You parents started this mess. Demanded Little Johnny get better coaching than the PAL could offer in order to get a scholarship LOL. The Travel teams formed and were more than happy to take your money, laughing all the way to the bank. If there was no demand there wouldn't be 35 travel teams. Then some towns pushed back demanding that you stay with the town program (HS) or not play on varsity. Boo Hoo. These travel teams are a joke. You know how many 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and even 5th grade prodigies are no longer playing lacrosse? More than the travel teams would like to admit. But they will fill a demand. If parents want a college coach to coach their kindergartener, for the right price it will be offered. Hopefully, in 20 years when we look back at all of this nonsence, (2nd grade travel teams,9th graders committing to Hopkins) we will ask what the [lacrosse] were we thinking and go back to some level of common sense!
Hooray...someone who gets it.
Don't think so.
You parents?? Are you not a parent? Who then?
Yes, some parents want better coaching then what is offered by a handful of self appointed parents who control the local youth league. They also want their child to compete with the best.
Few if any parents on my sons team are fixated on an athletic scholarship.
Now, High School coaches are in the business of making money of the local kids. However, instead of competing in the free market coercion is used to force families to pay to play. Are the HS coaches who engage in this practice not laughing all the way to the bank?
You apparently believe this to be acceptable: "Then some towns pushed back
demanding that that you stay with the town (HS) program or not play varsity." Really, that is acceptable? How about 4th graders being told they cant play on their town team if they also want to play for a club team? is that acceptable as well?
"These Travel Teams are a Joke." Really? Tell that to all of the kids that have played on them over the years. Go check and see who the top kids to come off the Island in recent years are. You will find that the large majority of them all played club ball growing up. They play club to help in their development as a player. Club lacrosse is played in addition to HS / Town lacrosse not in place of it.
There will be five times the amount of college coaches watching 2018 games between 91, Dukes, Crabs, Laxachusetts, Express, Madlax etc.. than their was watching the Long Island Championship Games. Tell the college coaches not to go because its a joke.
So, only 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade boys who play for Club Teams stop playing lacrosse as they get older? All of the little super stars who "only play town/PAL" go on to be HS and college players? None of the town/PAL only kids hang it up?
Is it a bad thing to have a good coach work with young kids? If I could have had a college coach work with my kids when they were young I would have been very happy.
I am happy for any 9th grader who has the opportunity to commit to Hopkins.
Lacrosse is not alone, just about every sport has travel / elite clubs. Wrestling, Baseball, Basketball, Swimming, Track, Tennis, Volleyball, Gymnastics etc...
It is the exception not the rule that an athlete will reach their full potential by playing only locally.
However, in most cases if you are not on one of the Top Travel Teams there is no advantage over Town/PAL.
Enjoy watching your child play wherever that may be. Do what is best for your child and do not let others dictate where your child can play.
