I am finding that a few of the towns out in Suffolk play Nassau PAL for spring. They are the better town teams too ie. West Islip, Three Village. What is the difference between the two programs? Is Nassau PAL more competitive?

Where does Smithtown play Nassua or Suffolk (or both)?

They play in Suffolk

Pretty sure its Suffolk only.

Smithtown plays in Suffolk.

I guess we will see for some ages (who is best N v S) at Top Rank.

I could be wrong, however I heard that Smithtown was asked to leave Nass pal.

I guess like everything it depends on the grade. How many teams/towns do an A/B format.

Did they play both N and S?

Three village(2016) played on OBLL last year. They do not play on OBLL this year. 2017 plays on Suffolk PAL league this spring.

My experiences, OBLL league is way competitive than Suffolk PAL, just because clubs teams play on OBLL.

I thought they are not...
What grade(s) ?

How are Smithtown school teams(7-8 graders). I heard there are a lot of good 7th grade players.
Do they(coaches) play best players or go by grades(8th, then 7th...). Favoritisim ??? Iam sure.

I would like to know that also. What grades SmithTown teams ?

Really ? Why ? Just Curious... What grades(s) ?

I heard smithtown(2017) town team is not playing in suffolk PAL. I may be wrong... Maybe some parents from Smithtown explain ?

As far as I am aware, all of Smithtown Youth lacrosse is playing in Suffolk PAL only (grades k-8). Their team smithtown program also plays in local tournaments.

Are you speaking of the Boys or Girls Program in Smithtown.

Smithtown is notorious for having some of the best PAL teams, always super competitive. Alot of depth in Smithtown......lots of great talent to choose from. School teams are awesome as well......coaching, coaching coaching!!

That why Smithtown Boys lax lost to West Islip 15-3 yesterday. LOL

Maybe they were having a bad day!

Im not sure where they are all playing...I was just looking at the Nassau PAL schedule when it came out to see which Suffolk teams are playing. Three Village is listed in all ages along with West Islip and a few others. I am guessing that the competition is a bit stronger in Nassau....and stronger still in OBLL.

Smithtown has two programs; a travel program that the children try out for and does many tournaments, and an intramural program where anyone can play. Both play in PAL. This year I believe they are all playing in Suffolk PAL.

Hey LAx Mom-- how did your team do against that "allstar" team from northfork 2nd grade. Are they as good as their coach thinks they are.

Ha funny...They never played each other at the shamrock because they played in B. I did get to watch them play a bit though. They played ok, I think they played right where they were supposed to. They would have gotten spanked in A. I am not sure how they did overall but based on what I saw I wouldn't be playing them up in a 3rd grade division weak or otherwise. Maybe we will see them in the 2nd grade division at the Christian Koehler. The coach seems pretty good though...hopefully they will bring it together in PAL this spring.

I saw them play on Sunday against my sons team. Not very good. 5-1 before our coach had our kids go easy on them. Their coach needs to teach some basic defense. Some decent talant, but whole team lacks a lot of the basics

Your coach had them go easy...those kids were running up and down the field both teams worked the entire game and I am pretty sure that North Fork finished strong with 2 goals in the 4th...end game 5-3. Your sons team from what I hear has an exceptional pair of coaches, you should consider your son extremely lucky. My older son was playing on the field next to you guys against North Babylon..I think we all got lucky with the weather down there on Sunday.

Well honestly you show me a 2nd grade team that doesn't need work. Those kids seem to have a committed coach and the kids seem eager to get better. That is all you should ask for from a second grade team. These kids are only 7.

Well my sons on 3rd grade smithtown and we played rocky point last weekend and they sandbagged us. When we led 3-0 and then they released there talent which was without a doubt a full travel team line up with coaches running plays at that age.Our kids at smithtown have skill at only 8 years old with the great coaching the program is strong enough that there's no need to put your son into a travel program to get to that nex level.

OK while I agree that there is no need for travel at 8, what I will say is there is no way Smithtown is next level material. My sons team is passing twice by the half every time they play Smithtown. SO there must be some miracle transformation that occurs as they get up to 5th and 6th that would make them next level

Which travel team is rocky point associated with that they are " without a doubt travel team" ?

I think alot of RP players also play for Team Long Island, awesome team!

Having played Team Smithtown the past few years and now watching this year's 3rd grade boys closely (due to friendships), there are plenty of towns that have strong 3rd grade teams like never before.

Sure they are 8/9 & in 3rd grade, but look at those same town's 4th - 6th grade programs who've had success in 3rd grade. All solid teams.

Unfortunately, the travel programs have also influenced a lot of these teams/coaches to stray away from thier town teams only to build a stronger team and bank account for big brother's elite/travel organization.

all that said, the future of LI lax looks bright, cant wait to see FL and TX fall into the east coast tourneys.

The rocky point 3 rd grade is a team 91 squad of about 4-5 kids and there coach is from 91 also ,my son who is in 2 nd grade played over the winter with a few of those kids from that team, they are a great bunch of kids and they do have talent. That would explain the sand bag comment.. Lol

Where's the other half of that 91 team from? BS? Seems as if that program is on the rise

Yes to Talent above and beyond for youth level PAL should be tamed a few notches its not MLL. Get the point POINT ?
A well put together team to say the least.
Seen it first hand yesterday ,A bit extreme on defense , All i can say is WoW !

