BOTC is opening our Fall 2015 through Summer 2016 thread covering the Boys 2018-10th Grade age group.

Who is trying out where?

Parent of a younger player here. Curious what reality is on the recuiting front at this age. How many kids from each club team arc committed? 2, 5, 10? You would think based on some loser bloggers that half the class is done at this age group.

What are the most competitive tournaments on the summer circuit for the rising 10th grade. Which draw the most college coaches? Best teams? Please respond if your son participated this summer at this age group

There are about 125 to 150 2018 recruited so far out of a possible 650. Most schools will try and recruit 6 early and 6 later if possible. The lower level d1 have trouble recruiting early and some do not do it at all.
Top teams have most recruits but lower level teams have some.
it does not matter what team you play on if your son is talented they will be recruited.
Best way to get recruited is go to schools prospect camp and rip it up.

Does anyone know about D3 school timelines? When to contact coaches, send video etc? I'm specifically referring to the top D3 schools. I know there aren't any athletic scholarships, but academics will hopefully be a game changer in tuition.

We have learned so much about D1 but very little about D3, other than a few important showcases and the more we look at schools the more we think D3 will help my son go the furthest academically, athletically and career wise.

Thanks for any input.

Each year any particular organization can be stronger or weaker but here is the early recruiting (published)list, but there probably others that have not been made public

Checkmate
Gregory Capelle, D, Herricks (N.Y.) - AIR FORCE
Legacy, LI Express
Steven Pinto, M, Connetquot (N.Y.) - STONY BROOK
LI Express
Andrew Bonafede, G, Chaminade (N.Y.)   - DUKE
Christian Villani, M, Smithtown E(N.Y.) - MARYLAND
J.P. Lannig, A, Syosset (N.Y.) - MICHIGAN
Will Kusnierek, A - NOTRE DAME
Tate Young, M, Westlake (Tex.) - PENN
Michael Giaquinto, F/0 - PENN STATE
Brady Kenneally - JOHNS HOPKINS
LI Jesters
Tim Ley, A, Massapequa (N.Y.) - BOSTON U.
LI Outlaws
Cole Dutton, M, Garden City (N.Y.) - LAFAYETTE
SweetLax, LI Outlaws
Joe Neuman, F - JOHNS HOPKINS
Team 91
Drew Martin, M, HHHills East (N.Y.) - AIR FORCE
Jordan Ginder, FO - DUKE
Frank Marinello, D, Chaminade (N.Y.) - DUKE
Owen Caputo, M, Middle Creek (N.C.) - DUKE
Michael Gomez, D, HHHills East (N.Y.) - JOHNS HOPKINS
George Wichelns, A, Connetquot (N.Y.) - MARYLAND
Max Verch, LSM - MARYLAND
Alex Bamford, A, Brunswick (Conn.) - MICHIGAN
Chris Nicholas, M, Chaminade (N.Y.) - NORTH CAROLINA
Sean Kuttin, M, Chaminade (N.Y.) - JOHNS HOPKINS
Anthony Tangredi. D, Chaminade (N.Y.) - LEHIGH

What are the important D3 Showcases? Thanks

As most D3 coaches will tell you, if you are interested in D3, you can reach out anytime. There are no rules regulating D3. As for video, some schools will tell you to update after every season, school, summer, fall, winter that is assuming the player plays all year round, if not, just the season played, also, if they play other sports, they like footage of that too.

Most if not all d3 will commit after junior year. You will be on their radar as a soph. The high end d3 which includes all Nescac will want a 3 year grade report and an SAT that qualifies. This will get you support from the coach to admissions if they want you as a player. In most cases do your prospect days in the fall of your soph year and junior year to see where you fit and if your son likes the feel of these schools in this space. The coaches are very up front and will communicate openly. Enjoy the visits. Many of the facilities will impress and surprise you.

D3s generally take their players during the summer between junior and senior year, (after junior year board scores are available), but the "rising junior" summer can be an important one to get on their radar, particularly for NESCAC schools.

For example, the top D3s are finishing up their 2016 classes now and have been looking at 2017s since the start of this past summer. Again, just general time guidelines.

Are high schools going to adapt the college face-offs rules?

Thank you for the input. As for the showcases- we were told top D3 coaches would be at the big ones that you would expect like Under Armor, to try the New England Top 150 camp, as well as the Prep School showcase and as many prospect days of the schools we think may be fit my son and his interests. These were recommendations, nothing we have personally done. If anyone has other advice, that'd be welcome as well.

I wouldn't worry about specifically attending D3 showcases, D3 coaches will start looking at your son's team in his rising junior summer. They really won't look much at younger players unless the player shows interest. My son is a rising junior, and we never noticed D3 coaches until this year, unless you specifically contact them many assume younger players are holding out for D1 offers. Contacting coaches and letting them know your son is interested early in the game would be a good strategy, and attending specific school's prospect days. There is no great rush to commit to a D3 program, most players are rising seniors at the earliest.

Yes they are. Some states already this past season

NFHS uses the new rules for 2016 season. Most states/associations play under these rules.


Some associations like MIAA play under NCAA rules and therefore adopted in 2015

Top 3 tournaments for AA rising sophomores?

one would think that the attendance of a rising sophomore AA would make that tournament a top 3 - how many rising sophomore AA's are there?

Best tournaments for competitive 2018s this summer....

What fall events do you expect to have the most college coaches on the sideline? Can someone more educated than me suggest both individual and team events. Thanks!!!!

Best way to get recruited is to be a very good player on one of the Top Club Teams. Crabs, Sweetlax, 91, Laxachussets, FCA, Express, HHH, Dukes, Etc...

The Top Club Teams play in tournaments that attract the most college coaches and most certainly all of the Coaches from the best college programs.

The recruiting circuit has evolved over the past few years. This past summer saw select tournaments that had many of the Top D1 coaches (Head Coaches) all over the 2018 and 2019 games.

College coaches want to see kids play against the best competition. If your kid is a great player but he is not playing with a team that goes to the top tournaments it will be harder for him to get on a coaches radar.

If your son is a very good player but playing against some random HS or club teams in second tier tournaments the recruiting road will be more difficult than that of an similar player playing for 91's top team.


Showcases and Prospect camps are good but college coaches want to see the kid play in a team setting against the best competition possible.

If there are 100 plus 2018 boys committed, the large majority of them all play club and I bet most play for a Top Club Team. The top 8 - 12 kids from the Top 10 - 12 Club Teams is where the current 2018 commits are from.

Most likely if you are not on one of those teams you are not on the radar at this time.

Good or bad, that is the way it seems to be and I don't think it will change any time soon. Ask the 2018 kids that are committed if they think they would be committed if they played for a lesser known club in less competitive tournaments.

All of this does not mean that a kid who does not play for a top club will not find a place to play, it just means it will likely take a little longer and he may have fewer options.

Agree with just about everything you said and will add a few more observations.

I think not only do you need to be on a good team, but you need to be on a good team (preferably one that has one team per age group) that proactively advocates its players to coaches in advance of tournaments where the team will be playing. The attention span of coaches at recruiting events seems to be about 10 seconds, and unless a kid makes an all star game, or is playing in one of the small team events, the summer club season can be a real crap shoot.

My son played on a very mediocre team that happened to get into top quality tournaments such as Crab Feast, Legacy, and the Philly Invitational and to your point almost no coaches were watching them despite have a handful of legitimate DI prospects. What was most surprising is even when they were playing adjacent some strong teams such as 91 Extreme, Laxachusetts, Mesa Fresh, and others there were not a lot of coaches even watching those games. So my takeaway is you can't necessarily rely on the team circuit to get you much exposure.

I put a lot less credence on the mantra that if you are good they will find you, but as you pointed out prospect days are one way to get noticed even if you are not on a great team. That's what worked for my son, and now he has serious interest from several schools and it was all from individual
stuff.

I think its a combination of both tournament and Individual stuff. For my son it seems like the interest came from the tournaments and or showcase, the school strongly suggested he come to their prospect day and the interest either intensified or waned based on the performance at the camp. For most on LI, the process will extend into the summer of between So. and Jr. year and the following summer as well. Just look at the numbers. On average 140-160 kids from LI go D1 every year. Currently, in the 2018 class we have maybe 20-25 commits. Which means the vast majority of 2018 D1 commits have plenty of time to decide.

How was 2018 tryouts ? Any talented goalies?

What tryouts are you referring to?

Can someone give insight on team 365 lax someone told me they are very good at getting kids exposure and recruited. Is this true any insight please

Not sure about the exposure but they do run a great organization, my son has filled played with them several times and has attended many of their practices and events.

I agree, club did nothing for my daughter but attending showcases and prospect clinics opened a ton of doors. If I had to do it all over again I would say have your child attend tournaments that have "open teams" and let the coaches if the svhools you're interested in know what games you will be playing. Attend every showcase you can, and contact schools where you would like to play. Use the money you saved from club ball for a few private lessons, and run-they look for speed.

Does anyone have any feedback on this post? I am curious to hear the answer as well.

Unless your kid comes from a top tier HS, how exactly will they get into the top showcases??? If your not on a top club team on the boys side, you will not get a direct invite to Jake Reed, Showtime or Philly Showcase. The only other way in in is from a well connected proactive HS coach. Many could care less... Not part of any club, but to discount what the club has done for my son in this process is just silly. For the boys side it is bad advise... Unless you're with a lower tier club, in that case I agree with you.

