Originally Posted by Anonymous
So looking at this list it really depends on how smart your son is. I got a public school B student. So these numbers make me happy. But I can see how the parents paying 20k for high school could be upset if there kid picks one of these schools. I just told my son when he was U11 that if he keeps making the teams I would find a way to pay for it. Same with college and college lacrosse thats all a parent should do support there kids and there dreams and goals. There is no way to put a price on it and try to say if its worth the money or not.


Excellent post. The economics of men's college lacrosse are resoundingly terrible versus other sports. 12.6 over 45-60 roster positions now. Sports paid for my college and also got me to a better college I merited on academics alone. I also keep telling my kids keep at your interests and passions, and let us adults worry about the bills to cover them. College sports SHOULD be about two things. One is a financial variable, and the economics of men's college lacrosse are abysmal. 12.6 over rosters of 45-55 that are trending higher is not something for any responsible parent to focus on. If there is financial need there are forms of financial aid and academic scholarships if kids are good students. The other is what I call "marrying up" variable, which means sports can get you admitted into a better school than a kid may otherwise get into on plain application merits without a sports boost. It is a real big mistake to "commit" to a school like Denver or High Point that passports basically anyone in with mediocre grades just to have a sports social status, but that is just opinion. B students, if recruited, can go to some nifty colleges and that is the real victory. Trust me, it happened when I got that benefit and that benefit is still alive and well. Not on that list are some great academic schools that also have lacrosse programs, the service academies, etc. Lacrosse is using you - the parents - so use it back. As a parent I never went into this thinking Madlax or other club owners are my friends or that they have our families best interests in mind, because beyond coaching them in a youth sport and giving our kids a venue to enjoy this they don't have my best interests in mind.

If you are really lucky you can play a kids game for a few more years in college. What I can appreciate is looking back I enjoyed it all. Youth, HS and college sports. A kid gets the same kick out of being on a championship team or getting other accolades out of every level just the same. My parents were just as excited to see me out there playing for a town rec team as a little guy as they were later to see me compete in college, and I am grateful for that. It is a lot harder for us to pull that off in this club lacrosse cesspool, but I'm trying.