OMG!!!played them yesterday. They are the nasty team ever.. <<Removed Player Numbers>> are the nasty boys they should be elminated from pal league. i ahve already called pay and reported the "unsportsmenship" behavior. <<Removed Player Numbers>> took lacrosse stick over my sons head and tried to choke him. I have never in my years of watching lacrosse have ever seen this kind of behavior..One of the Players I hear is <<Removed Player Numbers>>. If this is what this them it isteaching they should be band. It is not necessary they are good skills to be a great team no reason for the dirty playing, but the yellow flags on them yesterday was discussing!!! I will not teach my boys to play with such bad sportsman ship. the college level teams don even come clthat kind of behavior

Thats very funny "should be eliminated from pal league"? I bet theres two sides of the story and the real story , and i take it whatever team your from got your Butts kicked ? And from the looks of things you have it out for one particular player? Its easy to take a loss to an extreme to claim "unsportsmenship" and go on this site and talk trash , But seriously if a team is better then yours take it with stride. I highly doubt it that the refs kept a player in the game making your accusations. Get on with your "knowlegable all these years watching lacrosse" ,especially college and continue to learn that skill is skill if you got beat suck it up ! All lacrosse has its share of penalties !! And by the way how did you get so literate ?

Bad Sportsmanship? Nasty team ever? From previous post they sound like a great team , which leads to the next question did the ball ever get over to the other side of the field? I would imagine not and thats why your making these claims. I know a few kids from that team but never seen them play on town and skill is way way upto par so to me your being a un-sportsman like parent and cant handle a loss. I also bet your that parent who screams at the top of there lungs at there kid from the sideline, typicle PAL parent who expects equal skill play on both sides of the fence during a competitive lacrosse game.

hey you win some you lose some. no not kicked but no we did not win.we have played many teams that played great and the boys where ok with that. some are better than others. I am good with that.. but to play dirty is not EXCEPTABLE!!!! To deliberatly take your stick and go over the head of another player is Premeditated dont you think...some of our players might not be great but they play fair. chekc this site out many postings about Rocky point... I am sure we will read about those players in years to come for Penalty after penalty!! that's all am saying.

Way to many cry babies on here.
Obvious your team hasn't played to many exceptional teams yet?
What you consider great teams ,to others might not so!
Sounds like your program is weak!!

WOW "Premeditated " dude you need to go find a new sport for your son. sounds like to me an over the shoulder stick check.
And by the way i looked up rocky point for other postings on here , sounds like they have a great program. nothing negative other then your post !
By the way what town does your son play for?

My team consistently wins and we have had many a bad call against us. (we are also very physical and have had our share of calls not made against us - that i shake my head at).

With that in mind, I do think the refs need to be a bit more vigilent in their stances on calls.

A PENALTY IS A PENALTY NO MATTER!!!

As a I parent i get infuriated by some of the missed calls (because the team is behind). or in some instances the give back call.

A call out to refs everywhere - it is ok to mess up... or shall I say miss a call... I get it. but to intentially not call the very next penalty just to make things even is not right.

You are our last defense to ensure our children do not get hurt.

Are we still talking about 3rd graders? I dont think anything in 3rd grade is premeditated, I think that 8-9 year old kids get frustrated when they cant catch people and occasionally swing their sticks. I also dont blame the kids as much as the coach. If the coach teaches these kids that it is ok by leaving them in the game then these kids will continue to make poor choices. I know that if kids on my sons team hit in the head or helmet they are out of the game for a while...even if the hit was unintentional. I also think that parents get frustrated when they are outskilled by another team and start looking for problems where there arent any. If your kids can't compete them get a rebound wall and a goal and have them practice more.

yes we do quite well thank you...:)we had a great winning winter season an did beat"rocky point" they played a great game this team during the winter. bottom line is you defend an outrageous Poor sportsman like team now. good luck with those rules you teach your boys!! you can be an excellent player no need to play that nasty!!! its a shame because the reputation you have earned damages your other teamates!!!very sad!

WOW

Its great to see that rocky point is the talk of the lacrosse community for this weekends "PAL SMACK TALK HIGHLIGHTS" , I guess now that a rocky point parent got wind of your accusations from a neighboring town lacrosse coach you really have to come to terms as i will defend and pronounce to the readers that the team we played was Bellport ,The penalties were nothing out of the norm in any competitive town pal game throughout league. It seems that when a team has more competitive players and rocks the other teams world out on the field during the game things look alot more tragic as the opposing teams sinks into a slump.Rocky Point went very easy and made endless after endless passes before attempting to take shot on goal. You speak with such certainty on this site about having an outrageous poor sportsman like team now , Tell the readers how many penalties your team had? and how about the parents on the sidelines shouting at 8 year olds , or better yet the one clown who was standing on the team sidlines from your town getting very irate at the refs , and he was asked to leave! you do not post any of that do you? Or is it that you that guy posting all the smack? we should hope not!
Its a joke that a grownup has nothing better to do then to pick his or her fights about a youth lacrosse game on a computer when you had all the chance after the game to approach the coaches. You speak about winter , how you beat Rocky Point a combined a/c team thats great good job ,as a matter of fact we remember that game Rocky Point was up like 6-0 in a matter of minutes and put the other half of the team in to even out play, Your statement actually tells all the readers that you went into the game thinking of an easy win. Hence you were defeated. You need to get a grip and move on !

