So if a club is great at developing players, what does it say about that club if they develop a kid who bought in to the system and did everything asked of him for 5 years, but then is cut for a hold-back who not even marginally better?
Who are these 2 players? Would love to compare as an outsider and not the players dad.
All players need to learn to continue to compete at all tryouts even when they have been a part of a team for many years. If a player makes a team and is the last one on the depth chart and knows that, then he needs to work hard to move up the depth chart during the course of the season or they will open themselves up to be replaced. It’s simple, make a difference when you are on the field and make it difficult for the coach to replace you.
Competitive club teams will always have new players show up to tryouts and they will take your kids spot if he doesn’t make a difference.
I think the difference in the arguments is not about the tryouts at all, it is about coaches who fly players in from out of state that they find during their camps, who rarely practice with the team and those players continually take another players spot who has been practicing at all the practices and was chosen by the coach during tryouts. Coaches that add to the roster in the middle of the season because a player they chose is not as developed or physically mature as they were hoping for. What High School and College "high level coaches" have that luxury? It is the bad part of club lacrosse that some of these guys bring to the game! You can call that player development, but it is nothing more than opportunistic! It is ALL about "brand" marketing via fielding a team full of the most mature athletes the country has to offer.
No one should have an issue with a team adding kids through the tryout process. From my perspective, when you set your roster just after tryouts, it needs to be a two way commitment between the coach and the kids. A coach adding players after tryouts, sends a horrible message (win at all cost & it's all about me). Set a roster in August so the kids know who they are competing against day in and day out, and don't undermine that commitment by bringing other kids in during the season.
I think the only way you should be able to bring on new players is when you have a "National team" Meaning you have a team from tryouts and have 3 or 4 tournaments. Then if you want to add players to this group, you should rename the team and play under this name in a additional tournament. That way everyone knows the deal.
