Use this thread to discuss lacrosse pertaining to 10th Grade Boys (2025 Grads) for the Fall 2022/Summer 2023 Season.

Reposting last post from previous SY:

Jokers will be or are already part of Rebels East with E3 .

Jesters restarted in Massapequa and will draw more kids from the area than TB

If your kid is not already on a team have him train with the school teams and wait for all the teams to do there second call where they tell you what positions they are looking for and you really have a shot.

If the rebels second team is so good, why are they in the weakest bracket in Lake George? There’s AA, A, and B, challenge yourself and play in the A. Are you avoiding Express?

No skin on either team but at this age are we really worrying about avoiding anybody? from this point forward it’s all about playing time and improving on any aspect of a kids game and doing well at upcoming showcases these kids are in HS now playing all different aged kids and skill levels the days of who is king of the hill are behind these kids it’s time for you to move along as well

Who said they are so good? Didn't look very good last week at LIU.

Playing without some kids. . Rebels now own Jokers , E3 and 2 out of state teams will also come under the umbrella.
Interesting to see if they focus on improving the product or just want to be in the merchandise business.. Need to step up recruiting if they want to keep kids.

Hey the club found their niche and grew the club in a saturated market. Not easy to do. IMHO they have to be able to build out their commitments if they want to compete with the NLF level clubs. Until that happens their best talent will leave before HS or while in HS, I suspect.

Why are you so fixated on what the Rebels are doing? How'd Express CoachC or any of the other LI teams do this weekend? Worry about your kid and his situation not everyone else. There is going to be plenty of movement this year as kids look to improve. Shiny chrome blue helmets will be at every tryout since they can't even fill their roster nowadays.

Rebels B team is good program. The coaches are TOP NOTCH guys and the team is improving. Too bad the rest of the program doesnt follow their lead.

They won the C bracket this weekend. They crushed teams, shut them out. Can you imagine how weak that competition was. They should challenge themselves more and play better teams.

C bracket = PAL and lower

I honestly think they wanted to and just got placed in that bracket. The single A bracket was really good B+ to A competition. So let’s move onto tryouts and drop it and focus on the better 2nd level teams. The 6 below are the best 2nd level teams. No need to rank.

Turtles (tryouts over)
ECE(tryouts over)
Express (today/tomorrow)
Rebels (this week)
S2S (this week)
91 (no tryouts for this age)

Great coaches and kids that played great this weekend despite not have a fogo and some other kids. Tell us what your program is doing so good before you tear down another.

Big difference in how clubs and individuals conduct themselves next season. Some will continue to play as a team and continue to improve, some will just support the stars in order to showcase a few players, others will try and sell the entire bunch on recruitment bs. You need to have an honest conversation with your kid and evaluate their situation. Coaches will say anything to keep your 4k in their program. We've already had better players miss tournaments to do individual showcases. Makes the team less competitive but no up to us who plays. Remember not everyone is going on to the next level so ask yourself are you spending you money to support others or because your kid still enjoys playing.

who's fault is it that you didn't have enough players to fill out your B roster. For sure you supplemented with A players anyway, but go ahead keep drinking the kool aid and telling us how great the program is.

How about this. Your deciding on a club (2nd level team, not AA). Call the director and ask how many kids have you been to help with the recruiting process. Because 90% of these kids are at the point where they want that real bad or are considering things. Just take a step back and reach out and say…”for the your 2022 and 2023 teams how many kids did your organization help with the process”?

Rebels now have 2 full time employees that will focus on recruiting. These are very lacrosse connected men.

Going to happen when other teams are running tryouts before the season is done and forcing new kids to commit asap. These kids are all in high school. Time to lose the a/b , reclass monikers. That’s what is holding your kid back. You compete with whatever is in front of you.

Sounds like somebody’s kid got cut or left rebels and is riding the bench somewhere lol you should just worry about your kids development and let the other kids just play.

Rebels are going to have 10+ Division 1 Commits in 3 straight decent classes, and will have 20+ commits on each team. With the players and talent they have had in the 21,22, and 23 class I think they are crushing recruiting. Remember, recruiting isn't about a logo, its about getting your son/daughter to a place they will play, enjoy and graduate with a set up future.