As a parent of one of the boys on the Rocky Point Team being discussed so passionately I wanted to clear a few things up. Our boys work hard and play hard. They're not dirty. There's a huge difference between the two. This team loves the game, they play with passion. As someone who knows a thing or two about the coaches, I find it comical to read some of the earlier postings about the coaches teaching them bad habits. The boys are constantly corrected, redirected and schooled on how to play the game correctly. They're eight!!! Oh and I agree, I do believe you'll read about these boys in the future, Just not in the same way you imagine it to be. The bigger story, as pointed out so elegantly by a previous poster, was the behavior of some of the adults. Shouting things like "take that kid out" or "put them down". They're eight!!! Our boys played a great game in terrible conditions. You should give credit where credit is due. I know that's how we do it over hear at the POINT! Get the point.

and somehow this version sounds more like the truth to me. Thanks for setting things straight

Bellport has a lacrosse program?

Guess if this was a football site the shoe would be on the other foot . when you play competitive Winning is everything ,Lacrosse is a tough sport , physical and skilled if your kids are not on that level and cant handle extreme then change your bracket to devolopmental. You goto any nassau county school program its normal practice to play what you claim was done to your team ,Of all school districts you guys should know that already with your football program.

Does anyone know how the teams are doing in the new 1-A PAL Division for 5th grade in Nassau PAL?

The teams involved are as follows. If anyone has results and standings, please feel free to share them.

Bayville
Farmingdale (G)
Northport (B)
Huntington (B)
Three Village
Garden City (M)
Manhasset (R)
Manhasset (W)

Games in this group still run on Sunday, May 13th, Sunday, May 20th, and Sunday, June 3rd. The one exception is a Friday, June 1st game between Bayville and Northport.

What is 1A PAL mean?

Is this the more advanced 5th grade teams in Nassau?

How about setting up the top three Nassau against Suffolks top 3 teams?

Who are those top Suffolk teams and who do you think is the cream of the corp of the 6 teams (3 Nassau and 3 Suffolk)?

Does it make a difference who the top PAL teams are. It is a shame, what does PAL mean anymore anyway. Some split teams some combine teams. They are only 11.

Here is an observation. Come to an agreement at what age should teams create ability level teams.

Have each town run tryouts to figure out which kids belong on an A or B or developmental team. Take it out of the coches hands. Have the parents bring birth certificates and the parents Drivers Liscence. (This puts to bed the age question and many conversations stemming from a child playing for the right town).

Have coaches from Nassua rate Suffolk teams and vica versa. Through the tryout process rank the teams for their ability so schedules will be comparable.

This will give parity to all of the ablity/leagues.

For those towns that do not have enough players to make multiple teams within a grade have a league for them (or a mix grade league).

(sure, not an exact science since many coaches know each other and there maybe many cases where "A" coaches may not have "A" sons as players.)


I say this because it seems as if a lot of things happened this year in the 5th grade across the island. No different that has happend to the 2018 or 2017. But why not try to fix it for the 2020 and later.

Top 5 2019 alphabetically

3v - was lights-out amazing in 2011
(what happened this year different kids)

BS - what has happened to that team
(if only they learn how to play)

GC - seems to be getting stronger
(did they finally combine to make true "A" team).

ST -always a top team
(but still something seems different)

WI - Good little team.

Leaving room for a 6th team. Any takers or opinions on above

I'd love this approach. I have two older sons that would/have made the A team
( select), but am worried about my youngest son starting because I hear all the parents talking slack about the kids that never played and cannot catch or throw. My youngest son wants a chance to play, but is just not skilled yet and may never be. I would love for him to be on a town team that was developmental to his needs- not holding better kids back and not feeling badly about himself because he hears parents yelling at him from the sidelines. A nice B or even C town team would be perfect to start off. if he improves he'll have a chance to work his way up, but until then, I want him to play for himself and to enjoy it, not feel the pressure or not get a lot of playing time.

exactly!

You get it!

Need more parents like yourself who understands the a/b/c divisions are there for each childs existing skill level which will only help them by appropriate placement to division, Its all about the kids , NOT the parents ! All to familiar with parents getting upset because little larry the lax god who sports lacrosse SWAG 365 days a year wasnt placed on the A team when his skill level was not to par with the rest of the team , Parents need to be more open minded with this and give the kid a break , playing time is crucial with the proper placement.

Great Repsonse to you..

It's funny that you say that. I pulled my son off of the A team to be on the B team in PAL and now there was only one freshman in our school upgraded to JV -- and it was my son. They develop differently and let him grow and enjoy it at his pace. Great parenting.

I am not sure if RP has 2 3rd grade teams that one is so put together but the RP team I saw play today got beat by a second grade team from EI.

Doubt you played the 3rd grade A.if you did you wouldnt be questioning if its the same team .And why would the 2nd grade EI be playing a 3rd grade team??
check there website.

I believe Rocky Point is affiliated with Team Long Island

did check the website...their 3rd grade white played EI 2nd grade. So you are right it wasnt the A team...but it was in fact 3rd grade. Why they have their 3rd grade playing down against a second grade team...I have no idea...maybe it was a team more on their level. My sons team was getting ready to play against Rocky Point 6th grade on the field next to them. EI was playing really well against them.

First off Smithtown is huge, their A team should be able to be competitive with anyone. Most of the big areas like Smithtown are not travel teams per say like 91 or Express, but they usualy play together all year in Tourneys and indoor. I dont know how many 3rd garde teams Rocky Pt has, but we crushed them , and honestly, where a middle of the road team.

