I have kids about 12 years apart. The first one started club in 6th grade and just played summer with maybe a local camp. The current one started in 1st grade, plays summers, plays fall, does privates and clinics and now is doing college camps and clinics. Its crazy the extra time and money required to have the same result as the first. And the scary thing is the lacrosse isn't noticeably better
I agree that it is hard to notice a difference over the years. But the lacrosse is in fact better. There is definitely an overall increase in the number of talented girls, but the girls are spread out over a much larger number of clubs. So the teams still look about the same, but I definitely see the difference when all that talent gets rounded up. For instance, the talent showing up at the college camps is miles deeper and the all star stuff like UA the talent depth is far superior than yesteryear. The top schools like Md and NC still get top girls and look only marginally better than years past. I also think that the game has also changed over the last 10-15 years, and that the top players now are much better (overall) than they used to be and the competition is greatly better in D1.
Remember a huge factor that makes the game look cleaner and more crisp is the technology. The new sticks allow the girls to catch with a MUCH better pocket that even 10 years ago. The difference here is more noticeable in the fact that the average player can catch better today, where as with a stick from 2005 they would be struggling to make the basic play they are able to make today.
But if you watch middle to low D1 lacrosse there still isn't much talent there. I would say there is the top 2 teams, then #3-15, then 16-30 and then you fall off a cliff and if you watch the lacrosse played at the schools ranked 100 or higher most High Schools are better. So if everyone is training year round since Kindergarten and the rules and equipment are better. What's changed except everyone paying more? Its still a sport where everyone and anyone that wants to play in college can find a spot which shows there is a real shortage of talent
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