Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
The facts are in the stats. M&D is falling further behind the rest in the 29 division. Their brand of "ISO" lacrosse that seemed to have carried them in past years is no longer working. Opponents defense is better and girls on other teams are more powerful, skilled, and coached to play a team game. Are players leaving M&D to go to other clubs? I mean of players in the past, do they leave M&D or do they stay for the name and opportunities a big club name provides.

As previously mentioned, don't be fooled by the M&D sales pitch. If your daughter plays in the top bracket at tournaments, they will get the same exposure to collage scouts. Not to mention, if this team continues to falter, do you think college coaches care it's M&D if they don't have the top talent on their roster? I talk to some M&D dads on the sidelines when we play them, and they have all drank the kool aid completely missing their child's development is lacking due to the same issues you discussed. Just sit back and watch it fall while the rest of the mid Atlantic passes them. Coppermine has... next up MDU, SW?

You are hilarious. "If they continue to falter"? They're in 6th grade, do you realize how much will change for all teams and players between now and recruiting years? As has been previously stated, Coppermine beat them twice by 1 goal...in the fall. So, congratulations, you've "passed" them by 2 goals total in a one month span. As a club, Coppermine has yet to pass any of the top clubs in the area. And if they're waiting on the 28s and 29s to change the landscape, it's still gonna be a while.

This is actually the perfect time for the 28s and 29s to change tbe landscape. In addition to their top 10 rankings, they will be seen at camps and clinics all summer. They are already playing in top tournaments in top brackets and their teams continue to add talent. MDU is doing the same thing. If their top teams were a 24 team, than yes, they would be 1 and done and not have an impact on the future of the program. But, the 28s and 29s are the perfect groups to build the name of the program. Add in fantastic facilities for both coppermine and MDU, resources, and recruiting outreach with names like Janine Tucker, and the formula for success continues.

Couldn’t agree more. The bang for your buck is significantly better than M&D. Talk to any M&D parent at the games and ask them, what’s your fall or off-season look like? I can assure you, you will be shocked at the little they do. We know players who left and went there and are struggling with their decision. The expectation of their coaches is to learn and train on your own and on your own dime. I’m not a hater of M&D like some on here and honestly struggle every year with whether or not to take my kid there (been asked every year) but in the end we stay where we are because I’m just not seeing the commitment and development from the staff. Their parents know it too but, what is the play for them now? Leave and try to come back in HS when it matters? They seem stuck… This is a critical 3 years of development in my mind. Someone said it earlier and I believe they are correct, wait to go there till HS. Get the advantage of developing at your current club and make the change when it matters. M&D couldn’t care less how they get to the top in HS. They will cut kids who played for 4-6 years if needed. Lastly, look at their 2024 roster, maybe 1 public school kid? All their kids didn’t go private school, instead they team became an extension of McDonough, St. Paul’s, etc. M&D isn’t the same as Coppermine, Heros, MDU in terms of philosophy. In the end it all depends on what you want. Again, not a hater of M&D but I agree they are losing the advantage at the younger ages because their philosophy is old school and seems the time is passing them by as parents realize the benefit of these other clubs.

Couldn't disagree more. Whereas I've observed other teams who are determined to win at all costs to establish their club as a top contender, I see clubs like M&D losing games they could win because they do things like play all their players at younger years (for example, M&D says that all players must play close to even during showcases) and trying and get all their girls involved in scoring and/or playing lacrosse the right way. They also don't bring in players in the middle of the summer to win a few tournament, replacing girls who've played for them all year in the process.

Clearly some people are critical of M&Ds game plan at this particular year, which is fine, that's why it's great there are so many good clubs in the area. But to say they aren't developing girls as a club is silly. Their fall isn't fool, that's true, they practice 1-2 times a week. What are other clubs doing that's different when soccer and field hockey is going on?

Also, your private school assertion is odd. First of all, teams like Coppermine 28 and 29 already have a ton of private school girls. Not to mention, they've tried to partner with every private school in the area to say their club has a "special invite" to admission event clinics. Clearly they would like to cement the connection between Coppermine and private schools, which is fine and probably smart, but undermines your statement. One of the reasons clubs like M&D, Skywalkers, Heros have so many private school girls on their teams in older years is because their players are good and IIAM coaches have recruited them to their schools. If you have good public girls on your team, it will happen to them too.

Finally, if you think any team vying to be at the top aren't going to cut a girl in who's been playing for them for 5 years if someone better shows up at tryouts and they need to make space - you're dreaming.