Each program has a different model, and none of them are perfect, but families need to ask these questions BEFORE joining the team and decide what works best for your son.
If you want an old fashioned model with the same roster all season and no out of town players, go with VLC. They are not 100% pure in that respect, but they are close. That approach yields uneven results on the field; for example, the VLC 2026 team is on par with MadLax and DC Express, but the VLC 2025 team is behind those two, and their 2027 team folded altogether.
MadLax is at the other extreme, and they do not really try to hide it. They will draw players from around the country on both short term and long term basis. They have players fly in every week for HoCo and for tournaments, and some families move to DC for parts of the year for lacrosse. (Covid made that easier). And then for big national tournaments like NAL and NLF, they will load up with even more Johnny Texas players. If they lose a key player and the next man up is not good enough, they will offer the spot to an out of state player whose family is willing/able to get there. The model starts in middle school and intensifies in HS. It works great for student players from around the country who want exposure on a bigger stage, and works great ($$$) for MadLax. But if you are the #15-25 man on the local roster, you will perpetually be displaced by out of staters. Even if you are top 15 on the roster, you will never know when Johnny Texas will show up and share time with you.
NextLevel and DC Express are somewhere in the middle - they used to be like VLC, but tip-toeing toward the MadLax model.
True is even more like MadLax than MadLax itself!
Buyer beware! | 