Guys, please don't talk negatively about this team. It is a mixed group of 2nd and 3rd grd kids learning to play the game. Rocky point was nice enough to give my team an extra game. Those kids played the right way and made good decisions with the ball. The execution will get better in time. They are being coached the right way in my opinion. Chris koehler

Thanks for clearing that up Chris I thought they were a straight up 3rd grade team because the parents I was talking to said the kids were in 3rd...I guess they just meant their kids. Your team looked great...your goalie is fantastic.

Please be more specific in regards to which team you are speaking about that crushed rocky point ? Smithtown ?? That never happened flip that scenerio around !! And yes rocky point has two teams , developmental is a combination of brand spanking new to the game kids with a few advanced for there age 2 nd graders , as per previous post above by reasonable parents the team was split to help develope the program to allow kids to learn at there current pace of the game. to come on here and stir the pot says a lot about your mentality as a parent . Seriously ! Thank you Chris for Organizing the game and as well as putting things in check with your post.

That is what it is about. Coaches talking and understanding what the program and teams are and how to help the Team and the future of the sport.

Great job "bridging the gap"

I was merely pointing out that RP did not have a travel team waiting in the wings, Same team you played, Hauppauge played and did well against I do know of one RP player who plays travel but I did not see him there.

With one week left in Suffolk PAL can we get some sort of gauge of how teams did in each division. If all we want is parity amoung teams this will help to know how town tournys will pan out and what to expect. sure many of the better boys may leave and play for the summer teams (that is a shame for some teams) but would like to know what to expect int he future from each town.

SOmetimes the smaller town teams players have no choice. If only 5 or 6 kids want to play it is not going to happen. Maybe with this board and open communications some of the small towns can merge in order to field summer teams. Thats would have to well announced though. STill dont know why PAL LAx does not have a book with pics names and DOBs like football does

Chris. I don't know you at all but please move to Nassau County and coach my kid's team. You sound like a guy who I would want coaching my kids...whether they turn into Division 1 players or kids who just like to have a little fun. Thank you for showing the kids (and hopefully parents) what this game is all about. Best of luck.

I really cant grasp the fact that you people are breaking down the play of 3-4 grade Pal teams. Good lord do you people have so much to learn. This might be your first child syndrome but please check yourselves, PLEASE! In 5 years when your son or daughter is fighting for a job on JV or Varsity you are going to look back at this crap and feel very stupid, thats the truth. Get a grasp on reality they are just babies. Stop putting so much pressure on them just because you sucked or got cut from your team in HS.

Why is it every time someone trying to promote their little ones, to be the best they can be at any age - they get critized!

If you claim to have older kids, have you seen these 3rd and 4th grade boys paying? If you did, you too would be commenting on their play. It is amazing how advanced they are since the 2016 boys were in 3rd or 4th. So dont say first child syndrome.

Another statement against your first child syndrome is, It seems not like first child syndrome but the opposite, many have older children and have perfect 20/20 hindsight of how they could have made the older child better and now will follow throught on the next sibling.

and by the way, why not teach a child to do their best (at what ever age) so when they get to MS they already have good work habits. Isnt that what we do with them when it comes to school.

I know 3-5th preps them for middle school, I know baseball does this, i know soccer does this!

So please stop critizing!

There are plenty of 3rd grade kids out there that can beat 4th and 5th grade teams and because their parents pushed them and took their time to help their child be the best they will take your sons spot on the HS team or better yet, will go to St A or Cham and get a better education than yours.

The experts say boys in 3rd grade do not have peripheral vision, sure they dont if they dont practice the need for it.

Ok smarty pants! There is nothing wrong with trying to improve your kids ability to play lax or to be competitive. But, when people come on this forum trashing programs and saying how they crushed another 3-4th grade team you cross the line. Who cares how many kids scored how many goals. Another thing you will see is that the "studs" in 3-4th grade usually are not the "studs" in HS.

My 5th grade daughter plays on a 5/6 team. The coach has a daughter on the team who played "up" as did a few other girls. We are a large team (24 girls) Nassau team in a big school district and sadly, despite all of the girls attending every practice, he plays the older girls 90% of the game. His focus is on winning and "going to the cage". I was mistakenly under the assumption that PAL was a learning experience. Other parents have already spoken with the director to no avail as his interest is in his younger sons team. The good news is that it is my understanding that the coach will not be back next year as his daughter ages out of PAL. Next year she will play for a neighboring town.

Did that guy really just say.."smarty pants"?

yes I did! Come on Man that's funny!

Smarty pants was funny - I take it as a complement!

but I guess you agree with the points, to a certain degree.

Sure sure the bashing has to go... but so does the bashing of parents that are promoting their childs need to play a competitive game.

Just like in life, it is not always what you say but how you say it.

I was just simply stating; when was there ever a team or teams with the talent as 91's 3rd or 4th grade team. Not sure, not to long ago you didnt have 3rd grade teams let alone competitive teams at that age (developmental at best).

And, these teams are getting pushed and promoted by parents who have older siblings and know they can succeed in a program for 3rd (or 4th) graders. (Commenting on the people stating this is first child syndrome)

and Sure not all of the boys will be the top tier players when they hit HS, but 50% will be the studs come time for HS. Think of it like the progression of basketball; it was boring in the 70's and early 80's (you may not have been around for that) but then the explosion came and it turned its corner.


Sure basketball has hit duldrums again but that is not the point.


The evolution (not revolution) of LAX is coming and by the time these 3rd 4th graders are in HS, it will be amazing to watch and college will be spectacular!