That is the sales pitch they are using. In fairness, so is every other club. I am of the opinion that non NLF clubs will likely never have a high level ACC recruit. Because lax is structured on tiers with the creation of the NLF and NLF member clubs seem just attract the best talent.

Just look at all last years 4 and 5 stars. Hence, picking the right club matters.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/2023-recruits-il-s-top-50-young-gun-junior-rankings/58405

Hence Duke does not make Tournament with that Roster.
NLF and Phony Prep schools like ST A , have more busts than top kids

What all the buzz these days about tryouts? Whos doing what?

No buzz. These rosters are mostly set and teams are looking for a few players. And with Igloo B, Viper, FLG all discontinued, plus Legrush White teetering you more players looking for less spots. And I doubt the big clubs will add a 3rd.

All of the "Inbetween" teams will probably benefit from the foreclosures of those other clubs. Tru Blue, Rebels, etc They will sift thru the rubble, start 2nd teams, etc

Rebels have an okay 2nd team and True Blue has 1.5 teams as they mix players like Legrush does. People seem to stick with True Blue, but the Legrush white parents I heard were disappointed with how it unfolded. They got 3 tourneys and one in Maryland was cxld by the club and the Red team went. A few already defected to ECE is what I heard and now ECE has a supplemental tryout. Maybe they form a 2nd team…In theory these mix and match setups sound good, but never work out and let’s be honest the A team players really have no desire playing on the B team.

I heard a few emailed Empire as well looking for a tryout.

Most teams will remain intact unless they folded and just add supplemental pieces.

Maybe they'll all follow the Igloo business model. Take 40 kids tell them they'll play in A and B tournaments. Once they get to a B tournament only A players see the field. If you question the penguin you'll get even less playing time. Once you figure out your A team isn't good, you'll basically quit on your team and make it someone else problem. I guess you're so busy fielding all those recruiting calls.

I can't speak on it personally but from everything I've seen on here it seems Igloo really left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. I haven't heard a single positive comment about Igloo. It's unfortunate for the boys on that team. Hopefully the program can make amends or the boys can find a better fit on another team. I wish them all good luck!

LegRush is trying to pull the same thing now with their B (White) team. Not going to work. Will just lax people off and send them looking for new homes halfway through the year.

Son played both Nike and UnderA. Nike was a lot better in 2025 and in 2024. Why the gap?

why cant we post on 2028 page

people need imho ask very specific questions before they pay. Again, these teams made from 1.5 teams never work. True Blue brought in players this summer at TrinStar and won a playoff game, then the Cat1 players left for Laxfest and True Blue2 got smacked in the championship. Really? Igloo cxld their project and Legrush is putting up the White team again. Okay, fine. Who are the coaches, how big is the roster, did they all commit, can I have refund if you don’t field a team, We will have our own practices. Will we have more than 3 tourneys in the summer...

People who are angry are more likely to post a negative comment than people who are happy posting a positive comment. All of the negative comments on igloo come from bitter parents whose kid either got cut or doesn’t get the playing time they think their kid deserves. Plenty of the parents are happy with the program. They don’t have a lot of turnover each year and that should say something. A lot of the kids have been on the team for many years.

No kids from the Flurry got cut. They got cxld. I have spoken to plenty of parents and they were not treated well. But yes, there are plenty of happy people at every club. The mark of a good club is when somebody leaves…that person enjoyed their time and would be open to returning. Anything short of that is a failure.

Are there any teams still looking for players?

Do you live in Suffolk or Nassau?

Nassau

In same position here, Nassau, looking for a team after tryouts

I'm happy that you were treated well and you're still with the Igloo 2025 program. If you were not a B team (Flurry) parent than you have no right to comment on the situation. In fact, you were part of the problem as Northface parents were too eager to allow their players to compete in tournaments meant for Flurry. The Igloo Flurry players and parents got duped and should be angry. They had playing time taken from them because your Northface player was in their tournament. You also had no shame as parents from other teams questioned why you were there in the first place. There was zero transparency and outright lies after last years tryouts. 1.5 teams was never relayed to the parents who pay the bills. Luckily we've already moved onto a new program. Some good players still tried to go back and got the door slammed in their face. They were told Igloo is a sought after national brand and they're not needed. Stay classy Igloo.