How many D1, D2, D3 recruits do they have for their 2015 and 2016 teams? This will verify everything you need to know as it relates to the success, or lack there of, the club has with recruiting. Many clubs had 15-20+ recruits for the 2015 age, with many more pending in 2016.

Most of the kids listed as commits didn't commit from 365. Commited from Viper and 365trying to take credit

Yes Viper gateway to top division 1 schools. Laughable

Do you really think if a top 20 ranked HS coach calls the Director of one of these showcases and says "I have a stud who needs to be this showcase" they won't do it? Of course they will. The HS Coach will have more credibility than a club coach given that the event wants top talent and it is presumed that the HS coaches motivation is more "pure" and free from financial issues with the player he's advocating for.

Yes, I think they will not do it.

What HS Coaches are not trying to cash in on the summer $$$$.

Garden City, Syosset, Sachem, Smithtown, Ward Melville ?? Please tell us.

What if the boy plays for a Travel Club, will the High School Coach still make the call for the boy?? After all, the boy does play for the High School Team. Last time I checked, no boy skips High School Lacrosse to play for a Club Team. Does the HS coach only call for the kids who play for his town summer team?

"is presumed that the HS coaches motivation is more "pure" and free from financial issues" you are kidding... RIGHT!!!!

I think if you are in the 2019-2016 graduating years the best club teams have their rosters set. Even if you made on of these teams you probably will receive minimal playing time at select tournaments.

that is not true, there are plenty of good travel programs who are always looking to upgrade in certain positions.

if you son is a player, I promise you he will get his chance to shine.

Especially since the programs base their success on their wins and losses and they will definitely want the best kids on the field

If this was truly the case, the programs should state what positions they are looking to fill and have a more productive try-out looking at those positions. Not 100 kids showing up for a 1 1/2 tryout.

How in the world do you expect these clubs to make $70,000 at tryouts for only a few spots.

And give up the $100 try-out fee.

They could charge $70,000 for that one available spot.

Clubs should charge $500 for a tryout, if the kid makes the team the $500 becomes the down payment if he chooses to not play on the team he loses the $500 and if he gets cut he gets a FULL refund - it would really cut out a lot of the BS -

I think you'd all really surprised how many spots really ARE up for grabs...

Does anyone have any suggestions on which fall individual as well as team events are the best to attend/will have the highest turnout of college coaches?

every team does have their short list of players they want to keep and then there are several positions that will be open. if a great player comes along, then the program will definitely find a home or move another player.

it is about fielding the best team to attract the money

I agree with a lot of what you said here but you did leave out one huge factor. The TOP clubs definitely PUSH their kids on college coaches. I have personally witnessed a top club coach badgering a college coach between games at a tournament about taking one of "his" kids. They make up a significant number of the commits for the 2018 class. So yeah, it absolutely matters what club your playing for.

Great post. I would like to add that you definitely have to be extremely proactive when it comes to this process. My son is getting interest from several D1's and every one of them has talked to my son about "owning" the process. Send out your video, go to the prospect days, call and email the coaches with updates, have your club coach and high school coach follow up, etc. The club lax circuit can certainly be a money pit if you dont spend your time and money wisely. Be patient and most importantly be realistic. I dont subscribe to the "if hes a good player theyll find him" mantra. There are plenty of kids that get passed by because they were waiting for a coach to find them. If your son wants to play at the next level, he has to make it happen.

Just asking opinion on showcases on LI this fall for individuals. which one is better the fall classic in November for individuals or run with the best in October?

Does not matter what team you are on if your son can play he will get noticed.-period-
Happen to my son
Go to schools showcase if your son can play he will get noticed.
When I talked to head coach he hardly new what were top teams at each age group-he was actually asking me who teams were.
Best way by far to get noticed is schools showcase

What level program? Most ACC know the big names. Give me a division and conference please.

What are the top individual showcases to play in for 2018's his fall?

The the following schools account for 150 - 160 of the current 2018 commits (maybe as high as 180). I am sure that just about all of the boys committed to the following schools play for a top tier club team. The coaches from the schools listed have been watching these boys since their rising freshmen summer. If you are not competing at the tournaments that the top clubs go to it will be very difficult to get a spot at one of the schools listed. They can't commit you if they do not see you and they do not commit kids after watching a one day prospect camp. Coaches like to watch a kid play multiple times and they want to see him play against the best competition.

I know there are many other schools, I just listed a variety of the top athletic / academic institutions. Also, the schools that the majority of kids and parents that I know would like to attend if given the choice.


Air Force - 13
Army - 3
Brown - 5
Cornell - 2
Dartmouth - 3
Denver - 8
Duke - 8
Harvard - 2 - 3
Hopkins - 13
Lehigh - 4
Loyola - 3
Maryland - 10
Michigan - 11
Navy - 4
Carolina - 11
Notre Dame - 3
Ohio State - 7
Penn - 9
Penn State - 8
Princeton - 2 - 3
Syracuse - 12
Virginia - 9
Yale - 2 - 3

Recruiting Rundown lists 2018 commits along with club name.

For thus of us entering into this process for the first time and whose kid is not on one of those named programs, hard to know what to do. A poster above talks about how his son's team went to three big-name tournaments and there were almost no coaches on the sidelines. And it's easy to see all the midlevel clubs that go to these big-name tournaments side by side with the named clubs and all of them combined might only have a couple of commits.

Is all the talent that concentrated? Seems doubtful. Do you work the system to get your kid to play (but not practice if you are distant) with these big-name clubs? Focus on prospect days? Showcases (and folks keep asking which ones)? Or do you just let your kid develop into the best HS player he can be and figure if he's good enough to play - really play - at the DI level and has good grades, he'll end up with a great program even if he just goes to his local ACC or Big 10 school (on the 60% in-state scholarship).

My son is one of the 2018 commits and I will share his experience. He is fortunate to play for one of the top club teams and has a coach that knows what tournaments to play at and is able to get him the invites to the individual showcases. He got on the radar of some coaches in the fall of his 9th grade year by playing at some of top team tournaments and at Philly Freshman Showcase. Then in June and July his coach had the team play at tournaments that had at least 15-20 D1 coaches on the sidelines at each game. My son attended Blackcard, Jake Reed and Maverick Showtime which are individual showcases that needed invites and were loaded with coaches. In his experience, Blackcard was the showcase the got him the most attention and put him on the map for many top D1 schools. He did not attend any prospect camps simply because it would have been too much lacrosse and honestly we couldn't afford it. I'm sure everyone's recruiting process is a bit different. Just sharing what worked for my son. I am not sure if I believe that if you're good it doesn't matter, you will be seen. This may work for a handful of kids, but I do not feel that is the norm. These players may be very deserving of a spot on a top D1 school, but may not have had the exposure. In addition to lacrosse, grades are huge. If my son did not have the grades, this really would have limited his choices. I know the process can be overwhelming. Good luck to your son.

recruiting--haven't typed here in a while but will share my long winded thoughts. No snarky responses required...

I do not think there is one best answer or one best option. People keep asking do I need to have the big club, which tournament, which showcase, prospect days...

all any of us can do is put our boys in the best possible position and there are many ways to accomplish. I don't think big club experience is a requirement, but let's all be clear that it certainly doesn't hurt. Why do you think the college coaches line the sidelines of 91/express/crab/all the top clubs/ games? Because they think that they have the best shot of seeing the most talent when the best teams are playing, makes sense from their perspective and is basic time management. Go where the odds of finding a player to fit your team are the highest.

That doesn't mean that they won't find other boys on other fields where the top teams aren't playing, it just means that because they have limited time to recruit, they are trying to see as much as possible in that time. So, if I was in their shoes, would I travel to some small tourny to potentially see that one kid, or would I travel to the big team tourny to potentially see many kids...

That said, I would stay away from B teams on these big clubs as they will certainly not put you in a position to get noticed and even if they do get to the "right " tourny, those college coaches will always want to know why you are not playing on the A team...

One thing that worked for us (and we have big team experience) tell the coaches of the schools that your son thinks are a good fit, here is my highlight film I am playing at these three tournaments this summer and would love a chance for you to see me play. Follow through and follow up. If they have a prospect camp, make sure you go and before you get their send an email saying --i am really excited to attend your camp next week. can't wait to meet you and here is my gpa through 9th grade. I want to be an engineer and your school has a great program...

No matter what anyone says, unless your are the one in a million athlete, it is hard to get noticed. If your son is that one in a million kid--everyone already knows you and him and it doesn't matter where you play. If he is not that kid, you need to be proactive. Hoping that your kid that gets a few minutes on varsity as a 10th grader gets noticed, is a long shot, of course, his odds are better if he is getting those minutes on one of the big name lax schools--sme, smw , wm, garden city, syosset, pequa, wi... But if he is getting minutes at bayshore or longwood, coaches not nearly as likely of finding him.

So, spend your time and your dollars wisely by focusing on the schools where you have the right grades and the right environment for your boys. Not spending alot of time on harvard if your kid is a solid B student. Not spending alot of time looking at Holy Cross if you cant afford the tuition and won't get financial aid.

Spend your time and resources the same way the college coaches do--understanding your son and his brains and athletic ability, your pocketbook and the odds of success at any particular school.

Understand who else is already committed to that school-if you are a fogo or a goalie, spending time on a school that already committed one in your age is probably not the right approach...

