if Coppermine 28's come out of summer 2024 tryouts intact then their girls will be recruited. They're one of the best teams in the country and play and beat most in top brackets. There's enough hype around them that coaches will come to watch them. The question is whether that momentum will carry over to the younger teams.
I would agree with that assessment. Players want to join winners, and winning will overcome a lot of obstacles. Being the best team in the country will draw a LOT of attention from coaches. I feel the Coppermine lacrosse program owner understands their recruiting is not as mature as the big-3, but I think they went out of their way to bring in Coach Tucker, former Hopkins head coach to build their recruiting arm. I also saw somewhere that they brought in Maryvalle's head coach as well. Coppermine as a whole has really strong financial and real estate assets to grow its sports program to an elite level. I do believe their brand name is behind the big-3, but in all honesty, Coppermine should replace Skywalker in that list or at least join that list.
With regard to their younger teams, I think the pecking order in central Baltimore County goes like this, all the top girls want to join M&D, and they're obviously the first destination for top elite players, with the exception of 2028. Some parents would also take their kids to Heroes as well if they're willing to drive. They'll most likely also go to Skywalker and Coppermine tryouts since they're close together if the schedule permits. A very small amount of players will make it to the A team, several will be offered a spot on the B team, which they'll decline and most of them will choose Skywalker over Coppermine for the sheer brand recognition, which I think is unfortunate. For example, the Coppermine 2031 and 2032 teams are head and shoulder above the respective Skywalker team. The 2031 Skywalker team was still playing in the B division for the MidAtlantic Showcase tournament and went 1-3. I think Skywalker will grow through sheer attrition of M&D and other programs, but at the current pace, they are just not competitive at all.
Having said all that, I think we should all come together and cheer for the teams. Maryland is the mecca of lacrosse, we need to continue to lead.
Best of luck to all the girls pouring their heart and soul out there! Stay safe and stay healthy!