Yes, these situations with only two club years left is very concerning. There were several 1.5 situations out there. Please parents, do your research, ask the questions, and get commitments from a club in writing before you put down your hard earned money and waste a valuable recruiting year. New season, no need to list clubs that tried the 1.5 model last year. Point is, ask questions. Red flags in my opinion are, same coach for two teams in the same age bracket and combined practices.

In 2024 and 2025 Nike is much better on LI. Same in Maryland, DMV, FL, Conn, Cali, TX. PA is still UA and NJ is split but both will change. Nike got the $. Wish we only did Nike last few years.

Well I guess instead of folding the Flurry team in September when the realization that there were only 12 players who registered Igloo tried to figure out a way salvage the situation. Obviously it didn’t work. But with only 12 players Flurry was going to need players to help them at their tournaments. Not all Northface players went to the Flurry tournaments. Hopefully everyone was able to find a new program during this summer’s tryouts and will once again be able to enjoy the sport of lacrosse.

Any advice for missing hs games for elite club games and how to best message? Tips and cautionary tales appreciated.

Any advice for missing hs games for elite club games and how to best message? Tips and cautionary tales appreciated.


Don't do it. School ball ALWAYS comes first

Very bad look don’t do it

Does anybody else have an issue with replying directly to comment.

What’s the Rebels tuition for 22/23?

Call and ask them. Im sure they will give you an upfront answer.

[quote=Anonymous]Well I guess instead of folding the Flurry team in September when the realization that there were only 12 players who registered Igloo tried to figure out a way salvage the situation. Obviously it didn’t work. But with only 12 players Flurry was going to need players to help them at their tournaments. Not all Northface players went to the Flurry tournaments. Hopefully everyone was able to find a new program during this summer’s tryouts and will once again be able to enjoy the sport of lacrosse.[/quote
Thank you Igloo director, and if you're a parent why do you all of the sudden feel guilty? Instead of being honest early and allowing the Flurry kids to find other teams Igloo decided to pocket the cash. No apologies, no refunds, no transparency. Parents pay the bills NOT the players so how about communicate directly to us. Of course it didn't work, nobody was informed until rosters were announced. Igloo was too concerned with winning and promoting their brand. They didn't play Flurry players for bs reasons, not all related to lacrosse. Almost all Northface players and parents knowingly took spots in lesser Flurry tournaments. I applaud those ethical parents who didn't let their kids play, for those that did, karma is a B.

I understand the frustration of the Igloo Flurry parents, if we were in that situation i would be highly pissed. I have one question though, did Igloo charge the Norhtface Kids extra to compete in those tournaments. Didi the teams practice together and have any chemistry?

that's 3 questions, you said you only have 1 question.

I understand the frustration of the Igloo Flurry parents, if we were in that situation i would be highly pissed. I have one question though, did Igloo charge the Norhtface Kids extra to compete in those tournaments. Didi the teams practice together and have any chemistry?
Answer; No, No and No. Did the Flurry parents get a refund for NOT playing; No. Did Igloo win any tournaments; NO. are people dense enough to go back, Yes.

A lot of what get posted here is hard to figure out. However, one takeaway is combo A and half B teams don’t work. The B team being coached by the same A is a recipe for failure in my opinion. Just create two separate teams, why is that so hard?That means separate rosters and separate coaches. And if the roster falls short, figure things out and call around to other clubs and be transparent with the families. That goes further then trying to limp along with half a roster.

Is the igloo supplemental tryout for real? Are they looking for 2025's? A or B?

Are any of the supplemental tryouts for real? Call ahead and ask, pretty sure you'll get an answer.

That don’t have a B team.

