US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Boys 2027-9th Grade Fall 2023/Summer 2024

Use this thread to discuss lacrosse pertaining to 9th Grade Boys (2027 Grads) for the Fall 2023/Summer 2024 Season.

Posted this in 2025 and 2026 forums. Again shocked there are zero posts in this thread which is probably appropriate as club ball less important in high school except for recruiting. Just trying to be helpful with an opinion but trolls, feel free to troll

This is long so feel free to scroll on by.

For those interested in 2025 recruiting this post is only my opinion as everyone’s experience is different. Background: 2 kids who just went through this. One got into a top 30 D1 academic school without lacrosse and is not playing lacrosse at that school. Other got into a top 40 academic school and will hopefully play MCLA. Both had a good amount of recruitment but none to their liking as academics were more of their focus.

First decide if what is more important, academics or lax. If it’s academics then high d1, high d3, high MCLA is the way to go. If it’s lax, you have plenty of choices with the rest of d1, all if d2 and low-mid d3 and a plethora of MCLA. If your interest is:

High D1 (top 20): it’s never too late but times running short. Coaches always keep 1-2 spots open but your chances of getting in are low. The name of the game is connections: if you aren’t from a top lax High School (or less important a top Lax Club) your chances are low. If you look at the rosters of these colleges, almost all of them have come from a powerhouse High School. Since all these schools are also excellent academic schools, you have to have the grades. Don’t think that lax will make exceptions for you. You have to be an exceptional player to be that’s exception and they have already made their commitments. Otherwise, your grades have to be in the ballpark.

Mid D1 - not too late but now is your go time. Good news, with the exception of Dartmouth and Colgate, the academics needed to get in are not as rigorous

Low D1 - academics are usually not a concern. My kids were still getting interest through March of their SENIOR year

D2 - really not on par academically but some great lax programs. I believe they are are able to reach out to you starting June 15 after your sophomore year.

Really High d3 (NESCAC, Swarthmore, washLee [am I missing any others]) - again, academics are a necessity to get in. They used to start making offers June/July after your JUNIOR a year but NESCAC pushed their back to august, presumedly while awaiting the Supreme Court decision. Don’t know what will be this year

Slightly less high d3 (centennial, chris Newport, Salisbury , colorado college, liberty, MAC, ODAC) - some are better schools but there is some great lax programs where academics are not as competitive

Mid-low d3 - tough to be these schools recruiting. Spots are always open. You may have gotten letters accepting you without even talking to you. It lax is your focus and academics not so much? Then you can always find a spot here

MCLA - 3 divisions with D1 being the best (they have tryouts for some as the rosters have kids from great lax high schools). Such a good under appreciated option for those kids where academics are important. How much more fun would it be to play against Clemson, BC, Stanford, Northeastern, VaTech, Florida, BYU, USC, UCLA, Texas, GaTech, The down side is you ain’t playing on national TV and you have to pay your own way. But on the flip side, A LOT less practice. D2 and d3 more like true club but they do travel.

A couple other points:

Don’t despair by the amount of social media commitments since Sep 1. My kids were getting recruited up to the day they set foot on campus. It’s obviously not too late to get recruited. With 80 D1, 75 D2, 250 D3 programs there is a spot if lacrosse is your main priority.

Most lax players seem to go into finance. But if you are STEM focused, don’t tell them you are STEM focused. A lot of schools don’t want someone tied up in labs and missing practices.

Be wary of prospect days. Many are done just to supplement income for coaches. You will get a ton of invites. How to distinguish? If they mention something in their letter that your kid did specifically (not the rando “we saw you at ‘x’ tourney and were ‘really impressed’) or if they contacted your coach who recommended you to go. That being said if your kid really wants to go then by all means, they should go.

Don’t count on a full scholarship. As one coach said they would rather split the scholarship money amongst 12 recruits rather than give someone a full ride.

Enjoy the process but don’t make a lax commitment and sacrifice academics. I’ve seen too many kids go to a “lesser” school just to commit. College lax is just four more years. College itself is a lifetime decision.

Again, just an opinion and trying to be helpful and not anecdotal because there are always exceptions. Everyone has different priorities. Please post if there are any gross errors. I’m sure I missed a lot so please add on because I wish we had better guidance when we went through it. Good luck to everyone.

Great information. After having gone through the process I totally agree. I found the most frustrating thing to be that if you are not coming from a known powerhouse lacrosse school- which are all predominantly private schools- it can be very hard to get the right attention. I committed sending my son to public school because it is excellent academically, better than the private schools, and I wanted him to have an education in a diverse (in several ways) environment, much like the real world. The problem is that it is not a “known lacrosse” school and even though they are good, some coaches won’t even look at kids or have a significant bias. This issue has gotten so much worse in lax over the past 10 years. Rosters were much more diverse years ago. This is such a disservice to lacrosse because it is making the community more elitist, less inclusive and limiting access. It’s gets so tiresome when you see all the old “lax bro” stereotypes being fulfilled right before your eyes.

