Long Island Lacrosse Forum | BackOfTheCAGE Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team

From what I understand in Soccer these days, the trend is for the best players to bypass your school teams in favor of your club team. I guess the thinking is playing with the best players and having more productive training will improve accelerate a players development and thus increase their opportunities to play in the future.
Will lacrosse go in this direction? As anyone who's child plays on a competitive club team can attest. Going from club back to middle school sure seems like a waste of time for the best kids. These middle school coaches are trying to teach 35-40 kids, which creates a tremendous amount of standing around, not to mention districts and the state being more interested in participation % than competition.
If some of these club teams or private coaches had a quality team 4-5x a week for 1.5- 2 hours can you imagine how fast they would progress?
I'm sure this has been discussed within the community and I am now starting to wonder if club/ private lacrosse would be more productive than the public schools programs.

From what I understand in Soccer these days, the trend is for the best players to bypass your school teams in favor of your club team. I guess the thinking is playing with the best players and having more productive training will improve accelerate a players development and thus increase their opportunities to play in the future.
Will lacrosse go in this direction? As anyone who's child plays on a competitive club team can attest. Going from club back to middle school sure seems like a waste of time for the best kids. These middle school coaches are trying to teach 35-40 kids, which creates a tremendous amount of standing around, not to mention districts and the state being more interested in participation % than competition.
If some of these club teams or private coaches had a quality team 4-5x a week for 1.5- 2 hours can you imagine how fast they would progress?
I'm sure this has been discussed within the community and I am now starting to wonder if club/ private lacrosse would be more productive than the public schools programs.

From what I understand in Soccer these days, the trend is for the best players to bypass your school teams in favor of your club team. I guess the thinking is playing with the best players and having more productive training will improve accelerate a players development and thus increase their opportunities to play in the future.
Will lacrosse go in this direction? As anyone who's child plays on a competitive club team can attest. Going from club back to middle school sure seems like a waste of time for the best kids. These middle school coaches are trying to teach 35-40 kids, which creates a tremendous amount of standing around, not to mention districts and the state being more interested in participation % than competition.
If some of these club teams or private coaches had a quality team 4-5x a week for 1.5- 2 hours can you imagine how fast they would progress?
I'm sure this has been discussed within the community and I am now starting to wonder if club/ private lacrosse would be more productive than the public schools programs.

From what I understand in Soccer these days, the trend is for the best players to bypass your school teams in favor of your club team. I guess the thinking is playing with the best players and having more productive training will improve accelerate a players development and thus increase their opportunities to play in the future.
Will lacrosse go in this direction? As anyone who's child plays on a competitive club team can attest. Going from club back to middle school sure seems like a waste of time for the best kids. These middle school coaches are trying to teach 35-40 kids, which creates a tremendous amount of standing around, not to mention districts and the state being more interested in participation % than competition.
If some of these club teams or private coaches had a quality team 4-5x a week for 1.5- 2 hours can you imagine how fast they would progress?
I'm sure this has been discussed within the community and I am now starting to wonder if club/ private lacrosse would be more productive than the public schools programs.

If the current trend continues, it seems likely that the best players will forgo middle schools teams for club teams. Perhaps it will even extend to high school teams. My kid plays for a good club team and I think this trend is really unfortunate. High school lacrosse were some of my best memories. I really wish everyone would step back and let the kids be kids and enjoy their middle school and high school teams playing alongside their friends from their towns in front of local student. Don't mean to get on a soapbox. These are just my humble opinions.

I don't know that most school districts pull up from the middle school teams. I know it happens, but I think that it is more the exception than the rule. I have seen an exceptional 8th grader start, and do well, but it is rarely on a really competitive team (ie: Farmingdale or Garden City... just to name a few). I have also seen that same girl play age appropriate club and not score a goal. My daughters school dist does not allow 8th grader to play up in the High School unless that sport is not offered in the middle school.

I suppose there are very weak school teams out there, but where I live there is a select team for 7th and a select team for 8th, and then a combined 7/8th team for the next players down. Anyone taking their son off the select grade team -- with 4 or 5 practices a week + games, all of which are already paid for by your taxes -- just to play with maybe one or two "better" players on a club and pay out the nose for that privilege -- would be viewed as insane.

And considering the middle school program is the pipeline to the high school team, pulling him could have a negative impact on his future prospects within that system.

I also believe the club programs will lose ground even for the summer ... each year another group of school district coaches form "school"/town summer programs, and there has been movement off the club teams on to those town select squads. Parents are tiring of the high club fees, and the summer programs being run by the local school coaches are generally cheaper (not always, but far from the most expensive). This trend will continue as local coaches will continue jumping on the summer fees bandwagon, and parents will want to make those connections.

I suppose there are very weak school teams out there, but where I live there is a select team for 7th and a select team for 8th, and then a combined 7/8th team for the next players down. Anyone taking their son off the select grade team -- with 4 or 5 practices a week + games, all of which are already paid for by your taxes -- just to play with maybe one or two "better" players on a club and pay out the nose for that privilege -- would be viewed as insane.