Best advice. If you are looking for a team. Because all the tryouts are over and invites have to be out. Just email the clubs and inquire. Express for Nassau and Legacy for Suffolk I would suggest those clubs for starters. Only because I know both those clubs will likely respond. And don’t wait for the supplementals because with three teams cxling programs, spots are hard to come by.

Who cancelled?

So why are they still advertising a supplemental tryout on this page?

To your point about the clubs that tried to do 1.5 teams, I somewhat agree. Although coaching was separate the product stunk. There was is communication as is often the case with these clubs. A team guest players would rarely come off the field. The coaches pretend to have an expectation that if they tell a 14yo kid something they'll relay that to the parent. The reality is we pay the 3K each year not the kid, communicate with us. There is typically no price differential and the product and commitment don't match the A team service. Why people continue to pay to get treated poorly is beyond me.

The only thing being supplemented is the Penguin's wallet and belly.... If anyone cuts a check for that farce then Ive got a bridge to sell you

You last point is spot on. You are the customers. There are great B team situations out there. However, there some that are a complete mess and some so so. The best people ask is people on the team or better yet people who left the club. Sadly it is hard to listen to some clubs as they are selling.

You'll see fewer LI players committing to big D1 programs going forward. The skills are about equal but the out of state teams have better athletes. LI has too many players that are either big and slow OR small and weak. These players are not desirable to top college programs. Top college coaches want big, strong players with SPEED. You underestimate the speed of the game at that level.

1st... Non NLF clubs do have players that commit to ACC schools...granted not many but they do. Top players tend to play with other top players. 91 and Express have been the best teams on LI in recent past. True Blue has a 2023 going to North Carolina. Igloo has had a few ACC players.

2nd Not all players post their commitment on inside lacrosse. IL commitment page is fairly accurate but not 100%

3rd.. Yes LI will have fewer commits not because LI has Small or weak athletes. it's because Lax has grown tremendously outside of the traditional hot beds. More kids are playing high level lax around the country than ever before. Co. Fla, Cali. Texas Ohio and Canada are producing High IQ High skilled players

And what if you dont care about recruitment and you just want to play the game because you like it?

All the best players are always from LI.

Not according to last years rankings they are not.

Let the kids play because they want to rep their hs and play some club with friends. It amazes me how many sheep follow the advice from guys who barely made it out of community colleges but tell you they have the formula and ability to get you into a big time school.

B team is perfect.

Those days are long gone. The rest of the country has caught up. Stick to golf.

That may have been the case in the past but I see these teams at tournaments. The LI teams are still competitive but other regions have better athletes. It could be as simple as reclasses or different school cutoffs by state but there is a noticeable difference.

UA used to be the best of the best. Now? There’s a bunch of good showcases and a lot of the LI kids aren’t looking for another summer weekend down in Maryland the last week in July or the first week in August. Nike is earlier in the summer in the thick of summer lacrosse.

So much is done on social these days also. A lot of these coaches follow players and then go watch them play. Video highlights are being replaced by video clips.

Someone said Igloo folded their B team. How is that possible if tonight is tryout? I have emailed and gotten no response. With all the Igloo bashing/defending on here someone has to know. Did Igloo already fill their roster??

Very easy, the guys in charge of picking the UA team did a bunch of favors for club/town kids. For all of LI, the team was basically Legacy, Express and HS kids from the south shore. These coaches get involved to prop up their own guys, it's good business for them.

Or it’s because there is so much you can’t do it all.

Correct

Yes they do... Their B team is called "The A team"

Call is what you want. They have one team going forward at this level. That comes directly from families.

Wrong. The LI UA team had a bunch of 2026s mixed in with the 25s playing against regions with holdbacks and even some double holdbacks. Not complaining, its just the truth. The LI 2023/24 team went 4-1. For the 25/26s, it wasn't about favors, propping up organizational kids, or the talent level of LI vs the rest of the country. It was a relatively young team that was severely shorthanded due to injuries.

They went 0-5 which is embarrassing, maybe next time don’t let the same people run the selection process because they did a terrible job.

A lot of kids didn’t even tryout. Summer is packed with so many different events.

