US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Boys 2025- 4th Grade Fall 2016/ Summer 2017

You shouldn't be looking at it through this prism. For someone as young as 4th grade, the most important metric will be having him be on a team where he will be happy and want to practice and play games. For some kids, this requires friends be on the team. For others, it may mean something else. Kids this age aren't necessarily logical. If they are not happy, than nothing else matters. It doesn't matter if you think its the perfect team for him.

Also, as others have said, quality of coaching is very important. So will be playing time. Winning and losing matters also just to the extent that very few kids will be happy on a team that loses often. Travel time to practice and other logistics are also important. Some teams have outrageous fees, some don't. Also, its important that your kid not be an outlier. Being the best or worst on the team is not usually optimum.

All of this is more important than whether the team is the top team at the club or not.

Basically you can go to every sports cliche from respected sports figures, but in general:
1. Coaching - has to be best possible coach, regardless of bracket. 4th/5th grade, not necessarily best team, records at this age are for record players.
2. Always play up, never down. If you are the best kid on team, wrong team. If you are best team in division, wrong division. Other than natural progression, you only get better playing against kids that are better, or as close as possible. Play on A team, if you can make A team (see next item).
3. For youths, you get better in practice, and games are just something you do for parents benefit. Don't take playing time in games over being on a better practice team. So play on A team, even if you would get more playing time in games on B team. Not popular for helicopter parents, but just is what it is..
4. Club - 6th/7th grade, get on best possible team, team with proven track record, as by 8th grade and through HS you want to already be on a team that gets to the right events at the right levels. Then you just need to fight to get as much time as possible, like everything else in life.
5. Try to have some fun along the way, fastest growing sport in the Country, so good reason competition has gotten so intense.

Exactly... do not listen to anyone on this site. Definitely go see for yourself. Good luck

Including you..

I think Zingos, outlaws? GC Rams A - B , fl$

Spot on...thanks for not being a crazy

Surprised Geese not in NLf? They will have an easy time this weekend and next week at Lehigh. Blast and Express are facing off this weekend and the next with some other quality clubs.

You can see all the teams on Tourney Machine.

They're not playing each other in pool play in either tourney for the next two weeks. Maybe in the finals. Legs is not part of the NLF, but they could get invited if they wanted to. Teams outside of the NLF play in this one every year. Next week is Laxfest, a 91 tourney. Legs won't play in them, but its turned into a garbage tourney anyway. Either of them play at NXT?

It's unfortunate for the Geese (and Taz too) that they are excluded. They are good enough to compete with all of the others and their organization is on the outside looking in. EFLGee and Lehigh and not going to challenge them. Goose parents should demand better.

How do you know they won't get challenged? You have no idea how good the teams are going to Lehigh

Are Geese playing in NXT or the second NLF? I'm pretty sure that Taz is going to be in both. Funny how some teams outside of the NLF can still get in, huh? Proof positive that if you want the challenge, there's a way to get it.

Hard for people to understand. 91 does not want leg in nlf. It's all about the mighty dollar. They don't won't go play the best. They want to play teams they can beat and only do tourneys they can make a profit from. Nlf and my lacrosse tourneys. Some racket. Kills them that leg beats them at 2025 and 2024.

the clubs participated in the NLF last summer at Stony Brook, I think. And there is no challenge at those other tourneys. The Geese, regardless of the last tourney, are the most complete team at the age right now. In my opinion.

No hard to believe, but it's hard for people to face the truth, youth Lacrosse is not about kids having fun and never will be. It's about how some people can profit off others trying to give there kids a good time. Wake up and read the writing on the wall, form your own pickup teams, try to stay with town teams, this is the only thing that can change the landscape of youth lacrosse. Think the next time you bash someone for putting a team together, maybe this guy has the right idea. More pickup teams and town teams the less people might want to stay with the bigger clubs.

A dedicated dad(s) who knows the game a bit and can objectively manage positions and playing time, is as good as a lot travel situations.

What do you do if he tells everyone that he played at MD but everyone knows he didn't?