And after doing all of the above, I know several boys that didn't get committed, after they got over it, they picked up the stick and their college of choice and joined the club team at that school and are having the time of their lives without the 40 hour work week required to play d-1, high level d-2 or d3...

For all you parents, enjoy this time because it is coming to an end quickly. If it all works out for your son great, congratulations, but don't put more pressure on these kids. This is a sport with no future earning potential and limited scholarship dollars. Have fun, always remember that is why they picked up the stick to begin with...

Soundest advice yet!

Your child needs to have an idea on what he/she wants to to do and if lacrosse was not part of their life, would the go to the school.

This should be on every recruiting thread, well said!!!

Congrats to you and your son - Thanks for sharing your story

Great advice - thanks

How many tournaments did Outlaws 2018 Black or 2018 AA as they will be called win during the 2015 summer season in the top division? Is the team going to have the expanded roster? With Smithtown East and West announcing they will be having a summer season next summer will you be able accommodating for the fact that many of these players will not be at 4 tournaments if they make the team .

why don't you contact them directly and ask

Isn't this what this forum is for? Ask questions and get answers. I can answer the posters question. Pretty sure they didn't win a single tournament other than the Blue and Gold at Hofstra playing in the B division.

The Outlaws have a thread. They may not see your question here. Go post in their thread if you want accurate information.

At this age why do you care so much about how many tournaments the team wins? That should be your least concern

Wins certainly aren't everything at this age , but it's not irrelevant. If you get beat up and never make playoffs at tournaments , coaches will leave games and less exposure if not in playoffs.

Need to be competitive in a competitive tournament.

Isn't team play part of the equation? Is it really all about individual play and showcasing your skills only. That's what individual showcases and prospect days are for. Look at 91 Extreme, Team Long Island, Express Terps, FCA, Sweet Lax, Laxachussets Black and all other top teams. They are always in the mix at tournaments and more coaches come to watch the semi finals and finals of tournaments where they will be seeing the best teams filled with the best players. This is my opinion. You can go to all the top tournaments you want but if you barely win a game or two that's not good for recruiting. Losing every game at a tournament isn't really that good of a thing, is it? Are you more concerned with padding your stats versus weak teams or competing against the best and actually being in the game. Winning in the top brackets attracts more coaches to watching your team.

Curious how the Bluefish tryout went?

Swimmingly!

Don't take the bait!

Too late!! I'm hooked!

With the additions of all the new High School Varsity coaches as directors for Outlaws who's players are going to get priority. Will it be Smithtown East Smithtown West, Cold Spring Harbor, or Walt Whitman players getting the preferential tratment. So there will be an A, B and C or as club teams like to say an AA, A, B.

Express results are out. Team "Channy" has 40 something players. Basically the Terps + Wolves + a handful of other players. He is splitting those players up and bringing them to recruiting tournaments. Team "Moran" is basically the third team + kids from the Wolves he didn't want. He tried to do this a coupe of years ago. Terps and Terps Black. It did not go well...Good Luck to those 40 something kids who had no idea this was the way he was going pick the team.

Is this true?

The best kids will get the priority.

The best kids will get priority.

Time to run away!

How do you know re channey team?

The 2017 "Terps & Terps Black" from a few years ago was a total disaster!

Player: I don't care who own the Express. I hate it here. It make me sick. My allergy, puke every time, bleugh! Like that, puke.

Channy: You're a lacrosse player. You're supposed to be like that.

Player: Somebody own the Express. We go to recruiting tourney and I get the Scholarship.

What the [lacrosse] is the matter with you? You are sick.. get help!

I am surprised that they are going this route again. It did not work well for them and it did not work well recently for other clubs

apparently Deleted made the Express

Well it sounds a lot like Outlaws 2018 Blacks recipe for disaster from last year.

Does the Express C team "Moran" get any exposure to college coaches ?

I agree the prospect days are the way to go. Coaches get to know you and see you more extensively.

Moran is also coaching the 2017 B Team.

In one word.....NO

How did the Express 2017 C team do this summer ?

wrong Moran. there are 2

Top players in this class announced Monday. Top 10-15 are pretty obvious at this point. Next 50-60 are hard to rank right now. Will be a lot of movement over next 2-3 years as some progress or reach a peak.

I am curious to see if the players will be selected based on individual performance of just by team association. The top players are and always will stand out in team and individual situations. I do understand team play is important but on some of these good teams its like plug and play and an average player can succeed. Once these players do play in individual showcases they can be exposed.

Totally agree. I think the top 10 at least are going to all be excellent individual players who would standout regardless of what team they were on. Not products of being in a great "system" necessarily. My prediction is top 10 should have 2-3 A, 4-5 M, and 2 D plus 1 FO. These are all kids I've seen multiple times and clearly stand out to date. Could always change later.

How are you defining a good player?

I have seen many very good athletes who can beat their man one on one but have no idea how to play the game.

I have also seen very good athletes on the defensive side of the ball look great in one on one situations but are lost off ball.

College coaches love stud athletes but if the athlete can not grasp certain team concepts he will never see the field at a high level program.

Mental mistakes more than anything else will keep a player off the field.

Smart players are in the right place at the right time all the time. Smart players make good decisions and rarely make mental mistakes. The higher the level of competition the more cerebral the player must be. Intellect is critical to a players success on both sides of the ball. Understanding team concepts and schemes are a huge part of being successful at the highest level of competition.

College coaches recruit from the top clubs because they get to see kids play against the best competition possible. They want to see the kids play against the best in a team setting. The top club teams play in the best tournaments against one another and the top college coaches are all over the sideline.

You can't plug and play a low IQ player into a good team regardless of the players individual skill. Wrong place wrong time, poor shot selection, shoot when you should pass, dodge when you should pass, get in your teammates way, poor spacing, not clearing space, holding the ball too long, ball watching, not understand when or where to slide, not understanding team concepts, not understanding off ball play etc... the list goes on and on.

In big games against top competition a player needs to understand the teams system and be able to play smart and fast. The player needs to know where to be and when to be there and the player must make good decisions.

A great athlete against weak competition can simply use his athleticism to stand out.

Best case is: Great athlete, great skill and high lacrosse IQ.

A great showcase player does not always translate to a good player on a good team. However, a kid who can contribute on a top team will more than likely be able to play at the next level even if they do not stand out at a showcase.

Anyone have numbers on some of the tryouts. True Blue, Bluefish, Recon etc ?

How are you defining a good player?

I have seen many very good athletes who can beat their man one on one but have no idea how to play the game.

I have also seen very good athletes on the defensive side of the ball look great in one on one situations but are lost off ball.

College coaches love stud athletes but if the athlete can not grasp certain team concepts he will never see the field at a high level program.

Mental mistakes more than anything else will keep a player off the field.

Smart players are in the right place at the right time all the time. Smart players make good decisions and rarely make mental mistakes. The higher the level of competition the more cerebral the player must be. Intellect is critical to a players success on both sides of the ball. Understanding team concepts and schemes are a huge part of being successful at the highest level of competition.

College coaches recruit from the top clubs because they get to see kids play against the best competition possible. They want to see the kids play against the best in a team setting. The top club teams play in the best tournaments against one another and the top college coaches are all over the sideline.

You can't plug and play a low IQ player into a good team regardless of the players individual skill. Wrong place wrong time, poor shot selection, shoot when you should pass, dodge when you should pass, get in your teammates way, poor spacing, not clearing space, holding the ball too long, ball watching, not understand when or where to slide, not understanding team concepts, not understanding off ball play etc... the list goes on and on.

In big games against top competition a player needs to understand the teams system and be able to play smart and fast. The player needs to know where to be and when to be there and the player must make good decisions.

A great athlete against weak competition can simply use his athleticism to stand out.

Best case is: Great athlete, great skill and high lacrosse IQ.

A great showcase player does not always translate to a good player on a good team. However, a kid who can contribute on a top team will more than likely be able to play at the next level even if they do not stand out at a showcase. [/quote
Completely agree with this

Who is ranking the players? That Ty Z person or someone else?

Jared Fogel

your a clown, now go back to whatever you waste your day doing...

What was the talent like at outlaws tryouts?

Very good at every position.

Everyone was great. All AA caliber honor students. The parents are all nice, welcoming and realistic about their kids abilities. Everything was perfect!

So it was just like every other tryout....

Rankings for 2018 class out tonight. No surprises.

Only one kid from LI in the top 10, at #10. Not like the other years! 2017 and 2016 come out in the next two days. Expect to see better LI representation.

where can the rankings be found?

Mine is on the list, but means nothing people. this kid ranking them is a jackwagon...

LI kids aren't going to show as well in rising frosh/soph lists. First, they are younger then almost everyone else on the list. 2 years younger in many cases. Second, the guy writing the lists isn't a player or a coach, just a wannabe. So the technical and mental abilities LI kids are known for aren't going to register with him as much as a double-repeat bowling some kid over. This list will look drastically different when they are rising sophs in college.

Say what you want about him, but he is spot on, for the most part. Has been doing this a over 5 years now. If you look at his rankings, then follow the kids in college, you will see they produce. There is also movement in the HS rankings. A watch list kid can improve to a Top 10 and vice versa. He does consult with college coaches who all know and respect his opinion. The kids that may be missed are those who play on either deep or week HS programs and don't play for a big club.