The best 2025s apparently didn’t tryout from looking at the roster. So they picked the best players from who came to tryouts.

Not a lot happened on A teams. Some 2nd tier teams still having supplementals.not a lot will change.

You may find it embarrassing, but those kids still made a team that you wouldn’t have made when you were 15. So they’re still way ahead of you. How embarrassing.

Where can we see the roster?

What happened to the Command team at UA? We’re they outcoached or overmatched?

https://events.r2it.com/lacrosse/UnderArmour22/Roster/Division/Underclass

So many supplemental tryouts this season. So glad my sons doesn’t have them. I think that supplementals based on experience could mean the team is short and looking players. I would make sure you ask your club NOW about your sons roster. You definitely don’t want to show up in Sept at the first practice with 16 kids and one goalie.

Usually means greedy club owners looking for more money.

I disagree. I am of the opinion those teams can potentially turn in Igloo B, True Blue B and Legrush White from last season. All of those situations were not good.

Teams looking to fill out B teams and potentially add an A player. Some 91 kids already looking to jump ship as they just keep adding out of state kids that only show up at tournaments

All the teams are looking to add the "national designation" some will be successful some will not. Just more of the same [Censored] see, [Censored] do in the world of LI youth lacrosse.

Or you'll find out they have 30 kids and 3 goalies and they'll "figure" out a way to make it work. In other words, they'll take every last dollar that signs up and hope people don't complain.

Yeah, but that’s on the parent before you commit. Ask those questions and get some transparency before that first practice. We post about all the pain points of club lax here. Simple ask the club, what’s the commuted roster size, please confirm it will not grow if set, if not, what’s the plan if we only have 15 kids, will you bring in guest players, how many kids are rostered in my sons position, etc etc etc. They all have phones and email like we all do.

Has anyone ever gotten an honest answer from a club owner. Bait and switch is common practice. Rosters changed, positions moved, less practices, coaching shortages and changes. There is little recourse once the payment is made. Most families do not have the financial means to swallow the loss and move clubs. You're typically stuck to ride out the year. I just spoke to a parent who felt they lost almost two years with a program getting bashed on here. They finally moved to another club

Is there now a 3rd Express team n the 2025s?

I heard they may. But Email and ask them.

So they can charge you 5k for year round training. Completely unnecessary. Most of them are multi sport athletes and have no time fall/winter to practice. Maybe something before the spring season/tryouts kick in. Once hs season starts they're practicing/playing 6 days per week. Enough already.

But that is what is most important to the kids these days. They didn’t add anybody. I heard few FLG players might have went. But FLG wasn’t good anymore which is why they folded the boys program.

What is going on at FLG. Have they folded the boys programs entirely, it wasn't so long ago they had some very good older players

THey added 4 or 5 new kids There was minor movement

Here's the problem with HS lacrosse. There are only a handful of A programs on Long Island, maybe 6 or 7 teams and that is being generous. A good portion of those A players will attend either Chaminade or St. Anthony's. The rest of that pool of players is spread across literally dozens of other school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties. You end up with a few A players at each school and the rest of the roster is B players or non-club. The overall talent on your average HS team is so low, even at the varsity level, that the games are unwatchable. Obviously there a small handful of exceptions where the school has a bunch of really good players and a good coach, but few and far between.

FLG is done.

That’s unfortunate. Aside from club teams, they had some great off seasonal training programs that all my kids benefited from.

FLG folded.. rebels red hawks staff does a great job and added pieces. The whole program supports the teams including the 2nd teams.. that’s important

Redhawks decent. Team improved over the course of the season. Their "A" team tho? Not so much. A complete 180 and they are losing kids left and right. Chrome is tarnished

Red Hawks got the coaching right. Kids enjoy being part of that team. That’s the difference.

do turtles still have a 2025 team? heard they lost their only 2 good players

Yes they have a team. Yes they lost their better players. The problem was parents thought they were an A team and they blamed injuries and lost in B brackets. . They finished their schedule early and didn’t practice more than 4 times.

