Why do some school have very few seniors if any playing? Why do some have to beg kids to play just to roster when every other sport fields teams just fine? You think maybe its the fact that older kids have just had enough after years of PAL and school squads not sharing the ball and watching little Shannon go to goal 8 out of 10 times she touches the ball? Good for Shannon Im sure she will do great in college but while she's here just pass it once in a while.
Many districts would have stronger programs if they adopted a philosophy from Varsity head coach down through youth coaching. The key is everyone must buy into the philosophy. Start with the girls when they are young and just make it fun for them and encourage them to bring their friends down. If you only have enough kids for one team in a grade play everyone equally and encourage the better girls to help develop the weaker players. If you are fortunate to have enough for two teams in a grade balance them and again play everyone equally. The most important thing for grade school town lacrosse is development not WINS. Keep the girls together as long as you can. Once middle school starts the stronger players will rise to the top and the weaker will stay involved because they had a positive experience playing with the better players (key is they are friends) through youth level. They know who the stronger players are but now are accepting that and either putting in extra work or not it is on them. At the HS level you will then have large numbers staying in the program because they want to be a part of something with their friends. The kids get it, the parents not so much! The towns with strong youth programs that operate this way have large rosters with many talented kids waiting their turn to step on the field some not till their senior year. Many have kids with verbal commitments on JV as 10 graders. To answer your question why so few seniors playing & having to beg girls to field teams I guess if my daughter didn't feel like she had that shot at seeing the field as a 12 grader and not feeling a part of something why would she want to stay around and watch the same kid go to goal and never pass the ball? Its a team game and the program must have a team philosophy from K-12. It works look at some of the towns that have been operating that way & it shows when they are at the LI Championship game or deep into the playoffs year after year.
I respectfully disagree about how you make up/split teams. Creating to equal teams is what is killing the sport. The only reason to have equal teams is to stroke the egos of the parents.
If you are fortunate enough to have two teams (in a grade) you should practice one or two days as a grade and get a third day (or the second day) with a split team (split by skill) not equal teams. You should play games with a team of the stronger players and as a team with the (dare i say) developing players (understanding they are all still developing).
In this split scenario, you ask for guest players from each team to play on the other team. The bottom half of the best team plays with the developing players and the top have of the developing team plays with the better team. This way the girls learn together and still get challenged. It is a team game but it is a game none the less and in a game you always play to win!
As far as why not so many players play Sr year, there are many reasons, some just loss the love of it, some realize there is more to Sr year for them, some realize the younger girls are better why bother. So dont want to put up with the Bull $hit.
You all know the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result
We also preach the opposite: Work harder, if at first you don't succeed try try again
Both have applications in sport, some cant or dont have it in them to work harder/do better and realize the definition of insanity.
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