And considering the middle school program is the pipeline to the high school team, pulling him could have a negative impact on his future prospects within that system.

I also believe the club programs will lose ground even for the summer ... each year another group of school district coaches form "school"/town summer programs, and there has been movement off the club teams on to those town select squads. Parents are tiring of the high club fees, and the summer programs being run by the local school coaches are generally cheaper (not always, but far from the most expensive). This trend will continue as local coaches will continue jumping on the summer fees bandwagon, and parents will want to make those connections.

That's great they split it up like that. how many boys to they carry on the select 7 and 8 teams?

Are Catholic or private middle schools any different? Any insight would be appreciated.

Thats s slippery slope. DOes the Varsity coach play the better player of the kid who paid him over the summer

Catholic middle schools may or may not even have sports. If they do they are limited to baseball, basketball type sports. They are a situation when club ball would be a necessity.

You're dating yourself, almost all Catholic schools have soccer & lax programs for 7/8 graders and there are a few that can compete with almost any public school program - these are a lot of the same kids that wind up in Chaminade, St Anthony's, Kellenberg, Mercy, etc

I was just at St Patricks open house on Sunday and it was actually one thing we were most curious about. I went to St Mary's in East Islip also they didn't have it either.

I think 8th graders who get pulled up to varsity are truly few and far between, and having coached h.s. for quite a few years I can tell you in my experience they should be. They are the elite athletes, often in many sports.

Huge conflict of interest for a teacher/coach. There are several school districts that are currently investigating conflicts of interest for current coaches who also run travel programs. Both boys and girls. Finally some people are starting to look at what is a terrible conflict of interest that has a negative effect on the kids involved.

I am faced with this dilemma now with my 8th grade son. He plays on his town travel team and on a summer travel team.As spring rolls around he will have lots of "travel" practice commitments. Last year the JHS "experinece" was wanting to say the least. Poor coaching and many players with little or no skills or lax knowledge. He has stated that he does not want to play school ball but I am afraid of alienating the HS coaches. We are in a strong LAX town. Some 8th graders are moved up to JV in our town but they are the exception, not the rule. My son is on the cusp of being able to play at the JV level but he and both agree he is not there yet. Nor will the school move 8th graders onto the freshman team. What to do? I have told him to play school lax and just have fun with it but he counters that its practice everyday and all they do is work on basic drills coupled with limited playing time b/c coach has to play everyone.

If this is the case its possible that outcome of whatever investigations you are referring to could lead to the Chaminade, St Anthony's, Kellenberg (All Express Directors) head JV and Varsity coaches may have to make a decision to either leave the school or divest themselves from their club programs. Which way do you think that will go?

Interesting point except for the fact that the schools you mentioned are private. If it is OK with the school then no investigation is going to change that.

Interesting point except for the fact that the schools you mentioned are private. If it is OK with the school then no investigation is going to change that.

This should not be a "dilemma"...MS sports are what they are. Your son/daughter will be playing with his peers. As stated here, all of these kids are playing club ball year round. They have a lot of Lacrosse. Being on a school team is about being on a team. Im not "dating myself" when I say "that is important". I keep hearing on here about the individual kid, lacrosse is a team sport! There is something to be said about a kid who is "lights out" good, who plays for his school team and becomes a teacher, a leader, a role model. That is what playing team sports is about. Your kid (who is better than everyone else) can learn so much from this. sure it is frustrating sometimes but, learn from it, teach from it. It is such an incredible opportunity for a child to learn patients and acceptance. I Don't mean to get on my "soap box" but, it is frustrating to hear parents talking that their child is "too good" to play on a team or that it is a "waste of time". Nothing is a waste of time if you learn from it. And do I think not playing on a MS team will alienate a HS coach... Absolutely! Coaches want team players, no matter how talented they are. Go out there, play well & enjoy your time with some friends, you're 13 years old!

If this is the case its possible that outcome of whatever investigations you are referring to could lead to the Chaminade, St Anthony's, Kellenberg (All Express Directors) head JV and Varsity coaches may have to make a decision to either leave the school or divest themselves from their club programs. Which way do you think that will go?

Indeed, public school coaches getting involved in the summer/year-round club business presents numerous issues, not the least of which is potential unfairness to the kids (i.e., preferential treatment for club players when playing for the school team, etc.).

But ALL those potential issues may already exist for coaches at the Catholic HS programs mentioned above.

I wonder if the administration at Chaminade and St. Anthony's have any idea the club connections are so strong?

As an athletic chairperson of a public L.I. school I can assure you (and I have been around longer than I should be) that it is very rare that an 8th grade athlete gets pulled up to varsity. Just an fyi, there are many steps taken before a student is selected, i.e. varsity coach observation and a NYS physical test that some of the strongest football players can't pass. There is no way around the test, it must be administered and observed and signed document is sent to Albany. It's no joke.