Ok Thanks Charles Darwin for the theory of evolution

But D-Day Dec 2012 is coming so Cram it all in now , play them hard this summer and make sure they get there scholarship before then ! so they can play Spectacular.. you must be part of that 91 4th grade Orange ?? Very spectacular team wouldnt you say...? I bet if the coach stops short the team parents would regurgatate from his mouth....

You my friend have issues. Keep dreaming

Bro
"The evolution (not revolution) of LAX is coming and by the time these 3rd 4th graders are in HS, it will be amazing to watch and college will be spectacular!"

You must be in the dark ages "LAX" has been evolved already

You clearly must be a "4th" grade team "ORANGE" 91 parent as previous post. Your sold by the salesman arent ya? ....lmfao...wait another year and lets see your evolution theory turn to revolution when your son isnt that spectacular player anymore because a super "spectacular" kid will replace your as of now D1 college bound 4th grader.

You do have issues..JUST CANT STOP LAUGHING....You really are a TOOL..

No they won't, because some kid with 5 times as much talent has not even picked up a stick yet, but he will. The two best 3rd grade kids I have seen both play on town teams only, and I have seen 91. After lax season they go on to dominate in football season, then in basketball, then back to lax. ANd when these kids with under talent start really hitting it when they become young men the kid who had an advantage because he played 12 months year will watch them fly right past him

Yea but the guy who bought into "spectacular" with future gave the theory of evolution and with his belief it's coming real soon.. I guess that what his coach tells him as he has his hand out to be paid!

So obvious he's plugging away ..

Ok think what you want...

OK..We do..

I think it's great for a kid to play many sports, especially at a young age. However, your kidding yourself if you think the kid that specializes and stays with it is going to get passed up. Only in lacrosse is it not a good thing to specialize. I here it all the way up the line. If you play basketball or golf, tennis, football, soccer, and others you're considered very committed to your sport if you play all the time or play in season and train off season. The only way to get really good at something is to work at it all the time. Ever notice how inner city kids seem to be really good at basketball? They play everyday. You see them playing lacrosse to improve their basketball game? NO! Same thing with a talent. If your a great piano player, do you play the drums half the year??? I say if a kid only wants to play lacrosse, let him enjoy. Absolutely no negative effects. If he wants to play other sports that's great too...

My friend picked up a lax stick in 10th grade, ended up an All American with D1 offers that he turned down for a football free ride. . Will playing lax 12 months a year make you a bette r lax player? Sure. Will it matter when a kid with double the talent picks up a stick much later then him and only plays during lax season ? Nope. The lesser talented kid will be on the bench watching. Know what the new college recruiting tactic is ? Draft kids with less lax exposure but with more athletic ability because after being coached up for a year or two they will be better then that kid who played lax 12 months a year for the last decade. I watch kids of m sons town team who pick up the stick first week of practice, sure the travel kids are better in that first week, come see the team at the end of the season, that kid is blowing the travel kids away

Look if you're talking pure athletic ability vs a kid who just play a lot of lacrosse, I agree. However, the new thing in recruiting you talk about started 10 plus years ago. Look at the top players in the college game today, the overwhelming majority are true lax players who number one sport was lacrosse. Sure you have some that played HS football. The real new trend in recruiting is Canadians.... Why are they so good? They play box lacrosse all winter. Top colleges kids all true lax heads. Stanwick, Sawyer, Baum, Manny, finialists for Twarton award! I agree about the better athlete, but a good athlete who plays lots of Lacrosse, better player in the end hands down... maybe not as good as your friend from HS, just kidding.

you are dead on, great athletes will always pass great lacrosse players eventually, as for the inner city basketball analogy there are a lot of kids playing inner city basketball all the time but the ones that make it are the great athletes, Thomas Keith played lacrosse from March through May until 11th grade because he was a highly touted hockey (drafted in the USHL) he dedicated to lacrosse in 11th grade and is now the starting long pole middy at Cornell - he is a great athlete. it is called upside potential, a kid that plays 12 months a year will not have great upside because he is already near his peak. instead of all the specialized training and 12 months a year I would recommend speed and agility training.
IMHO

IMHO you're wrong on multiple fronts. Your siting individual one player situations and trying to make that the norm for every kid. Read a book called the outsiders. It takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. You can site super athletic long poles, but the inner city basketball analogy says it all.
With regard to speed and agility... You don't get fast by running through cones and doing ladder drills..... Speed comes from strength. Look at the physiques of some the fastest people in world... They didn't get that way from ladder drills. They spent hours in the gym strength training.
Not saying a kid should play lax full out for 12 months a year. I am saying that specialization for kid that wants to do it, is not a negative. They should play what they like. Making a kid play football or some other sport is in no way going to make him a better lax player if he doesn't want to play other sports.
IMHO

The kid plays other sports because he likes them, and when lax season comes his superior ability makes him rise to the top . Anyone who thinks if they just have their kid play lacrosse all year when he gets to HS he will be better then kids with more natural talent is deluding themselves. You think I am blind ? YOu think I have not noticed some kids pick up things far far far quicker then otheres and do them better ?

WHAT ARE YOU ALL GETTING AT?
Take A chill and dont hate yourself because you were hitting the pipe in high school and now you all wish you could have played sports so you use little johnny as your front..
Come on guys your debates are useless , pointless , and a waste of web-space. You think your gonna get a point across by having a debate on here? read a book? serious? You think the other guy on his laptop is going to say your right? Truth of the matter is the people on here are the clueless individuals like myself who wanna brush up on the lax community scene , and also post like they know what they are talking about, Fact is the people who really are educated on this scene do not need to go on here to do that, and will not post... do you Get it? Your thesis on evolution of a kids maturity in sports is not going to help anyone make the decision what to do for their own kid ! Spend your free time on something more productive for your own community... Plant a tree...or toss the ball around at your school with a few of your evolved neighboring Lax kids..