I hear you. Equity and access is an issue in lax and I think you are right that the gap between haves and have nots is getting larger. Connections are the name of the game. I will say that many of these prep schools are hopefully creating fine young athletes. I’ve seen less of the lax bro culture compared to previous years, still there but seems less prevalent. I’m sure it all worked out great for your kid though!

Diversity in lacrosse? It’s never been a diverse sport, ever, not 35 years ago and not now. If anything it’s far more diverse now than ever before. But it’s still a sport for rich kids. Lower income kids have no interest because there’s no scholarship money

Unfortunately for the most part the recruiting at the higher programs has moved to older kids who play one sport that are in private/boarding schools. Kids that come from wealthy families and are completely overtrained.

The amount of public school kids that play multiple sports and who especially are on age, has declined significantly over the last few years and will only continue. So many kids are playing in the mid-west.

Long Island is really the only area that puts the latter out so keep it up!!! Also these coaches are complete clowns in many ways, I just don’t think they really know how to evaluate any talent speaking from experience.

Cannot wait to my kid absolutely pounds on these types of kids at the next level.

Not only that. Where is the diversity in basketball and Football? Seems the diversity you seek is alive and well there. In fact, your so-call 'lax bros' are underrepresented in these other sports. But you dont seem to have a problem with that.

And by the way.. When did AOC take over this 2027 chat?? Save the woke non-sense for somewhere else..

Are you an actual adult or a 14 year old?

Good to see snowflakes just aren’t a term for the left because it looks like we have easily triggered anti AOC snowflake right here who seems to be easily offended not sure what AOC has do do with any of this, did she play lax?)

Access to lacrosse is an equity issue and has been problem because the demographics don’t cater to allowing for entry into the sport. If you have any interest in growing the sport (and I suspect you have no desire to do so) the sport will have to expand out of its current club lax and prep school dominated demographic.

Nobody is crying about basketball and footbal because it’s not an equity access issue that has prohibitive barriers from including participants. Soccer also doesn’t have the same problem. But sports like rowing, squash, fencing, skiing also have those issue and lax and other sports that are similar like tennis and hockey run the risk of being relegated to the country club demographic.

It’s really ok to have these conversations without being triggered. Or do you prefer the normal “this club stinks” “reclass” conversations?

Agree with all of the previous poster’s comments, except I think soccer does have an equity access issue. Not as bad as lacrosse for sure, but a lot of families can’t afford the travel and private coaches, so their kids (who may be bettter athletes and better natural soccer players) never get to move up to the next level. It’s why US soccer [Censored] on the world stage.

As long as the current club model for lacrosse is in play, I can’t see how anyone but upper-middle class and above can afford to keep up.

My bad. You are right about soccer. I was too quick to judge it as the universal sport that everyone has access to around the world but yes, in the US, the club year round soccer model and pay-to-play model is bad and does hurt us on the world stage.

Sorry to offend those who are worried about too much competition, but I actually was thinking that it would be great to have more kids playing lacrosse because it would increase the competition and ultimately lead to a better game… more creativity, more fun to watch, larger fan base, not to mention the more kids that play sports the better off they are and they are our future leaders… There are actually fewer kids playing sports today than 20 years ago because of the club model creeping in and pricing many families out. AAU in basketball has shut down many rec programs as well as the club program in soccer, etc.. The only sport that is relatively untouched right now is football because there is not a strong club/ off season option. I was a three sport athlete and 2 sport athlete at the collegiate level and know how it benefitted me. I guess I was hopeful that people were sincere in wanting great opportunities for kids today.

Be careful. Your insightful well reasoned opinion might be interpreted as “woke” and may trigger some people. I agree current club lax and prep school model doesn’t keep some, it keeps most of the gen pop out of lax. That’s why growth has flattened and likely declined.

Looking for a good Winter Showcase for my son. Any suggestions? Would like to stay local...

Very quiet LI. Tough weekend?

Lol....I guess they found out what happens when they don't control the tournament brackets and play top competition

What happened?

Long Island teams were 2-10 overall at NAL.

It’s Fall ball, so it’s likely some kids were missing and/or rusty, and Machine played played in the premier pool, but it was still surprising to see them go 0-3 and get blown out by BBL and Mad Dog.

LI Express (Haugen) went 0-3 as well. They played some pretty good teams, but are obviously not in the same form they were in last summer.

S2S managed to win a couple games and Express North goes 0-3.

The people posting in here have NO idea what they are talking about with regards to coaches and recruiting.

If you think college coaches won't recruit your son because they play for a public school, maybe your son just isn't good enough. Coaches will always find the talented kids.