I have to say I have to reluctantly agree with this. I want to trash him like the next guy but watching the 2017 lists the last two years (my kid is a 2017 and is not on the list), there has been a fair amount of movement and the top 23 kids he calls 5-stars like in football, are unquestionably all studs. However, don't know that I agree with the statement that all college coaches "who all know and respect his opinion". He does consult with some, but this is a stretch based on firsthand experience where several think he is a bozo.

Who has actually had a firsthand experience with the kid or met him

No contact with him ever, other than when mine was verbally committed.

Our college coach--assuming he is still there when my son get there--told us to not pay attention to him or anything he says or does?

There are a whole group of guys that report on HS and college lacrosse. Such as Ty, Casey Vock, Quint Q. Paul Carc. They all started at Inside Lacrosse and branched out on their own. They are tight knit with each other, knowlegeble, and passionate about reporting. Football is similar. You people should be happy that our sport is getting this attention. The boys ranked are spoken about in a flattering manor and are well deserving. I really don't understand the hate. My son was not ranked as a freshman and really wanted to be recognized so he put the work in and now he is on the list because he was noticed playing great. And we are not politically connected to anyone, just love lacrosse and support our son.

It's obvious. The most vocal haters are the dads that don't have their kid ranked. These people don't even know this guy. They just want to lash out because they got their feelings hurt and little Johnny is depressed. Hilarious.

Mine is names and I have met this kid. He is just that, a kid trying to make a mark. He is not some lax recruiting guru, so if your kid was named--good for you. If your kid wasn;t dont lose any sleep over the opinions of some 25 yr old kid trying to get a business started.

the college coaches I have spoken to, think he is funny...

I think people are taking this list thing a little too seriously. It's entertainment, that's all. He's not a lax professional, he's a fan who has an opinion like every one of us, except he writes it online. He's not going to get it 100% percent right, and quite frankly, no one else is either. If Casey puts one out, I'm sure it would be quite different, outside the obvious ones anyways. Maybe the all-American who got left off the list looked like junk the day Ty saw him. So what? Professional NFL coaches with years of playing, coaching,and scouting experience still can't get it right most of the time. And they have millions of dollars in research to use!

If your kid was left off the list but college coaches say he is awesome, you are ahead of the game as they are the only opinions that matter since they are handing out the money. Now if they aren't, maybe Ty was right.

Ty is like a female sideline analyst in football. Nice to look at but you know they never played the game and are told what to say. Don't take this stuff too seriously.

Keep the faith dad. He might give your son some print one day if he's any good. We know you're feelings are hurt.

I agree. The list matters to the boys who want to be on it, and that's all that really matters about it. They all follow Ty, they know there is a list every year, and they want to be as high on it as possible. Whether the list is actually 'right' or not isn't the point; being on it is the point. Does anyone else (besides the dads) actually look at it? Who know and who cares. If your son thinks it's important to make the top 10, top 25, top 50 or top 100 for next year and that motivates him to work harder, then it's a good thing. Competitive lacrosse is a pyramid, and like everything else that's competitive, you're either getting better or falling behind. Ty's lists represent that pyramid, and you don't have to agree with the specific rankings to think it has value.

To the Dad who's feelings are hurt and the Dad who's proud as a peacock. Do a little research on these prior lists. Go back to 2012, 2011, etc. See how many of these kids were major contributors. See how many were leading scorers? Further see how many (few) became College All-Americans. Then, and only then can you determine how important these lists are. You will also be enlightened as to how important they are or aren't in predicting future success. To the proud Dad, enjoy the accolade! To the other Dad, don't sweat it.

That is the same as any list in multiple sports. Check the HS football lists, they are far from perfect. In fact, didn't some NFL scouts prefer Ryan Leaf to Peyton Manning?

Exactly the point. btw Clay Matthews didn't receive one football scholarship out of HS. Walked on to USC...

Folks wait and see those late bloomers out play your very mature kid in a couple of years. Many kids peaked. I have been coaching and played and saw many kids who were physically less mature at this age and then come senior year or in college surpass those superior players. Have you seen college lacrosse these days? Anyone can beat those top teams any given day. Kudos to the division 1 schools who wait a little longer to grab those kids.

Is Legacy fielding a 2018 team this year ? They posted there 2019 team (one), but not 2018 and tryouts were held same day.

Anyone?

I guess we will have to see if they get any warm bodies to show up this weekend.

Why don't you call them and ask rather than posting here

I have, on multiple occasions seen kids in the top 20 shut down by unranked kids. It is not the end all and be all. All the kids on the list are great, but there are many who were overlooked, who are as good or better.

Very quiet on this thread. With so many 2018 commits already announced, are people just not interested in the 2018 class anymore?

With the fall Philly Showcase and Philly Freshmen Showcase being the same weekend at different sites, is the Philly Showcase worth it or will all coaches be at PFS?

On a related note, are committed 2018 players planning to attend this? what about Maverik and JR next summer I know Maverik invites were mailed out a while back

It's Football Season...check back in March...

There are a couple of team events this weekend that should be interesting for recruiting. I guess these events could give the lax first boys and edge over the football first kids.

Heard 2018 Express B smimmaged Outlaws Select and won this weekend. Pretty good for a B team.

How do you win a scrimmage?

Was it the Wolverines or bottom half of Terps?

Wasn't a tournament and teams played each other and one team scored more goals than the other. Yes it was bottom half of terps.

So bottom half of Terps has ACC commits? Interesting notion. Further, Terps had 20+ kids there. Are there 40 kids on the team? Come on, let it go. It was a little scrimmage, terps scored a couple more goals. Kids had fun. I think that's about it.

Actually Terps do have an expanded roster. FYI A team is not called Terps.

If it had refs and a clock, that's a game. If it didn't , it was a scimmage and no one cares.

Not called terps ?? What's new name? Can I buy a new helmet and sweatshirt ??

lets not confuse the point.
A scrimmage is having two teams play.
A good scrimmage is a game.
to have a good scrimmage you will have a clock and a ref.

My son (2019) was selected to Jake Reed last year (2015) as a rising freshmen. We were impressed by the # of coaches in attendance. Just received direct invite for this year (2016) rising sophomore.
To anyone that attended last years, how was the coaches turnout for the rising sophomores?
Thx

you either played the Express (pool) team, which could have been any of 50 players in the pool or you played Express C. There isn't an Express B team.

lets talk about the Legacy tournament this weekend.

Primetime from upstate will beat all

Primetime 2018? Lol

New crop of 17 year old 10th graders I presume...

played a game today at legacy 14-0 outlaws

If there select why are they playing B teams

Call up and book a game with whatever super team your son plays for. They play who the tournament directors schedule them to play.

Your wrong and u know it

Other way around. Why is C team playing in A bracket? They got beat up every game.

Who did the mighty outlaws play

LB3 National , laxachusetes green and express C.

They don't write the schedule, just play the teams they are scheduled.

Why is Express C playing in the A bracket?

Nice win but Express C was at Legacy. A & B were in MD

At this age there is no A/B brackets.

I was up at Legacy yesterday. I checked out the Long Island teams the were up there:

Outlaws Select....Played well. The addition of the new players they picked up really helped. Two from 91 Orange (middie & Def) are lights out good.

91 Orange....Not the same team as last year. Not even close. Orange last year was a top A team. This year....B. Got killed in all 3 games.

Legacy....They lost a lot from last year also. The game I watched against Primetime, they looked lost. I think they had 2 shots on goal...

Express (the "third team")...YIKES!! I actually feel bad for this bunch. The kids tried, but were over-matched in every game. No real stars. Could be a very long year...

So Outlaws Select were playing 2 B teams and a C team and they are pumping their chest out about this and coming on here and making up write ups about their players. Good job LOL daddy you did a nice write up about your players. Best part is they claim to play Express B and win but they played the C team.

The real 2018 A teams were at Quakerfest 91 Extreme, Sweetlax, Dukes, Mesa Fresh, NXT, Leading Edge, and Express North.

LI Express - Channenchuck was at the Fall Invitational in MD.....lost to the Hawks. Good game to watch

So you were up at Legacy because you were just passing through. Did you even watch your kid play or were you too busy watching all these other LI teams and rating them.
You do know Outlaws played 1B team Laxachusetts Green and 2 C teams Express Moran and LB3 from the Atlanta hotbed of lacrosse. YIKES!!!

Sloppy game

So your Kid Didn't make Outlaws again? Is that why the hate? Go home and have a Fresca...it will make you happier!

I think that Legacy team is a 2019/2018 team.

Lol. Your the one coming here and bragging how well your team did versus B teams and also rating teams other than your own. I guess that part made you feel all high and mighty. Then when someone calls you out and laughs at you, you go and get all 10 year old on them. Your a joke. I won't have a Fresca but I will go home have a Johnny Walker Blue neat while sitting back with my feet up knowing I irk you.

This is so blatantly obvious a Outlaws parent. Your joking coming on here and knocking other teams. When your team beats an A team then maybe then come on here and compliment the team on a good win, but to come on here and start being Ty Xander and rating other teams than your own is pathetic. You deserve the crap you get for being such an a*****e

i agree that it seems like an Outlaw supporter posted that.
can't get a word in on the Outlaws site.

Regardless of whether it's an Outlaws parent. Observations are correct, no? Maybe someone jealous?

Jealous of what? An adult who comes on here and rates teams in the fall. When the Outlaws Select beats an A caliber team and wins a tournament other than a local one then come on here and let us know. Until then then keep it down. Stop ranking teams that are B and C teams and making it sound like you actually beat a good team. Beat Express A, 91 Extreme, Express North, Dukes, Tomahawks,Laxachusetts Black, Sweetlax and then come on here and compliment the team for a win. Don't rank teams one of which was a 2019/18 the other an Express C team and another from Atlanta and make it sound like you won a round robin tournament.

