So what's going on over at Team 91? Got an email today about having "supplemental" tryouts for the 2029 and 2030 teams this coming weekend....during the middle of the spring season?
Is this a desperate attempt to find some unhappy players from other squads after the first two weeks? Both teams have limited rosters and neither team should be in the elite division after getting outscored 2029's (5-27) and 2030's (6-22). I would feel terrible for current players and families who went all in with them. "Top 10 program".....what a joke!
I think it's an honest attempt by the coaches to pull in talent. Last summer the 91 tryouts at those age groups were poorly attended, not surprised they are small rosters.
And they did this with the 2028s last year, so it's not a one-off tactic.
Some key things about 91: 1) Millon wants all the kids to play at the highest level. 2) They really do try to develop players at the youth level, and as kids fall behind, they don't get playing time and they just go to other clubs 3) They will never say no to a talented player who wants to join mid-year, or for tournaments only. This means your kid could play less and less as the lax year progresses (he may start in the fall, be 2nd line during HoCo, and be relegated to "practice team" for summer tournaments, as the roster swells from 19 to 26 to 30).
You would think this would translate to short term success on the field but it does not. What it does accomplish is to provide substantial funding to T91 to run its (actually elite) high school programs. Ask former 91 parents why they left and I think you get a pretty clear picture of why the teams can't build and retain talent at the youth level. I think the 2029 squad lost 15-16 players from last year's roster. Ask those folks.
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