Just what we all needed, another "showcase/recruiting tournament". What do we have now on the east coast, 15 or so? Adding more defeates the purpose, should be trying to concentrate the talent and college coaches at fewer events, not spreading it out over more.
Here is how BOTC sees it from the 50,000 foot level : there are two regional hot-spots of talent, one being Long Island and the second being the Greater Baltimore area. While Maryland has done a good job with hosting Showcase events locally, Long Island has given away that ground to surrounding states including New Jersey (one club from NJ ran a tournament on Long Island last year), Pennsylvania and others.
Why should one of the two key talent hotbeds be giving away this dominant position? Bridge tolls? Hotel costs? Meal costs? Seriously, this excuse that says it is so much more expensive to host a tournament and attract out-of-town teams has been a topic beaten on BOTC as well as BOTN for soccer for years.
The truth is that Long Island's market is sufficiently large that local tournaments are typically fully filled so the external marketing is limited. The refreshing step being taken is that perhaps (and we do say perhaps) the efforts around placing the Long Island Lacrosse Classic as a regional event will help change this picture.
For those familiar with the NEWSS Tournament from soccer, a local elite women's college showcas, the event started slowly (sixteen teams per age group) and has become a recruiting magnet. The vision is that the same will happen here with the Classic.
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