Jealous that Outlaws have improved and had a good showing? And FYI, people come on here and give their assessment of tournament performance all the time. That's what happens on a lacrosse forum. You may disagree, but why so angry!

Not rating...just observations of the teams that played. Regardless of who they played. I know players on all for teams. My child does not play for any of them. He plays in the 2017 division, hence how I was able to watch the other teams. I hope you enjoyed your Johnny Walker "Blue" last night and I hope you hugged your kid and told him you loved him.

So, what college coaches were attending the Legacy "Showcase" ?

So your the parent of a 2017 and have no vested interest in 2018 but decide to rate 4 Long Island 2018 teams who were all in different brackets 2 in east bracket Outlaws and Express, 1 in North 91 and 1 in South Legacy and all playing in different places and times. Logistically this is some accomplishment. You were running from field to field to just give your observations of these teams and how much improved Outlaws Select is over last year. Did you even watch your kid play. Doesn't he find it odd your running all over to watch teams you don't have a kid on play. You might need to give your kid more than a hug but some attention. It's plain and simple you have an inferiority complex and need to come on the site and claim your dominance over weak teams in the fall. Let's see how the spring goes for you and then you can brag. Oh wait your a 2107 parent with no interest in 2018 but took 9:20 am to 2:20 pm to go and observe 2018 teams play all the while your kid is playing. You must be dealing with some really gullible people on a daily basis if you think people are buying that line. Good luck to your 2017 son and keep observing the 2018 LI teams at tournaments.

The one's I saw...
Bryant
Sacred Heart
Amherst
Umass
Providence
BU
Duke
Binghamton
Brown
Dartmouth

Lots of others with Clipboards...

Most watching the 2017's. But a good amount at each of the 8 fields...

1-800-Iamapsycho....Call an get some help.

FCA 2018 in Maryland is the best 2018 team...91, Express and MadLax will compete, but all a step down

I was there too and not for 2018, 2019. I too had family friends playing on different levels/grades. the fields were placed nicely to see many teams in between games. I saw each of those teams as well. I didn't know they were c or B teams, thought it but thanks for clarifying.

Harvard
Vermont
Cleveland St
The coaches watched all of the grade levels. The way the fields were set up it made it very easy for them to look at one field then another. One field had 2017 the next had 2018 or 2019.

[/quote]

1-800-Iamapsycho....Call an get some help. [/quote]

Yeah I would say the guy running from field to field giving his observations about an age group his kid isn't even in is a psycho. Really think about it no kid in age group but goes and watches games and gives reviews of fall ball games. Has the knowledge to say he feels Outlaws improved from last year but doesn't have a kid on team. Seems like a split personality to me or a dual life as a spy. Stop with the BS observations and own up to your kid plays for Outlaws and you wanted to say they looked good. Just don't go knocking other teams. Your the psycho who needs help. Worry about your team and stop trying to be Ty Xanders and rank other teams you suck at it.

Yeah I would say the guy running from field to field giving his observations about an age group his kid isn't even in is a psycho. Really think about it no kid in age group but goes and watches games and gives reviews of fall ball games. Has the knowledge to say he feels Outlaws improved from last year but doesn't have a kid on team. Seems like a split personality to me or a dual life as a spy. Stop with the BS observations and own up to your kid plays for Outlaws and you wanted to say they looked good. Just don't go knocking other teams. Your the psycho who needs help. Worry about your team and stop trying to be Ty Xanders and rank other teams you suck at it. [/quote]

agree

Yeah I would say the guy running from field to field giving his observations about an age group his kid isn't even in is a psycho. Really think about it no kid in age group but goes and watches games and gives reviews of fall ball games. Has the knowledge to say he feels Outlaws improved from last year but doesn't have a kid on team. Seems like a split personality to me or a dual life as a spy. Stop with the BS observations and own up to your kid plays for Outlaws and you wanted to say they looked good. Just don't go knocking other teams. Your the psycho who needs help. Worry about your team and stop trying to be Ty Xanders and rank other teams you suck at it. [/quote]

BWT...Ty Xanders rates PLAYERS....not TEAMS.....Moron...

Yeah I would say the guy running from field to field giving his observations about an age group his kid isn't even in is a psycho. Really think about it no kid in age group but goes and watches games and gives reviews of fall ball games. Has the knowledge to say he feels Outlaws improved from last year but doesn't have a kid on team. Seems like a split personality to me or a dual life as a spy. Stop with the BS observations and own up to your kid plays for Outlaws and you wanted to say they looked good. Just don't go knocking other teams. Your the psycho who needs help. Worry about your team and stop trying to be Ty Xanders and rank other teams you suck at it. [/quote]

BWT...Ty Xanders rates PLAYERS....not TEAMS.....Moron... [/quote]

Its actually BTW......Ohhh and BTW he also rates teams....you must have the mental capacity of a 10 year old because when shown up you lash out by calling people names or attacking their kid. The fact you also can't understand the metaphorical reference to Ty also implies a lack of any intelligence.

I played another sport at a high D1 level and have coached youths through middle schoolers in the same sport for over 25 years. Now I have kids who play lacrosse as something to compare to. First, I've been on the receiving side of college recruiter calls thousands of times for hundreds of kids from HS All-Americas to D1 through kids who just wanted to keep going in D3 for fun beyond their studies.

I would state unequivocally that I am not qualified to protect who will or won't be a top college prospect in 9th grade. Out of the hundreds of kids I helped through recruiting I coached 4 kids who I honestly believed were no brainer future D1 stars. I was right twice. The other two, a kid dropped into trouble and dropped out of the sport. Another kid was just advanced and developed for his age and was simply the same kid in 12th grade he was in 9th, which was very frustrating for him when recruiters never came as expected. I also don't know or know of any club coach in my sport who would say different, and I have never spoken to a college recruiter who believed they could predict with any quality the college prospects for a 9th grader. Quite literally, what hampers early recruiting in other sports is a widespread belief that is will lead to disastrous results, and the most accurate recruiting that involves a scholarship has the best results the later it is.

I'm not a lacrosse guy, but I am a coach and like the Parcells rule states I can only evaluate what I see. I look at a 2019 or even a 2018 game and I see some kids in a sport not nearly seasoned enough to pass high level D1 sports from a physical, mental, mental toughness or academic perspective. That last one is important because I count so many dozens of kids who got a girlfriend, then the wrong friends, had some problems at home or some other trouble and fell away from the academic potential they had. I don't really care how expert or not Ty Xanders is, because that is moot. Unless lacrosse truly is unlike every other sport, early recruiting is a lighthouse for the soon to be shipwrecked.

BWT...Ty Xanders rates PLAYERS....not TEAMS.....Moron... [/quote]

Its actually BTW......Ohhh and BTW he also rates teams....you must have the mental capacity of a 10 year old because when shown up you lash out by calling people names or attacking their kid. The fact you also can't understand the metaphorical reference to Ty also implies a lack of any intelligence. [/quote]

Like was said before...1-800-IAMAPSYCHO...Enjoy the rest of your pathetic life watching your son get cut from another team.

Its actually BTW......Ohhh and BTW he also rates teams....you must have the mental capacity of a 10 year old because when shown up you lash out by calling people names or attacking their kid. The fact you also can't understand the metaphorical reference to Ty also implies a lack of any intelligence. [/quote]

Like was said before...1-800-IAMAPSYCHO...Enjoy the rest of your pathetic life watching your son get cut from another team. [/quote]

You are such an easy target. Use "your words" must be something you hear all the time. I am sure your family sees you seething with anger from a bit of banter on Back of the Cage and they are hiding the dog so you don't kick it. Facts are facts: you run around making observations about other teams in a different age group than your own childs and say they suck, you sure Ty didn't pay you for all the time it must have taken to come up with those ratings. Your comebacks are those of a 10 year old child, when proven wrong you lash out in anger. Never did I attack a kid or a team like you have.

You needed hugs from your father and as a result of not getting them you berate other people's teams and again try to put down my kid and this is all to make yourself feel better about yourself. Who's the psycho, you are.

Like was said before...1-800-IAMAPSYCHO...Enjoy the rest of your pathetic life watching your son get cut from another team. [/quote]

You are such an easy target. Use "your words" must be something you hear all the time. I am sure your family sees you seething with anger from a bit of banter on Back of the Cage and they are hiding the dog so you don't kick it. Facts are facts: you run around making observations about other teams in a different age group than your own childs and say they suck, you sure Ty didn't pay you for all the time it must have taken to come up with those ratings. Your comebacks are those of a 10 year old child, when proven wrong you lash out in anger. Never did I attack a kid or a team like you have.

You needed hugs from your father and as a result of not getting them you berate other people's teams and again try to put down my kid and this is all to make yourself feel better about yourself. Who's the psycho, you are. [/quote

You Win! (you can now return your daughter’s thesaurus and dictionary and head to the unemployment office in time for the lunch crowd…)

As an parent who's son plays on one of the teams in 2018 you so kindly took the time to observe and make observations on you are a tool. You said it yourself that your kid plays in 2017 but you went around a tournament and observed teams in 2018 and said only good things about one team in particular and belittled the others all for the sake of what. Just so your voice can be heard on a forum about lacrosse. Who's the loser.