Yeah until he gets laid out a few times in HS and gets aligator arms and is afraid to go near the cage. Having your kid in Football is the best way to prepare him to take the punishment he will experience as he progresses in lax. The youth leagues flag every hit (legal or not) that a kid ends up on the ground. Some kids just aren't tough enough to handle the physical play as they get older and fade away,. No matter how good their stick is or "specialized" they are!!!

Take a little of your own advise! This is just for fun to see what other folks are saying.... Doesn't mean anything. Do you really think it matters? You are right about one thing, you are clueless. Lighten up its just mindless banter. Just like lacrosse is game, that should be played for fun. Relax...

It wasnt a pipe it was a BONG!

Getting hit in football gets you prepared for lacrosse is a dumb statement.
Come play in the Oyster Bay League or the Cantiaque League. You are a PAL person. There are leagues that let you play the right way.

Have played in Oyster Bay. There is no difference and to compare it to football is rediculous!

Yeah and tell them to lead with their heads too! Such a dumb post.... I'll just set you straight with one example. Now pay attention here this is where it will get difficult for you. Its called the facts. Last years Tawarton award winner, Steele Stanwick, never played a down of football in his life. According to his teammates he can barely bench 135lbs.... By the way he's not the fastest guy either.... Down, set, hut-hut

Basketball sure, soccer yes, hockey if you can deal with the skates... Swimming always a great choice.... But football, your kidding right.

Youth football is a joke... especially on LI. Half the time the boys don't learn and the coaches are using your kid for their machismo.

Stick with Lax LI... Leave Fb to Texas... Fla... Or Penn. until they realize there is an alternative (in lacrosse).

That is one kid! So what! Obviously you don't coach much. i have had many kids who were great at the younger ages with great stick skills that had culture shock when the rules changed and the kids were aloud to hit! I am only saying that football prepares them for the hits they will take as a lax player in HS. If kids are not exposed to any level of contact they sometimes shy away from it and it can effect their game. It is much easier to come around the net if you know you are not getting hit.

the conversation has taken a fork in the road about just football, Mr. Stanwick played Soccer and Basketball in HS, I have no idea at what level but the point being he is probably an excellent athlete and he was not a 12 month a year laxer, Coach Danowski has said that he believes he has NEVER had a kid a duke that was not at least a two sport athlete in HS and most where three sport athletes. On LI you can only get competitive lacrosse in the spring and summer and the fall and winter is mostly games and not 5 day a week practices so most kids can do other sports as well as keeping a stick in their hand, Coach Danowski also stressed the importance of competition, shooting an important foul shot at the end of a varsity playoff game will help tremendously when that same kid is in a pressure situation in lax.

I agree the conversation went in a different direction.

But, Many of the boys I know that play lax 10 months out of the year also play other sports. In those other sports' season.

An athlete is an athlete, and plays whatever activity is presented as long as they like it.

Imagine that 10 yr old who wants to play hockey for the first. Look at those committed parents faces as soon as little Johnny (who is ggod at lax) hits the ice.

We have a hockey and lax kid... plays both year round. Different intensities at different times. He decided out of the blue- he wanted to do travel hockey- knocked our socks off at first- now glad he does both- conditions him all around.

Amen,

How come Huntington 5th gets no love? They just put the mercy rule on GCs 1-A team. Only loss this year came to 3V at their place with a few seconds left. Beat all the other 1-A teams in Nassau this year. Clearly, one of the top 5 on the island even if I am biased and parent of a boy on the team.

So who do you think the top teams in 2019 are.

Why can't top 5 of Suffolk play top 5 Nassau. (but who are they)

Top 5 in Nassau PAL
1) 3 Village
2) Huntington
3) Farmingdale
4) Garden City
5) Manhasset

Ok Suffolk who are your top 5 5th.

Massapequa

Who cares it's PAL. What is wrong with you people ?

Please you and I both know we all want to know.

Why so we can set up competitive games the boys can enjoy and learn from.

Every other youth sport reclassified their teams. Why not youth lacrosse

Some teams like to extend their seasons with teams that will challenge them. Is this not the forum to find out who might be the best challenge.

Why is there always a negative undertone?

Franklin square is on the rise!!!

franklin Square 3rd Grade PAL is in.

Saw that F.Sqr team a few times (bright orange - fits the moteef of LI lax these days)

they are a very good team. Being so left/west of the rest of the island, lets hope they can stick togther.

What about Smithtown, West Islip and Bayshore? Are they in Nassau Pal or are those the top in Suffolk.

Smithtown and Bay Shore play Suffolk...West Islip plays Nassau.

Hello everybody.

I'm looking for the PAL rules on how town programs are required to set up the teams. Unless I overlooked it, team creation in not in the main rule document for PAL.

Is it A/B? Where A & B talent should be evenly distributed? What happens when there are three teams? If A & B are not evenly distributed and it's more skilled players vs less skilled, does PAL require the town hold tryouts?

It's sad that our town is having serious issues with rosters, coach infighting, parents upset about fairness with the younger kids in the program, and authoritarian rule of some on the BOD for the non profit that runs it.

PAL has equal teams for 2nd,3rd and 4th grade. As of last year, they allow for A&B teams for 5th and 6th grade, if the A teams are put in "A" division.

