Its interesting when town/high school coaches want the players to play for the towns summer team. For years it was all about the success of the high school program and having the kids play together all year this usually translated into a very strong high school program. That even helps when there is not much talent. People please understand that there are up years and down years for talent. Every town doesn't have 5 to 10 D1 players. So by keeping the players together year round it creates a strong team concept where players gel together and do better. Historically the towns that had strong town teams had strong high school teams. In this day and age it gets twisted and spun when a coach asks players to play for the town team only. Its his job to put the best product on the field and if he doesn't that group of parents gets together and has him forced out. Every town has that group. Now here is the double edge sword where club teams come into play. In recent years we have seen a change in the formula where club teams are the main concentration and I feel this is due the fact that a college coach can now go to a few tournaments and see a lot of talent in one weekend rather than traveling the nation to see a few good players on any particular high school this excludes the Chaminades and Boys Latin type schools. This is a direct reflection of the me first mentality and the loss of the sense of community in the North East. Add the fact that most high school coaches have no ties to their town and are hired guns. They only want to pad their pocket and as a result they join forces with the travel teams and in turn work for and with the Club Teams.

What's better having a high school coach that is committed to putting the best team on the field and keeping the kids together and insists you play with your high school teammates year round for the betterment of the high school program or is it the pay for play travel teams that many are forced to play for and pay through the roof because your high school coach is now a director. For the purists the latter of the two programs works for the new bloods its all about the clubs.

These are just my opinions. I will give you some teams that historically have had strong high school programs and also strong town teams Ward Melville, Garden City, Smithtown East and West, Manhasset, Yorktown, and more in no particular order.

Last edited by America's Game; .