I was just wondering if he was correct about his comments concerning your team?

/quote

You Win! (you can now return your daughter’s thesaurus and dictionary and head to the unemployment office in time for the lunch crowd…)

"The pen is mightier than the sword"
Your low level of intelligence is evident if you feel I needed a thesaurus to write any of this. I need a good inter office mail room clerk. If you can fill the application out without using crayons the job is yours.

What don't you get? This person comes on the site and makes "observations" about 4 teams in an age group his son doesn't even play in. Knocking 3 of the 4 and claiming he can tell from 1 game where these teams stand. If he watched more than one he is more of a loser than I thought he was. Regarding my kids team he has no clue.

So I guess the answer is yes...Thank you for clarifying...

Someone out there has a keen sense of humor.I thank you for the truly funny posts as a good belly laugh is good medicine.I wish everyone well .

love this forum, alway brightens up my day.

You are quite welcome...We are doing two shows on Saturday Night at the UMD Fall Terrapin Classic...Proceeds to go to the "We are Crazy Lax Parents" Fund...

I wonder what it is like to be a parent psyched that a coach from Binghamton or Cleveland State was watching. Note to self, go to doctor and fake gout to get medical marijuana.

You do know that the person is mocking the parent who ran around a tournament in PA compiling information on teams in an age group his child supposedly doesn't play in and put observations of said teams on a forum just to promote one team and put others down. Wonder what program and age group their kid plays in. I bet 2018. Loser!!! Or maybe your too dim witted to get that.

on behalf of all Binghamton student athletes who have excelled in the class room and the lacrosse field, are getting a top notch education at a great public university at affordable costs......go F*&# yourself, you pompous [lacrosse]

A little advice to you, if you want to get reply's and reactions on a post you need to make grand statements or go negative on a kid, team or town or nobody is going to pay attention. And by the way, thank you for your post it was spot on.

Wow, I am happy that you are a Princeton grad and that your kid is going to Harvard. For some other kids these may be very suitable options. Why hate on them? Be happy that they are getting an opportunity somewhere (even if it wouldn't be suitable for you and your family)

To chime in on this, for what its worth, I asked my son directly what the boys think of Ty and his lists. He said all the boys were talking about it at Maverik Showtime and the general consensus is that he is a clown and the kids dont take him seriously. There is also a definite preferential leaning towards the big clubs and the kids that play for them which raises the question of if there is money involved. I personally think its just straight entertainment and I dont get too wrapped up in it. None of it really means much until college when the real players show themselves.

There is $ involved. He doesn't advertise on his site, where do you think he gets $ to buy goofy hats and fill his red solo cup. He is paid to attend tournaments, paid by club directors and I will venture to say he would take $ from parents for a "nod". Many of the players he writes on are very good athletes but take his rankings with a grain of salt

There are some who not in the know feel what when TY writes something that it is gospel. There even those who go to great lengths to create their own rankings if they didn't like where their player was ranked by Ty. I was at a recent tournament where a particular player who plays for a very high profile team was mediocre at best wasn't even the best player that day for his own team and he got a stellar write up. I am talking 3 goals in 3 games and an assist but was written up as if he scored 10 goals, 5 assists and dominated. I think a lot has to do with reputation and what team you play for.

I wonder what its like to vicariously live through my son whos probably peaked already and will never see a minute of playing time at the college he probably shouldnt be going to because you held him back in kindergarten, had him reclass and sending him to do a PG. I can almost guarantee I can guess what club your son plays for. Binghampton happens to be a 1st rate school and is a solid lax program and Cleveland State is a brand new program looking to get off the ground. I feel sorry for your family, its not their fault your an arrogant tool.....

Oh and not to mention he basically stole the name and idea for his website from Joe Lombardi and Laxlessons who have been doing "recruiting rundown" for years.

I assume your writing about this quote

"I wonder what it is like to be a parent psyched that a coach from Binghamton or Cleveland State was watching. Note to self, go to doctor and fake gout to get medical marijuana."

Yes sir, I think that quote encapsulates everything wrong with some of todays lax parents. Looking down on someone else for getting excited about their son getting a look from any school is about as bad as it gets. My son verballed to a lower D1 and Im ecstactic as is he, as it was the perfect fit for HIM. Its not an IVY or an ACC or a Patriot, so I guess Im supposed to be ashamed? Like I said I can almost guarantee I can guess what club his son plays for, but I doubt he has the guts to come back on here and defend that moronic statement he made

Spot on except for the "play D3 and have fun' quote. As if playing D3 is akin to club ball or a beer league. Have you checked into the demands on a mid to high level D3 lacrosse student athlete lately, at a strong Academic School? I assume not.
How about a full fall ball schedule that starts day two of classes. Followed by a strength and conditioning test. It includes three fall ball games, 18 practices and many more captains practices. Alternating with both strength and conditioning workouts. This adds up to a 2-3 hour a day commitment 6 days a week past Columbus day. That commitment then wanes to a 4 day a week of lifting and conditioning program, along with team play days of basketball and soccer. Again brining the commitment up to 5 days a week in FALL. Then Spring is chock full of 3 1/2 hour practices that begin at 8pm, 6 days a week. They sometimes go 8 days straight with no day off. All this, while at a school that does not put sports before academics. No excused absences for sporting events, no preferential treatment for athletes when picking courses, no on demand tutors and no special treatment. Sounds like FUN, doesn't it? You might want to re-measure the degree of difficulty of playing D3 sports at a good Academic School.

There is a lot that is wrong with this sport right now and one of them is this elitist mentality. A perfect example is the attitude of guy who knocked Binghamton and Cleveland State. Not everyone is cut out for Ivy or the high academic schools but when you knock a school like Binghamton it shows you have no clue about academics and a school that is reasonably priced for NY students. If you can go to a great school and play the game you love at a reasonable price, why not?

Well, sorry. I could have put in UVM or Delaware or Penn State or UMass or Denver. It wasn't an insult to two colleges, so sorry again. It's a bigger point than that.

I do wonder what it is like to be the parent of a 9th grader standing in some cow field in Maryland being psyched that my kid may spark an interest from a college coach who may be able to offer our family a $5K or $10K discount to a college my son could not find on a map before looking it up. Not that some scholarship money is nothing but a help, but Jesus. Parents getting revved about this and urging life decisions for 9th graders is what is wrong with this sport, not what ai wrote.

You really want to help your kid get into a good college and/ or get scholarship money? Worry less about showcases and more about the SAT and ACT. Have your son get on the honor roll and crank out a 33 on his ACT and watch him go to a better school than most of the ones you are dreaming about for lax. Oh and an ACT tutor is a fraction of what gets spent on lax.

How was the Big 4 Tournament? How did that Blue Star team from NJ do? Hear they have bunch of commits.

They have two.......... and weren't very good.

Absolutely true! Add a kid with those scores to a kid with lax skills- watch how many schools drool over him. Real good academic schools love smart kids. The money will roll in with the offers. Best advice on this board!

Best post I have seen! Hopefully you won't mind, I felt it was so good that I shared it on the 2020 thread too!

Is it not possible to do well academically and athletically? why does it have to be either or?

There were coaches from some very impressive academic institutions in PA this past weekend recruiting 9th and 10th grade student athletes.

here are some of the schools along with their 2016 US News Academic Ranking and their 2015 Laxpower computer ranking.

Academic rank - Lax Rank

Princeton 1 - 15
Harvard 2 - 20
Yale 3 - 9
Duke 8 - 5
Penn 9 - 36
Hopkins 10 - 8

Lacrosse Ability & Athleticism + Good Grades & Test Scores = Great School.

A great school for your kid is a place where they can succeed
The schools you mentioned are academically demanding in addition to a rigorous schedule for a d1 athlete Not an easy task at most schools.
If your kid does not belong academically and only gets in because of being a great athlete then the rest of there life will just be trying to do enough to get by
Very few kids will get a pass from their coach if they struggle academically
A c student at an ivy is still just a c student when trying to get a job
Easy to google what Colgate faculty thinks of student athletes and it is not very positive

Dear sir or madam,

I am such parent. My son has looked into Binghamton for 2 years now, is academically accelerated and is happy they are on the sidelines watching. First question out of his mouth was did you see Coach Skelly or Coach Francis.

At first I was shocked, but he showed me why he favored the Bearcats and I became a believer. Saw them at Stony Brook last year along with some other 2019's. Many probably went to see SB and became BU fans. LSM #18 was amazing and their middies are exactly the fit and mold of my son.

By they way he also likes 2 other schools you mention, and for him seeing them at the tournaments is a great thing. And BTW as a parent, it is a great feeling; a feeling I hope that never gets old. I don't care if 9th grade or 11th grade. It is a proud feeling.

Agree 100%. My point was simple. Student athletes can be great students and great athletes and they can attend great universities with great lacrosse programs. They can have a great experience, contribute to their team and do well in the classroom.

Finally a post that makes sense. My son committed to a lower D1 and he couldnt be happier because it was the right fit for him. Coaches are great and its a very underrated program IMO. I believe any school can be a great school if you take advantage of what they are offering and work up to your capabilities. Not every kid is an IVY or Patriot or ACC kid. My son is a very good lax player with decent grades, so in our case his commitment was absolutely the right fit for him and I have no doubt he will be successful there, and isnt that whats its all about? My advice to any of you out there going through the process is to be patient and be realistic with your expectations, and if its the right fit youll know it.

Here,here
Great post!

