Agreed. Nothing pisses off the parents more than driving through traffic, paying tolls and travel expenses, and then finding out you're playing teams from LI.
Yes, it is fun to face non-local teams, but if you never face the local competition, does it really matter?
The "pissed-off-parent" picture works in the youth soccer world, Powderfinger, because the Long Island teams will regularly face each other in league play and other local tournaments. Think of how many teams support East Meadow's Ref-Fuel or Albertson/Riley's National Elite Showcase. The money flows on Long Island and the competition, at least in these events, remains local and strong.
In the lacrosse world, particularly on the girls side, you can likely count on one hand the number of Long Island matches that have taken place on Long Island this year between the Yellow Jackets, Liberty, Top Guns and a few select others - and that is including all age groups.
Partially due to the lack of an organizing league or structure, patronizing another club's tournament is seen as building up that other club at your own expense. Hopefully, that climate will change over time. Goodness knows that BOTC made calls to try and change the landscape for the Elite Showcase this summer to no avail - despite it being the top girls recruitment tool in our own backyard. Perhaps, the ground will be more fertile next year - we can hope.
It remains disappointing that we do not see more "Long Island Derbies" and a more united "Long Island" force when the teams head off the Island.
