So it sounds like most kids play with both their club team and their town team. That can get a little confusing if they are running different schemes. Wouldn't be surprised if the club teams somehow join the town leagues or create their own league like what was done in Maryland. Just moved here so trying to see what to do with my son.
The PAL leagues on LI are VERY community centric - there are strict rules about who can or cannot play for your community team. It is structured to allow everyone to play in as even a setting as possible. Thus, no club teams will ever be part of PAL due to the total non-community aspects of those teams. Having a dedicated league for the club-based teams, as they do in MD, is a tough sell because many community PAL teams will fold without their club players - the numbers in many towns won't support a PAL team without them, and I don't see boys playing on both a PAL team and in a league with club teams - the conflicts in time - games and practice - are too much. It's a debate had here on BOTC many times previously. The other issue is the level of play for many PAL teams is [ChillLaxin] poor for those players that are on travel teams - the only PAL solution is for those players to play up, but that doesn't happen as much as it should.
Many of the major club teams on LI are year round. You have to find the right balance and try to be fair to all parties. We pretty much prioritize by season. In the fall, football gets priority over lax, winter basketball and spring town lax over travel. Although I would most likely not have my kid miss a travel lax practice for a town/PAL practice since they get more personally out of the travel lacrosse practices and the town team still gets the benefit. Some might disagree with that, however, and that is their choice.
