I can assure you that the elite HOCO teams recruit specific players for the LSM role and those players are listed as LSM's. My son plays on an elite team and their D1 would not be able to play LSM at the same level as their student LSM. Likewise, the LSM, while solid at close D, is not on the same level as the starters in that role.
I actually have no problem with this statement except for the word "recruit." These kids were in 6th grade just 7 weeks ago. A third haven't hit puberty. Another third are just hitting it. Of the third who hit puberty early, many of them are close to being done growing (the 6'1" poles and 5'10" goalies). What any player, especially at LSM, looks like at age 12 is no promise of future return. As a coach, a player, and a parent, I have been through that process.
Back to the point..... How many 12 year olds in the area, will these coaches chase down prior to tryouts (aka "recruit")? At goalie, Fogo, lefty attack yes, a few of them get lots of calls. SSDM? No. LSM? No way. My son plays Mid at a high level and he didn't get calls from coaches until tryouts had already started, and there were no promises, just "if he plays at tryouts the way I've seen him play, it should be easy". That's not "recruiting." That's just a sales call. Thankful for their time and interest, absolutely, but I would not call it recruiting.
