Hi,

WOW, I just jumped on tonight because I heard the rosters were posted. I was happy to see the positive posts about the 2020 teams . I am also saddened to hear all of the negative conversations about 9 and 10 year olds and there parents.

Let me put the information that I know as fact in reguards to the 2020 TG team that was entered into the Hofstra tournament. The father that entered the team IMO had nothing but good intentions and nothing was done to slight any of the other FAMILIES from the 2020 Black team. Yes I said FAMILIES because I know we will spend countless hours over the next 10 months together forming friendships and relationships for the good of our children.

It is from those friendships that the Hofstra team was put together. My daughter played on the 2019 Purple team last summer. It was there that friendships were created. Three of the girls that played Purple were fortunate enough to make the Black. As the emails went out for invitations to the 2020 Black we exchanged congradulations to the KIDS for their accomplishments.

Now having played and practices side by side all of last year with the 2019 Black team many friendships were made young and old. Last years Black team had at least seven (I may be off by one) 4th graders playing "up" . The father simply reached out to the group of girls that played last year on the two teams because we all knew each other.

Not too long after the emails went out my daughter was asked if she wanted to keep her stick in her hand and play in the Hofstra fundraiser tournament. Please keep in mind that this is a parent going out of his way to volunteer his time to coordinate putting a group of 9&10 year old friends together to help Support Shannon Smith in her first year as a D 1 Head Coach.

By no means do I think for a second that my daughter is one of the "golden children" asked to play. She was mearly a kid that got together with a group of friends and played on a Saturday in the Fall. Was the decision to play as a TG team a mistake ? I guess so ! I do know that it was not done to hurt any 9 & 10 year olds feelings .I am sure that when indoor starts the girls will all find there place on the team . I know from my experience last year they all started off scared and shy and by the end of the season in July they were best friends begging to have sleep overs in the hotels!

We all have our kids best intentions in mind when we agreed to allow them to play on the TG team in the tournament.I know I did. There are many more tornaments in the fall. Perhaps a phone call to Bill Smith would go a long way as far as giving every roster spot a shot at playing together! The more the better in my opinion. if all 24 girls are interested two teams of twelve can be made!

I hope this subject can be put to bed and better time can be put into help create a TEAM BOND that will grow as the years pass and our girls develop as athletes and young ladies. I have a daughter starting her 3rd year on the 2015 Purple team and have seen the girls grow as players and human beings I hope we all can say the same for this group of girls but it all starts from US the PARENTS. A little communication will go a long way so lets get together with Bill and see if we can get everyone from the 2020 Black roster involved in the next Hofstra tournament!

I look forward to meeting all of you as the team gets together this winter! I hope you all feel the same. If this team is anything like last years 5th grade Black team we are in for a very talanted group of girls playing a game that THEY love to play. If we can put all of this drama to bed now and keep it to ourselves and not allow it to become something the girls are involved in the potential for great things is there.

Good Night, Jim Lang

Last edited by CageSage; . Reason: Removed Players Name and Number