LI Teams were 4-11 Overall at NAL.

Agree to a certain extent. Those pipelines between colleges and private school are becoming tighter. More and more too college rosters are littered with prep school kids. Sure there are public school kids but it’s becoming less and less. It’s not to say that aren’t just as good. It’s just easier to buy your groceries where you’ve been shopping lately.

Your High School has little to do with it. Maybe some
Unique cases. Speaking from experience. The club your son plays at means everything. And I stress “plays” not bench cheerleader.

All club teams should be required to "show" their rosters before each tournament. If its a 17 year old playing a 14 year old, then so be it. But at least its a known risk. Tired of seeing 2027 games that look like Michigan v. the local the high school. Why the guessing game?

Gonna have to disagree with this one. Look at the rosters of the top d1 / d3 rosters. The vast majority are from really good lacrosse powerhouses. Your high school has almost everything to do with it. In the Northeast and Mid Atlantic alone you have the Founders league, Lawrenceville, ISL, MIAA, Massachusetts Hugh Schools, St Anthony’s, Chaminade, etc to begin with

I would say high school is way more important than club to get into a top college. Club is definitely a good supplement but not the deciding factor. Club probably more important for lower. Lax colleges

Okay, we can disagree. But speaking from experience.

What's going on with Machine - Not winning like they used to. Time to fly in the mid-west players soon!!!!!

Things change when you get to HS and everyone has hit puberty. Being a student in the youth lacrosse ages doesn't always translate into being a student HS player.

Why? You realize you don’t have to play club right? Don’t like it stay home, but no one really care that you’re tired of it.

I care. Keep fighting the good fight!

I'm guessing this is a 91 parent complaining about older kids on rosters . That's what usually happens when they get spanked . Machine went down to Delaware for the NAL and went 0-3 in embarrassing fashion . I bet they never step foot onto the field at another NAL where they can't control the brackets . Stick to NLF where you can control the brackets , go 3-0 and then you won't have to complain about older kids .

Backtracing this to June when BBL & Machine played at NAL and 91 won 9-8. And now this November BBL won 8-0. That’s a 17 goal swing in 5 months.

In your opinion, what was the on field difference to cause that type of swing?

Teams make adjustments...they also add a few players that are difference makers after tryouts and possibly one team hungrier then the other . Happens all the time in sports. But according to social media 91 is " so back" after controlling their bracket at the NLF and beating down bad teams , so I guess they worked out their kinks lol. Guess we will see what happens at the next NAL in the spring ...that's if 91 goes back .

So you didn’t see the game then? Just an axe to grind with 91 and NLF. Thanks for the insight.

Wrong 91 dad .....was absolutely there and watched . Typical brainless 91 response " axe to grind" " you're jealous of 91" etc......i could write the script for your sad responses. Go back to crying about older kids ...that what you do when you lose

Love how the conversation gets diverted to 91 haters. The original post was about holdbacks, and playing teams that have many of them that look like double holdbacks. It would be good for coaches/parents to know the ages going into tournaments, so that they could decide "you know what, let's not put our 14/15 yr olds in a position to play multiple 16/17 yr olds." Sprinkle in a little HGH, and it looks like they are playing against The Rock and friends, in what should be freshman lacrosse. It just gets IAmInsecure notIntelligent

My friend ....nobody wants to hear you whining about holdbacks ...that conversation got old a year ago and unfortunately you're still at it . Move on already and think of something new when your son's team loses . Or just gave the fact that possibly your son and his team just aren't that good . But take your crying elsewhere....maybe one of the other parents in your son's team can lend a shoulder to cry on

It's so strange how lacrosse players are so much larger in other parts of the country. You're right, they must have different diets there or in those programs. We'll have to get their nutritional plan.

I suppose it's the season of excuses . Have heard it all now . Teams with 30 man rosters lose and say " we are missing a few kids " lol.....teams lose and I hear " the kids drove their own car to the game "...it's really unbelievable. Just look in the mirror . Perhaps your coaching isn't that great when you have 30 kids but still lose badly when you have 3 kids missing or maybe your kid can't hack playing with a few kids older than him ....which will be the case in the spring anyway if he's in high school . Way too much whining and excuses in lacrosse.

in all seriousness, do you think there are parents that give there kids HGH in their teens years to get an advantage in athletics? I've heard talk about that in football.

I think it happens. I had a conversation with a lax dad recently where they made reference to it. I thought they were joking at first but thinking about it later I it seemed like they were serious. I've heard it discussed multiple times by parents with kids on the smaller size who were contemplating if/when they should have their son start taking it.

We've all run into our share of parents who unabashedly will do anything to give their kid an advantage. It's only natural that this would include HGH.

Yes. Far more prevalent than you might think.