Originally Posted by Anonymous
only a matter of time where town lax dies across the board. Kids and parents want to play with and against the best kids . The current offering of spring tourneys is a much better use of time and money. Travel programs in places like Long Island are playing 3-4 spring tourneys and 5 summer Plus they play all winter and fall. Only matter of time before westchester follows. And town as we know it will die. All the directors , Pt, eclipse, superstars. Express north etc should create a winter/spring league similar to Maryland and play each other Stop worrying about losing kids and do what's right in the big picture, which is getting these kids playing together as a team as much as possible. Let rec be rec 200 dollars. Dad coaches etc.


Not all LI travel club teams play spring tourneys - in fact most don't beyond the top teams. LI has PAL lax during the spring and most boys play in that league, with those also playing club having at least practices on a semi-regular basis in March and April. Boys in MS still even play PAL lax as another opportunity for touches - my 2021 son play PAL, MS, and club, as do most of his friends. My 2024 son plays PAL and club. PAL is recreational, and the cost is accordingly, but every community in LI plays in it, including the staid powerhouses: Manhasset, CSH, Garden City, etc. Their community programs that play in PAL are what build their dominance at the higher levels: the top programs have as many as three PAL teams per age group, every boy wants to play lax! The bottom line is that the communities that view lax as an overall program that encompasses both the youth organization and the local school are the most successful - travel club teams are where the top half of the talent go to further their game. Yes, there are some coaches who are affiliated with schools and club, and that is a double edged sword for a community and its school - some work well, some not as much, and some turn into unmitigated disasters as a result.