Negatives on Public Schools: Only a handful of public high schools can even hang with the middle of the A Conference. Year to year its Severna Park, Broadneck and one or two programs in Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore Counties. As a player, you're not getting as much quality practice and game competition as the A Conference. Really important for these kids to play for a top club for quality reps/IQ and exposure to top college coaching staffs.
Positives for Public Schools: If you're good and have a great coaching staff, you may get a lot more individual focus and reps, which may bode well for college. Assuming its a great academic public school (most of the top public lacrosse schools have top GT tracts), its free. You can transfer at will as long as you're willing to move.
Negative on A Conference Programs: At the top programs, especially those with a lot of kids, its tough to get onto the field (especially to start as a freshman or sophomore) and stay there. If you're projected to be the number 5 attackman on the best attack in the Conference, you may want to look elsewhere as you won't see much PT. Tuition is a big negative if you don't qualify for financial aid especially at the non-Catholic privates. Once you attend an MIAA program, you can't transfer to another A conference program without sitting out a year.
Positive on A Conference Programs: In the top 2/3s of the Conference, great practice, game competition and top notch high school coaching. Every top college coach will take your call if you are a star for one of these teams and a top club. Usually (not always) a more consistent educational product with emphasis on all kids not just the G&T.
I'll just say that for negative isn't really a negative. If your kid wasn't getting time or on varsity on an A team, why would it matter whether their PS team could hang? There are 8 A teams that carry 40 plus kids. Of which only 18-20 can play on each team. That leaves over 160 kids staring at the field. If they are there for academics, then great. Enjoy the ride. If their hope is to play DII or III then they need game film, and it might be time to move on.
