graders from winning draw and going to goal, especially when it works, which is how most of those games at that age are played.

I think most experienced coaches know teaching isolation plays to 4,5,6th graders is not teaching the game of lacrosse. Coaches should be focused on teaching offensive movement and general motion. A good coach will teach players to move the ball from a young age a bad coach will allow midfielders to get ball and just go to cage. Folks you should recognize from a young age what your coach is teaching. The focus should be on seeing the field, open players and moving the ball because that is the way to develop good players down the road.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.

Yes, lots of new "clubs" that have watered down the travel scene in the DMV. Some of those new clubs are complete jokes and shouldn't even exist.

Agreed and what kills me is watered down teams also means watered down coaching. There is nothing more impressive than watching a girls team that knows what it is doing because of great coaching versus a bunch of girls running in circles trying to figure out how to score and do basic slides on defense. Just because someone played the game does not make them a good coach.

This is spot on in terms of coaching. At elementary and middle school, sure, some teams will have some great athletes, but the teams that consistently win are those that are well organized and taught to play together as a team. Those that lose consistently are coaches that ignore or encourage “me ball”. Those same girls and teams that may have some decent success as they are younger will be in trouble once they reach later in middle school and high school because the defensive ability has caught up to the offensive.

Yes once you hit MS and HS if you do not have an offensive rotation in place and simple one off plays like isolations, pick and go you will basically find an attacker going 1 on 2 or 3 as the good teams know how double the ball and shift to cover the open girl. Unless doing an isolation, one on one lacrosse does not work when the girls get older. The good coaches know this and teach it the bad one's either have no clue or are too lazy to learn/teach a legitimate offense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.

Yes, lots of new "clubs" that have watered down the travel scene in the DMV. Some of those new clubs are complete jokes and shouldn't even exist.

Agreed and what kills me is watered down teams also means watered down coaching. There is nothing more impressive than watching a girls team that knows what it is doing because of great coaching versus a bunch of girls running in circles trying to figure out how to score and do basic slides on defense. Just because someone played the game does not make them a good coach.

This is spot on in terms of coaching. At elementary and middle school, sure, some teams will have some great athletes, but the teams that consistently win are those that are well organized and taught to play together as a team. Those that lose consistently are coaches that ignore or encourage “me ball”. Those same girls and teams that may have some decent success as they are younger will be in trouble once they reach later in middle school and high school because the defensive ability has caught up to the offensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.

Yes, lots of new "clubs" that have watered down the travel scene in the DMV. Some of those new clubs are complete jokes and shouldn't even exist.

Agreed and what kills me is watered down teams also means watered down coaching. There is nothing more impressive than watching a girls team that knows what it is doing because of great coaching versus a bunch of girls running in circles trying to figure out how to score and do basic slides on defense. Just because someone played the game does not make them a good coach.

Or at least watching them attempt the next level skills. It is so great to see the "aha" moment in some of these kids after they pick up on these things and begin to implement them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.

Yes, lots of new "clubs" that have watered down the travel scene in the DMV. Some of those new clubs are complete jokes and shouldn't even exist.

Agreed and what kills me is watered down teams also means watered down coaching. There is nothing more impressive than watching a girls team that knows what it is doing because of great coaching versus a bunch of girls running in circles trying to figure out how to score and do basic slides on defense. Just because someone played the game does not make them a good coach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THE BEST CLUBS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST FIELDS - HENCE THE RISE OF COPPERMINE IN BALTIMORE

Coppermine may own fields, but that doesn’t mean their teams necessarily get to practice on them. They seem to shuffle their teams around to practice on random fields as much as many other teams.

Coppermine rents those fields out more to others than their teams get to use it seems. Or there is one of the 100 different leagues on them.

Coppermine also is not just a lacrosse club. They have soccer and other sports that utilize those fields as well.

Anonymous wrote:THE BEST CLUBS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST FIELDS - HENCE THE RISE OF COPPERMINE IN BALTIMORE

Coppermine may own fields, but that doesn’t mean their teams necessarily get to practice on them. They seem to shuffle their teams around to practice on random fields as much as many other teams.

THE BEST CLUBS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST FIELDS - HENCE THE RISE OF COPPERMINE IN BALTIMORE

What always gets me is the prices of some of these clubs with such mediocre product.

DD is playing in just as many tournaments this fall as some are the entire fall and summer of some clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.

Yes, lots of new "clubs" that have watered down the travel scene in the DMV. Some of those new clubs are complete jokes and shouldn't even exist.

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to do some basic due diligence though. If you know anyone that has a daughter or older girl in the travel lacrosse world, you can get the skinny pretty quickly. Everyone knows who the pretenders are vs. the contenders. Surely there is someone in your rec. program that is good and went to a travel team? Why not ask them? Sorry folks got sold snake oil, but I think the lesson learned is to ask around before signing up.

Agreed - another problem is that during the last 5 years so many programs have either popped up or decided to go into MS or HS. Lowering the quality of play at clubs that used to have the majority of players. Those clubs fall apart for many reasons (leadership issues etc) and now people think they have other options. The problem is that those original clubs are the clubs with history and access to the right tournaments etc. That is what takes time to learn. Then the issue becomes do you stay for the name of a club with access and deal with all of the issues that come with bad administration etc or do you take a risk on an up and coming program.