repost from 2017 LI Forum---
Brine National Lacrosse Classic – parent observations on Middle School Boys Academy division
Of the 400 players over 300 were 2017s, about 80 were 2018s and less than 20 were 2019s
The athleticism at the event was phenomenal. The game was played very fast. All regions had great athletes. I do not think any one team stood out athletically.
The Long Island teams stood out the tournament for two reasons
Coaching – it is painfully obvious that the boys from LI are receiving better coaching day in and day out when back at home. For example, on other teams, basic slide packages failed regularly. One of my son’s teammates repeatedly claimed to be the “hot” slide regardless of where he and/or the ball were on the field. Middies dodged through heavy traffic while wide open teammates were stuck watching the turnover.
Team Play – with two teams for LI at the very least each club represented by multiple players should have had their club rosters split in half. The LI North team did not fully utilize their allotted field practice time on Monday. Why would they? Two games to play in the heat later that day, and these boys have been practicing together for years. Another 45 minutes wouldn’t make a difference. It was clear from the execution of plays that these boys were running plays beyond what was coached on July 1st.
This is very disappointing and a lost opportunity. All Star weeks are all about meeting new friends and passing to someone who is wearing a different helmet than you.
I'd have to disagree with the last statement, the object is to get the best in the region to play the best in other regions, the LI North team was definitely the dominant team, and yes, some of them play together on a regular basis. The opportunity was the fact that they were selected and was able to play against other regions.
So they ran away with the title, it is obvious that this year, LI had a strong showing, let's see how the 2017 players do next year when trying out for varsity and we will also see how our 2018, 2019, and 2020 fair next year. This event is attracting a lot more attention and I can guarantee that there will be probably 500+ who try out for the MS (Academy) group this coming fall.
