[ It’s great to watch kids who work hard and have a passion for the game, regardless of which team they play for. I always say to my son, “man that kid on the other team is great, watch how he plays” … That kid probably keeps the stick in his hand off season, maybe runs or hits the weights, watches games on TV and just understands the strategies and flow. When it’s apples to apples, you have to admire a boy who just outworks everyone else.. On the other hand, when you play for a pretty big travel program and the coach “calls up” players from “affiliated” programs for tournaments and those kids turn out to be 14 or 15 and 30 pounds heavier than most other players.. that stinks. And it stinks to pay $x,000 while your son, who plays half/three quarters of a regular game, is getting less than 10 minutes while the monster call up is on the field most of the game… of course he gives the team a better chance of winning but how is this fair? Why am I paying so much money to subsidize the training of a kid with a mustache?
It’s a respect issue for sure but more so, you have to question not only the integrity of the travel program but the sport in general in which this rampant abuse is permitted and kids are getting hurt.
It’s a joke reading the home page of many local travel teams: “committed to running the highest quality tournaments and events in the country” “developing lifetime skills such as leadership, teamwork and good sportsmanship.” “Lacrosse program to help the next generation of players discover and enjoy the game” “emphasize player development, life lessons, and a love for the sport.”
Great post! Teams that bring in guest players to win events do so to promote their clubs, not to develop their kids. Play with the team you have, coach them, and watch them develop. If, at the end of the year, you can look across your entire roster and say with confidence that everyone got better, you've done your job.
As a teacher, if you take a bunch of gifted A students and they continue to ace their tests, you may not have done much. But if you take a bunch of C students and turn them into B students, you've inspired, educated, and impacted each and every one of them. That's what teaching/coaching is about.
We all know who does it, yet there is no shortage of parents bringing their kids to the tryouts every year. I guess they think their kid won't be the one displaced by the ringers. Say what you will about Hawks, but they play with who is on their team. Crabs, FCA, and 91 are notorious for bringing in ringers as the kids get older.
Do not forget DC dogs. At least the 2023 team is playing in the 2022 division this fall. This way they are all on age!