2018 Long Island Teams results from Philly Showcase
91 2-0-1
Express 1-2
Outlaws 0-3.

Says the 91 parent.......lmao, we get it, theyre a good team.......

Many LI public school kids at Fall Classic with HS School teams. Highly depleted travel squads down there. See you in the summer, ya know, cause it matters. LOL

Looking for some advice please, have a son on a younger team. What faceoff head seems to be popular these days? I have searched online but I thought why not come here and ask the older LI lacrosse community. Thanks.

Nike CEO.

Warrior Blade. I believe the Beast uses the Tribe 7.

Warrior NOZ. ( but don't get the No NOZ , that's too stiff)

Blade is illegal at the college level and with new rules, illegal at the HS level as well

Tried the Tribe 7 for a bit - and on some of the crappy fields we play on he struggled with groundballs because of the flex. Will look at the CEO.
Really appreciate the thoughts.

How young? If he is very young he really doesn't need the FO head because it really isn't the time to specialize yet. It's the same argument of at what time should you have Jr. Go to a long pole on D.

As a 2018 player, I'm having a tough time choosing between which team I should play for, I couldn't make the decision myself so I'm seeing what everyone else says

Do I play with the team I was supposed to play on, 91? Or do I go in for a workout and possibly play for jesters?

Seeing if this helps

It depends on which 91 and which Jester team. Which teams?

What position do you play?

Both jesters teams have great coaching!!! I know both coaches are into promoting the kids to play at the next level! They are willing to go the extra mile for each kid. I cam from another team I am very happy with jesters so far!!!

But other than those 2 teams I have talked to express and recon. But I'll tell you about it soon.

oh goody...we can't wait!!!

Recon's 2018 Zulu team is well coached and very competitive.

This is not a 10th grade kid posting this...

Haven't seen at one A tournament ever!

This thread has died, I found it at the end of the second page. No posts for two plus months.

With many of the top 2018 players already committed I look forward to watching these current sophomores compete as Varsity players for their schools. Spring season is my favorite since players get to play for their classmates and school to win a championship. It is much better than the selfish play we see at club and prospect events.

Sophomores in HS are old news, and the juniors and seniors are no news! With half of the D1 2018's committed, not much to chirp about. Parents realize that once their kids are in HS all the silly talk about which club is better is no longer important. The summer showcase events with no championship game become meaningless for a lot of the kids. The always divisive holdback controversy has run its course at this point. Just not much to say!

Hate to say it, but some of us prefer club. Some schools teams are just painful.

[quote=Anonymous]Sophomores in HS are old news, and the juniors and seniors are no news! With half of the D1 2018's committed, not much to chirp about. Parents realize that once their kids are in HS all the silly talk about which club is better is no longer important. The summer showcase events with no championship game become meaningless for a lot of the kids. The always divisive holdback controversy has run its course at this point. Just not much to say! [/quote

A good deal of what you say is true, but it should be noted that there are 2400 2016-17 recruits listed on Laxpowet and only 760 2017-18. So still much recruiting going on. These are the kids who developed later, but maybe better.

Can anyone please chime in on thoughts on whether top D1 schools are done with 2018s. My son is a 3 sport varsity athlete (football/basketball lax) and is big and fast. Plays defense in lax and is just starting to focus more on lax. He would love to get some looks from top programs but not sure if they are even looking....

No school is done (for the right kid). The thing that you have to figure out is: How do you get your son in front of the coaches?

What does the HS Coach say? They are supposed to help. Does he play club ball? Maybe he should.

Most college teams are 50%-60% done for 2018s. You had the can't miss kids picked up in 9th and a few this past summer and fall. Now the majority of spots for 2018s will be filling up. The better academic schools are still looking like the Ivy's and Patriot League.

Any advice for parents (my friends) of a 2018 middie who wants to play in college and has good grades, in terms of sorting through the various Summer showcases and how to position himself for Fall showcases? I know invites to the big ones have come and gone (Black Card, JR Blue Chip, Maverick Showtime).

At 5'9", not D1 size (unless he's moved to attack), but he's an extremely good player. Non-hotbed. Loves his travel team, but, although they talk the talk, we know enough that their tournaments aren't really recruiting tournaments. We are on a budget, so don't want to send him to worthless showcases due to our ignorance.

Thanks in advance.

One son Playing high D3 the other D1 Commit.
First thing is to get some quality video together, this is a place to use your resources. Make sure you show him shooting on the run, getting down the allies left and right if he has that footage. Very important skill for a college middie. Time and room shot are less important. Also any dodges from behind are great too. Also show some good defensive plays and finally, plays that show his speed.
Next, target the schools he wants to go to. Cast a wide net, it's not easy to earn a spot. Start emailing Coaches with your interest in those schools. Include video on every email. Coaches watch video. Let the coaches know your schedule and where you'll be playing.
Have your travel or HS Coach reach out to your top targets on his behalf. If he's as good as you say, they should have no problem doing this for him.
After all this, hopefully you have 5 or 6 schools that are interested. These are the schools who's prospect days you should attend. Hopefully they have seen your video, talked to you, your son or his coach. They should know he's going to be there. Attending cold is a crap shoot at best.
This is the road map I used for both my boys, we had the advantage of playing on good travel teams at high level events. Mine also did top camps. That being said, I think it can be done the way I said above. If he's really good, don't discount some D1 programs. Speed and skill trump all!
Hope that helps...

One son who was a D1 commit this past fall.

I would echo the last posters comments. Email correspondence with your schools of choice is key, especially with video. My son did all the big showcases and plays for a very good club team with a supportive coach and a very good high school team with a great coach. The school he is committed to showed interest after he sent video and emailed. Club and high school coach followed up and the school showed interest. We went to prospect day and my son had a great day and three days later we got an email from his high school coach saying they wanted him there for a visit. Long story short, he went on the visit, sat with the coaches and decided to commit to the school. Best advice I can give you is avoid the money grab camps, dont discount the mid to lower ranked D1 schools and also dont discount D3 as well. Some great lacrosse being played at the higher end of D3 and there are some very good academic schools as well. Biggest thing is to take advantage of every opportunity in front of the coaches. Best of luck......

At this age, now the top players have comitted, this is phase 3. 1 and 2 were the last 2 summers. You now must target the schools your son wants to go (over play for) and go to those Propect days. Follow up those Propect days with video. Lotsa opportunity out there, but the coaches are less likely to notice your son while sitting under a folding chair at showcase. The showcase coaches are more focused on the 19s and 20s. That's my opinion as I have a 2018er that is uncommitted. Right now he is trying to decide between D2 and 3, but looking more at the college experience.

Great advice - what is the time table for the High D3's with respect to verbal commitments? Summer between Sophomore and Junior year? Thanks

I agree with most of what your saying. However there are many D1 schools that are just starting to look at 2018s and there are a lot of spots still open. I wouldnt give up on D1 if I were your son, still plenty of opportunity left if thats what he wants. Plenty of great academic and lacrosse schools at the D2 and D3 level as well. Best of luck

Typically summer from Junior to Senior year, although because there is no restriction on contact for D3, the process can start a little sooner. The better academic D3s will want GPAs and test scores so going into senior year gives them a more complete picture.

"If you are a good player the college coaches will find you."

There is no need to play elsewhere or do anything that we do not control

Obviously a sarcastic response. Could not be farther from the truth, especially in today's ultra competitive recruiting environment. If some dinosaur HS Coach ever says this to you or your son, run the other way. Quickly.

REALLY!! "At this age," the top players have committed? Says who?

Recruiting Rundown ranked the top players in the class and most are committed.

Do yourself and your son a favor, listen up. This came from a top 20 coach we met with. He and his staff have taken the time to analyze a few of those lists from few years back. I'm paraphrasing here, but basically he said you'd be shocked at the number of kids who were on those lists that aren't playing anymore, transferred to another school, or are buried on depth chart. He said you'd also be amazed at how FEW became All-Americans in College. Point is, most All Americans were never even ranked. Now, I think you now know the value of those lists. It's also the reason why, Duke, Hop, UVA, UNC are shells of their former selves. None are in the top ten and one is not ranked. Now go get those lists from a few years ago and see how many of those "top" players are on those teams. Then look on the teams like Albany, Towson and others who are all ranked higher and guess what? They have far fewer "top" players from those lists.

Ty Xanders did, so obviously it must be true. Cmon get with the program

Pat Spencer from Loyola who is leading among freshman did not grow until junior year. If you watched last nights army Loyola game they mentioned he was very small physically freshman sohpmore years. So wasn't looked at until senior year. Early recruiting at its best right?? Many kids I know are very good lax players in 18s and 19s but are being passed over because they haven't matured physically. Many teams if they hold out will benefit from this.

There are 70 D1 schools and there appears to be approximately 400 kids verbally commited in the 2018 class at this time. There easily is more than 300 D1 spots remaining.

What schools havnt looked at 2018's yet?

Plenty of low level D1 and D2/D3 schools would have room for an academically viable good to very good D1 prospect. We ar not talking Duke or Hop, but more "normal" schools. And there are plenty of them. Hartford, Marist, many others.

Most of the America East, MAAC, NEC, SOCON and Atlantic Sun conference teams recruit later, meaning this summer up to fall of senior year. You never know if an earlier recruiting team has a need all of the sudden. Syracuse needed a face off guy a few years ago and saw the FOGO from Massapequa during the high school playoffs. Kid was senior already committed and accepted to D3 Connecticut College. He wound up at Syracuse.

