Is there value in winter league sessions? Seems like the reg coaching staff does attend so you have girls scrambled together that would not otherwise play with each other giving half hearted attempts. Is it worth it or is it a lesson in patience for the parents or simply 401k for the coaches.
- frustrated parent
Is this a rhetorical question? If not, it sounds like you made your mind up already.
I haven't attended or seen any of the winter leagues (I assume you are referring to the MS one that YJ runs). Either way though, you have to ask yourself and decide whether you feel your child will get something out of it depending on their skill level and motivation. Some very good outdoor players get bored playing indoors because of the limitations indoor lax puts on them. I have found indoors is very good for building stick skills, and not so good for realistic offensive plays, especially for the faster players. They often don't have enough room, and it takes them out of their game.
You may be better served having your daughter play basketball, to work on footwork (basketball is great especially for defensive players) and attend Lax clinics in the areas of her game that she is weak in, during the winter months. You can also look into various speed training programs that are designed for lax players, this I feel holds more value in the winter months than anything else including indoor leagues, because it ultimately builds athleticism, and goes a long way towards injury prevention.
Those two alternate routes may help avoid burnout as well, especially if your daughter plays all-year round. It is a tough choice however, because as a parent you feel the pressure of giving your kid every opportunity, because it often feels like every other kid is Laxing all year round and you don't want your kid falling behind.