Thanks!

Is it possible for a town to have two equally divided teams and play them in a lower conference as opposed to creating an A and B team. This is in regrd to a 5th grade program. Our directors don't want to have evaluations and deal with the politics of picking who is on the A or B team so they will have two mixed level teams which benefits no one. The better players cannot learn advanced level plays because there aren't enough good players per team to do it and the players who need to focus on developing the fundamentals don't get the support they need. No win siuation

that is how you are supposed to divide teams for nassau pal. if you have more than 1 town team at an age group split them as evenly as possible .

Not in 5th and 6th grade. Thankfully, last year PAL started to allow towns to have "a" and "b" teams in these grade levels.

Didn't suffolk PAL have A,B,C divisions last year?

I agree with your opinion. It does not benefit a player that needs more development or is just starting out, to play with advanced players by the time you are in 5th grade.
Even if the coach has good intentions, the more advanced players will pass the ball to other advanced kids. These developing kids need touches to grow as a player. If they play with and against players that are in a similar stage of development, they will actually be involved. In addition, the kids that are further along in their development, will be properly challenged by playing against similar players.
That being said, typically there are 3 or 4 divisions in 5th grade PAL. Last year there were 4. They were called A,1,2 and 3. I would think division 2 could be appropriate to your group.

the PAL "rule" about even teams is making the league obsolete. There is a reason all these for profit clubs are successful fielding 2nd and 3rd grade teams. its become a playdate

PAL finally changed the "rule" for 5th and 6th grade. The A division will give a team 8 or 9 games against other top town teams.

That being said, if your kid plays on a club team and is better than average, playing in a town that fields 3-4 even teams is extremely counter productive. These are the same towns that field middle school teams with 30-40 kids which will be the next team kids will stop playing on.

When will Nassau and Suffolk play against each other. Please get together and mix some games across the 110 line. Create a and b and cross county's and that gives a great outlet for the game on LI to grow.

Did Nassau ever look into if 3v blackballed kids.

With kids starting at such a young age and all these travel programs and training at such a young age . They should implement it in all divisions where kids of like talent play together it is beneficial to all kids at all levels . THE PARENTS ARE THE PROBLEM . if you split teams evenly and there are 4 or 5 good lax players on each team those 4 or 5 will dominate the game . New or less skilled boys will get limited if no touchs . When you split teams based on skill at any level (2,3,4,5,6, grade) everyone is challenged . Think about that . Do not and can not figure out why at any level you would put a boy who never played before with a boy who has ben playing for a couple of years and plays 9-10 months out of the year . Sounds foolish. Can someone give me reason why they still do this ? Think about practice they tell you coach to the middle well with even split teams the top and the bottom are so far apart . It make it extremely difficult on the coach as well . THE PROBLEM IS PARENTS NOT KIDS .

Top teams at 2nd and 3rd Grade you got to be kidding me.
Anything to help parents live there own failures through their
kids

Enough with the parents trying to live through their kids, pleases, stop using this as a cop out.

That being said, if your child wants to learn any sport know what is the best method for your child to learn a sport. and dont forget you are the parent and get out there and play with them.

If you have been around the youth sports arena you will see in this day and age there is a big division of talent starting as low as 2nd 3rd grade level.

More times than not, it isnt fair to the child, coaches, and yes parents (those who spend their time and money) if you do not split players by talent. Split them so they can learn and grow. Just as long as they are challenged and fairly measured each year with fair and open communication.

But if you are new to this it could be disheartening, just continually being honest with yourself, know where your child's abilities are and help them grow within the sport and dont put the sole responsibility on the shoulders of a coach/organization.

If you do that, you will not put your child our yourself into a "situation" and will maintain a healthy relationship within the sport for your child and yourself. A relationship which can foster many benefits beyond the sporting fields.


If you are new many towns and organizations have clinics and camps, I'd recomend them as your first experience into LI YOUTH LAX.

If you are not new, to this, please stop saying people are living through their kids.

Very well put

Get over yourself , there are so many kids who haven't even picked up a lacrosse stick yet who will be better than your kid in 2-3 years.

I have been hearing this for years...everyone says it, there are new kids that havent even picked up a stick that will be better than everyone in 10th grade.

the truth is, those special kids are far and few between. other than timing for growth spurts, I havent seen a new kid playing in competitive lax since mine was in 7th grade. Now in 10th and there are no new additions. the truth is that the kids that were fast and good athletes when they were in third grade are the same ones that look good now...

I think we got away from the original topic which was whether or not kids should be grouped by ability in PAL.

Yes I believe in my experience they should be grouped by ability at all ages . This way not so experienced l"Little Johnny" can touch the ball and the experienced " little Johnny " has someone to pass to and can learn more then just get the ball and go to the cage . I even believe US lacrosse states U9: All players must be 8 years old or younger on the August 31st preceding competition. It is recommended that when multiple teams exist within a program, teams should consider physical size, skill, and maturity. Do they know what they are talking about ? I think they are on to something HELLO PAL

The whole thing just some food for thought
League and Association Play. Leagues and associations should organize competition by age, and consider physical, cognitive, and emotional maturity when grouping players. For leagues or associations in which some local programs choose to organize their teams by grade, those teams should play in the age division determined by the oldest player on their roster.

Teams organized by single birth year or single grade are suggested, but if a league needs to group two years/grades together, it should strive to limit the maximum age difference between players in a youth game to no more than twenty-four (24) months.