Not sure where you get your info, but even the non minor D1 schools are still looking at 2018.

Drexel are just starting their 2017s. Most of the America East have maybe 2 or 3 2018s and thats it. The Ivies arent full by any stretch. Plenty of opportunity left for 2018s.

The Drexal coach is an advocate against early recruiting. He is one of very few who stay true to his word.

so where are the top tourneys this year. at this point of the game is it still competitive or is it all about being showcased. just wondering. really enjoy watching good lax. seen a lot of good battles in this group.

The UA team for 2018 is just as bad as all the other years. Why bother?

LOL. Madlax 2018 won Big 4 last weekend, but cheated. They used a Madlax 2017 kid who is "thinking" about possibly doing a PG year, and he played on their team. The kid is rising senior.

They should forfeit all their wins. Typical scumbag move by Madlax.

At Crabfeast this weekend, Madlax 2018 will include a 2017 kid who is thinking abut doing a PG year. Not sure, but thinking about it.

Think about that when your team plays Madlax 2018 this weekend.

Doesn't your kid play High School lacrosse? I am sure there are 2017s on the opposing teams.

Ok, Madlax dad. We are not talking about spring HS lacrosse. For recruiting tournaments, we want to see kids of the same grade playing one another.

You are in for a surprise this weekend. All weekend long, parents of the team you face will be asking you why you have a 2017 kid on your team. Get your excuses ready.

at this age, there isn't any difference between rising juniors and seniors. they are all classified as HS, grad year means absolutely nothing.

At Big4 tourney several of the Fighting Clams kids were wearing their uniforms which clearly had 2017 on the back of the pinneys. Why does this surprise everyone? At this point it really doesnt matter, HS lax is HS lax at this point. When they play in HS only tourneys all the age groups are mixed anyway

So it's ok for a 2017 kid to play on a 2018 team because he might PG a year after he graduates in spring 2017?

Not ok in my book. Their 2018 win last weekend is disqualified in my book.

team long island beats jesters 12-2 to win best of the best tourney. great job boys!!!

Congrats. But, Still crowing about tourney wins? It's not 6th grade anymore... Probably should be focused on something more at this point.. No?

What else is there ?? It's all about the tee shirt no?

like what? maybe that we beat sweet lax 10-4 with all of there D1 commits 2 weeks ago. enlighten me

That is pretty comical, You are telling others to be focused on other things, yet you are focused on trolling posts on BOC. Shouldn't u be doing something else?

We ?? What position do you play?

And they are laughing all the way to Virginia and Hopkins!

(FYI - it's "their")

Good luck! From what I saw, there is a nice cushy spot on the bench for your over rated held back super stars!

were probably the only team with no holdbacks.

That's what you don't get. Bench at Hopkins >first middie at Suffolk CC !

You are still seriously missing the college degree thing?? You think playing time is goal? That explains it all.

YOU are missing the point! Did you ever think that some kids and families take their time to make sure they pick the right school that matches their academics and where that have a good chance of playing? Not everyone wants their kid to commit to Hopkins in 9th grade! You guys talk about it like its a badge of honor and it some how makes the kid a better lax player. Many kids transfer after a year after they realize they won't be playing. If you think your sons college experience is ALL about the education , then why are you spending so much time on a lax site?

Is there a back of the library?

YOU are missing the point! Did you ever think that some kids and families take their time to make sure they pick the right school that matches their academics and where that have a good chance of playing? Not everyone wants their kid to commit to Hopkins in 9th grade! You guys talk about it like its a badge of honor and it some how makes the kid a better lax player. Many kids transfer after a year after they realize they won't be playing. If you think your sons college experience is ALL about the education , then why are you spending so much time on a lax site? [/quote

So grades are the problem ?

Actually, I come on here for entertainment purposes and all the useful info. Mine's committed to a great D1 school, with an excellent scholarship offer. I could care less how many games his Club team wins or loses at this point. I really don't care if he ever even plays in college. Much more concerned with the degree and job prospects upon graduation. Fortunately, the school he's committed to has an excellent track record with regard to career opportunities... lax is great, but it's done it's job. Now it's a hobby.
Just my thoughts on things at this stage of the game, but if tourney wins are what you're in it for at this point, then you win, congrats...

Lol. No one said grades are a problem! How do u know that the kids aren't holding out for an Ivy?

Don't "hold out" too long. Lol

My son hasn't gotten any love yet. Wish we were in the position to hold out. Guess we just lucky to be winning t shirts from all the tourneys we keep winning. Hopefully when he grows up you will hire him to cut your lawn

That's all you can hope for!!

And still no one cares......

Yet you still care enough to comment!! Thanks for the support!

Team long island should be focus on recruiting. Not shorten there bench to win tournaments. Not what is about at this age

You continue to be the most clueless idiot on BOTC! Team long Island never shortens their bench! They only carry 19 kids and they all play equally! As far as "playin to get recruited". That is exactly what is wrong with parents and travel lacrosse. You think sports is only a tool to get you into college. That's why half these kids hate playing and are out there for the wrong reasons. Sports teaches kids way more than just getting you into a school. If that is what you want why not keep your kid in all weekend and spend your money on tutors!!! Kids should learn [lacrosse] to compete,be a great teammate, be loyal and work hard to achieve their goals. It's obvious you have never played a college sport in your life. If you did u would really understand how sports can shape the rest of your kids life. If your kid is OK that it's a hobby, that is pathetic. I'm sure his college coach will enjoy your kids lack of commitment to being great! You can do what you want w your kid. We are just fine competing hard and trying to win every ground ball and winning as much as possible! Here is a hint, college coaches love competitive kids! The days of the entitled private school kids are coming to an end soon! Don't worry about our kids getting recruited, they are doing just fine!

Yea. Coaches certainly love competitive kids, but they have no interest in who wins the game. They are watching everything , including the parents! Good luck with that!!!

Not allowed to mention names of players on BOC but if I could would be able to name players that did not see field.
End of story

Give the initials like everyone else does and name the game. It NEVER happened on our team! FYI our kids sub themselves. They respect each other and everyone plays. Funny that u think u know our team better than we do. The

If they sub themselves the back up lefty attackman isn't getting the respect!

That's actually hysterical because we only have 1 lefty on the team!

I see the buffoon is back online, writing outright falsifications and nonsense. For that matter, TLI's lefty attackman wasn't there at the Liberty Bell Challenge, which, incidentally, they won.

How is the Li brine team doing. need the 1pm game to advance to Playoff's. I know I know it not about winning. oh but it is, the more games you win the more coaches watch. sure some will watch the play in games but a lot more will come to the playoff rounds

I hate to break this to you, but absolutely no one cares about that event except the kids playing in it......

Team has made it to the quarter finals. Beat New England and Pennsylvania. Lost to Illinois and Carolina by 1. The bracket they were in was by far the toughest of the 3 brackets. The top two teams from each brackest advanced and the 2 teams with the next best records did also. If teams had same record then it was goals against.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So says the guy whose kid didn't make it

Nice try. My son played in the event in the past and like every other kid thats played in it, he had absolutely no interest in ever doing it again.

Long Island HSB boys in Semis. Beat Ohio team 4-3 in quarter finals. Play Carolina in the Semifinals. Good luck boys. Great job.

sorry don't buy it, you're a troll. You're kid never played in it.

Long Island HSB team wins it all down at Brine. They beat Carolina in the semifinals and Maryland in the finals. Congratulations. These boys have earned the honor of representing the USA playing for the Brogdan Cup versus Canada in Florida. Good luck.

Its been a little while since a Long Island HSB team has won the Brine event. What makes its so sweet is the so called cant miss players didnt show up to tryout for the team. Actually the numbers were the lightest at tryouts in a long time. I guess it turns out that the right mix of kids did show and were picked. They played as a team and pulled it out. Congrats boys on a great tournament.

I would greatly appreciate some advice. My 2018 is a straight A student and is scoring 32-24 on ACT prep tests (he will take the real test in Sept). How does he get seen by Ivy League coaches? Will their winter prospect days be open in 2018s? Are there other showcases that the Ivies focus on?

If his grades are that good, at this point you should send his highlight tape along with his transcript to the coaches of the schools hes interested in. Most Ivy league schools run fall prospect days so they will email him with the dates and times after you send his highlight tape and transcript. As of Sept 1 Rising Jrs are allowed to contact coaches directly so after he sends his highlight tape and transcript, he can call them directly and find out what their level of interest is. Also it never hurts to have his club and/or high school coach call on his behalf. Might also want to think about the NESCAC D3 schools as well, some great academic institutions with some great lacrosse. Hope this helps, good luck.

New England Top 150, Good to Great and Elite 180 are all summer showcases that cater to Ivy League and NESCAC prospects, all schools usually represented. They are all in New England states.

This is all very helpful. Thank you. In addition to the respective schools' prospect days, are there fall/winter events that cater to Ivy, Little Ivy,etc?

I think for most Ivies you might be a little late to the party. It sounds like he has fantastic academics. Sounds like he hasn't garnered any interest on the athletic front from those schools as of yet. Perhaps the Ivies are not the place for him athletically? Conversely my 2018 had interest from a number of them starting in the fall of 9th grade. For him those schools were not the place for him academically. Point is, know your son athletically as well as you do academically. IMHO it's all about the right fit. Good luck. Try playing for Sting. Geared towards your son's academics.