Not even close. Knows the game a bit? There's more to lacrosse than subbing kids in and out of the game. If the coach didnt play at a high level, he has no business coaching kids on a travel team. Save that garbage for PAL.

So in your opinion the Express beating soundly them didn't count? So 91 losing by a goal at Blatant and beating them before that at NXT has no value? How are they are the most complete team?

Didn't 91 beat express in CT a few months ago, twice. One game was by 9 goals. Didn't 91 beat geese 4 times prior to blatant, now 91 lost to geese and express by a goal. Point is all 3 teams can beat each other. It's called good competition. Stop with this team is better, no that team is better. You people sound like 14 yr old kids. Stop it already.

Stop living in the past, Blastard.

I am going to NLF and I am going to eat pork and beans and spray my hand with a shart (juicy fart-[lacrosse] fart) in the woods. The anxiety at these tournaments always gets my bowels, and I always shake the hand of the big-mouthed Commack Blastard dad right after I [lacrosse] myself. It feels so good knowing I got him! Try it people! It feels so good against them Blastards! Don't forget to wash afterwards. One time I forgot to do that and got a bit of spray-mouth while eating a donut. It was chocolate covered and was tricky.

Your the idiot taking the bait and feeding into it.you must not get too much attention at home. Go bake some cookies

Quick question. What is most important to you from a team/organization? Obviously coaching, but would it be ability to play more in games or consistent practices (fall, winter and spring... not just a few spring and summer) with high quality players be the #2 draw to a team/organization?

I'm not trying to boast, but my youngest son is a very good player. I'm tryIng to find the best fit for him. I've spoken to people on many teams and I'd just like some of your insight. It seems like the top 3 practice through game the winter. It also seems like Geese and Express are a little more consistent. Blast wins more though. I'm thinking that coaching and practice schedule for Geese might be best. Maybe someone can confirm? Blast seems to do very little and then pile it on 3-4 times a week. Im not sure my 10 year old would like that too much. Can someone tell me honestly how the playing time is distributed on these teams? Or would Igloo or Ducks be a better option? I'm from south shore in Suffolk, so Igloo is kind of far.

Thanks for the help

How about your kid make these teams before decide. Your acting like he will walk onto any team. Just saying....

Location is very important, assuming you and your wife work. Getting your son to practice could be a pain in the [lacrosse], work,traffic,school etc. Hopefully other kids on the team live near you to set up carpools. To answer your question consistent practice, I think is more important than winning every tournament. Practice is where kids get better and learn the game.

Look into True Blue.. Practice on the South Shore (Massapequa Mostly) great kids, great parents and no egotistical parents living through their kids..

Tryouts are in august. Tryout fees are a lot, it sucks. It might be worth a few hundred bucks to you though. This way you can see a few different coaches and maybe there will be one that you think would be a good fit. Location is important too. I'd personally rather drive further for a great fit coach for my son, then local, not a good fit. Good luck to you and your boy.

Yeah, they claimed they "dominated" last week in a B division.

I'm not a TB parent but my son is friends with a lot of those boys and plays Massapequa lax with them. The poster is right, give True Blue a look. The kids are exceptional, well mannered kids. The parents are all friendly and welcoming.
Maybe there is a little living thru their kid, but it's a necessary evil. You'll come across that no matter where you go.

fl$ mailed everybody a coupon to hit that restaurant Canz for a 15% discount this weekend. Really good family option.... if you are on meth. nice call winkoff

Thank you. That's kind of what I'm trying to avoid. If I could narrow it down to 2, 3 at most, that would be helpful.

Thank you. That's the direction I'm leaning. I appreciate your reply.

He will make those teams. I've already spoken with coaches. That's the reason for my question.

So if this is the case and you know and have spoken to the coaches, what is the point of the question? And frankly your information about what each team does is off, so I am calling BS on you as a phony with a phony kid. You don't exist! And we don't want you!

Trust me, they'll win every game easy.

Yes, because that makes sense. Not everyone is a loser like you and has time to invent kids.

Bethesda will win nlf. Geese and Bethesda 2 best in 2025

Hawks 2025 at Beachlax. Too bad they are not at NLF - would be a good game v Bethesda

Express team to beat kid