Players who are participating in any high school level program such as a high school freshman, JV-B, junior varsity, varsity or club team should not be eligible for U15 competition in the same season. This means that a player who is age eligible for U15 but plays on a high school level team should not concurrently play on a youth league U15 team. At other times of the year this player may be U15 eligible, for example, for summer ball or fall ball play, depending on the guidelines of the sponsoring league or organization.

The following age groupings are determined as of the August 31st preceding competition:

NOTE: Age group references used in this section are in common usage but should not be understood literally. The U15 (read: "Under 15") grouping means that, if a player is 14 years old on the cutoff date, he/she may participate in U15 competition as a 15-year old.

U15:
All players must be 14 years old or younger on the August 31st preceding competition. It is recommended that when multiple teams exist within a program, the program should consider physical size, skill, and maturity when organizing teams.

U13:
All players must be 12 years old or younger on the August 31st preceding competition. It is recommended that when multiple teams exist within a program, the program should consider physical size, skill, and maturity when organizing teams.

U11:
All players must be 10 years old or younger on the August 31st preceding competition. It is recommended that when multiple teams exist within a program, the program should consider physical size, skill, and maturity when organizing teams.

U9:
All players must be 8 years old or younger on the August 31st preceding competition. It is recommended that when multiple teams exist within a program, teams should consider physical size, skill, and maturity.

NOTE: Age group references used in this section are in common usage but should not be understood literally. The U15 (read: "Under 15") grouping means that, if a player is 14 years old on the cutoff date, he may participate in U15 competition as a 15-year old.

Special Consideration
Although it is not recommended that any athlete play below his age group, US Lacrosse recognizes the need for special consideration due to the physical and/or cognitive development of an athlete. It would be up to the league to establish a waiver process through which it can review such cases. Ultimately it is up to the league and athlete’s parents to come to an agreement.

Yes, there are a few kids who havent picked up a stick yet that may be better than my children in 2-3 years (and yours), but the reality is those 2-3 years that they are learning how to play should be with players of their own ability.

maybe you missed the part about being fairly measured each year (so they are given the oppurtunity to be on a better team). get over myself? Do you have two childen that fit both models (competitive and developing).

As i believe that iron forges iron, i also believe a child needs to be on a developing team (if appropriate) so he can develop, without being over looked by those who have played longer who do not give him a chance. let him play his ability so he can show what he can do and grow.

Be advised, rumor has it the State will be auditing several town programs this year, seems some funny stuff has been going on. SOme guys play there books fast and loose, not a good idea when operating in non profit status.

What does that mean. PAL is only a league that teams play in. If all the kids are from the town they play on ,then what's the difference what they pay or anything else ?

Get over yourself , there are so many kids who haven't even picked up a lacrosse stick yet who will be better than your kid in 2-3 years.

Your living in the past. There are a couple of kids that will pick up a stick and become good lax players. But with todays training kids today are picking up skills and developing at a much more rapid pace and it gives them an advantage over the kids who start playing later on.

this isnt about kids, ts about what those town organizations did with the money, are certain people using town funds to pay for special teams they put together and took out of State ? DId certain kids get items paid for by town funds ?

What if the Town Program is not filed as a "Non-Profit 501 c 3" ?

What rules must they follow with regard to the funds they collect?

Who is responsible for auditing their books?

Is it acceptable for a Town Program that does not have 501 c 3 status to promote the organization as a "non-profit" to the community?

Many Town Programs have been collecting money from parents for years, what if there are no "Books"?

What would trigger the State to Audit a program?

If the program is not a "non-profit" what are they?

is there a difference between "not for profit" and "non-profit"

If the town program has paid coaches are they reporting the payroll?

If the High School Coaches are involved in running teams and getting paid can the organization still be considered a "non-profit"?

What if a paid coach gets hurt on the job?

Do these programs have Workers Compensation insurance?

If the program is a 501c3 are the payments made to the program tax deductible?

What type of penalties would there be for not keeping accurate books?

The list goes on and on.

To all of you who are out there with good intentions, I hope there is no truth to this rumor. I think most of these programs are run by volunteers who are trying to do the right thing.

To the few rotten apples, if you did wrong you must deal with the consequences.

Yikes, if you suspect a town of doing this you better have concrete evidence.

Paid coaches in pal. Wha? But if they did non for profit can pay "employees"/coaches.

But it would be silly for a non or for profit town organization not to have a CPA or lawyer who helps them. Usually a town parent volunteering their time.

What does it matter if people pay more or i should say extra money for extra tournaments. It's not uncommon for town team that play in PAL to enter spring tournaments. PAL I think is a well organized league where the games are played the correct way in regards to 4 qts,time outs and so on. As opposed to the 20 min running times no TOs like they play in the tournaments . I don't think a organization can get very far with the $125 registration . Still don't see your point.

I

If your on the up and up there would be no issue. If the club pays for two tornemants out of state but only fort the teams their kid is on while most of the teams got nada, theres an issue. If the boards kids got indoor training and the rest didn't,t heres an issue, If money is flat out gone, if the Directors has a PAL meeting in AC etc etc

Concrete evidence? Suspect a town of doing this?

The questions in the quote were asked in response to an earlier post indicating that The State of New [lacrosse] could possibly audit / investigate some local Youth Lacrosse Organizations. My point was that there are many questions that could be asked. I think that even people that have good intentions could possibly be in violation of the law.

They were questions, not accusations.

"Be advised" "rumor is"... Sounds like you must be really tuned in. Looking forward to seeing you at the next PAL meeting at the fieldhouse.