Sigh…okay. Did they absorb 24 East or was it Leagcy. That is the latest rumor

Hearing a bit of both, but believe most of us are heading to the Rebels for tryouts this weekend.

Where did those better players go?

A lot of unhappy players & parents from that '25 FLG team.

Players are leaving the program in droves.

Legrush

They shut the boys program down, which is why players are looking for teams

So that comment means there are only 25-30 good lacrosse players on two teams on Long Island?

There's probably at least double that amount, maybe as many as 70-75 in this age group.

Seems like FLG is becoming more of a media company than a travel lax program.

There are about 400 kids from LI playing travel right now. 10% if that, will go on to play at the next level in any division, including club, yet we all, my self included, pay 5k for travel since 4th grade.

We do it for the kids lol

I think more than 40 will find a place to play in college. Now, if you are talking D1, that’s different. Other than that, there are plenty of schools and lacrosse opportunities for lots of other kids. Great opportunities at great schools with great academic opportunities. Lacrosse does open all kinds of doors.

Anyone who plays HS and club lacrosse in Long Island can play college lacrosse. There are over 250 D3 teams and the top LI high school teams would beat the bottom 50. Kids may not want to play college lax but they could if they wanted to.

Seeing a lot highlights form this class, which is great. Kids love it, let them have their fun posting it etc. it is good practice for next years highlight film.

Great informational video below for when you want to created one that will actually be sent to a coach.

https://youtu.be/7gpBSS-bO64

So who are the better teams/programs for the upcoming season? Who actually improved? They all say they did but did they?

The 2021, 2022 & 2023 classes all have more 70 Long Island kids playing or committed to play at the D1 level

Of those committed and/or playing, I'd be interested to know the rate of attrition specifically related to lacrosse.

They better commit to their studies because Lax is not going to be a way to make a living and support a family. Wake up laxaholics...

A teams or B teams?

A teams at this stage only get better by adding top talent from other regions or a top player at another club, because he flips for whatever reason. As for the B teams, they always pick up players and this year with all the change between the igloo, FLG and the vipers, plus the absorbing of Jokers and 24, a lot of movement. But is any B team becoming an A team…NO. Hasn’t happened in history. The only way B teams become A teams is over a number years, not overnight. If I took 3-5 players from 5-7 B teams, I think I could form a decent A team. In fact, two great examples of B teams growing into A teams just concluded their club careers. 91 Warriors and 91 Moran were fantastic teams with fantastic coaches. I guess that’s the common thread.

Quite a few B teams improved because there was so much movement. Some the the A team pretenders, Igloo, Rebels, stayed the same and even lost some better players. Teams on the cusp, S2S, Legacy were happy to take some decent players.

I heard Exp B kept their best players and upgraded whatever they got rid of. They are probably one of those A-team Cusp teams. ECC is getting better too.

Express B kept their best players because they have really good coaching. Families don’t leave situations like that too often. The teams that seem to be unable to retain their players are usually the teams with inadequate coaching. People know who those teams are.

The team is run by dad coaches and in this case it works. They are very organized, know what they are doing and are great communicators. You get a lot of lax and all the players and families get along. Oh yeah and the team is good.

We played them 2x and lost both. The coaches arent "Yellers" and there at least seems to be pretty good chemistry. They have "Lacrosse players" at every level on the field. Its not just 1 or 2 kids. Good for them. Wish other teams would follow their lead.

ok express parent

Lol, what team is your son on? Because the best B teams or 2nd tier teams on island are Express and ECE. 91 is a good team as well but had a very large roster and didn’t hold tryouts. So don’t know what’s up there. Rebels can compete with these teams as well and people seem happy there. Apart from that it’s hard to tell how these teams will look. Lotsa rumors about the Turtles and players leaving but I am sure they are fine, legrush white has a team, but don’t know if it’s stand alone or mixed, plus Legacy East plans on its own 2025 team with the 24 breakup. My guess is Rush is kicking themselves for that deal they made to combine 2025s. What it all means…nothing.

Id love to see ECE , Express or any other good "B team" play Igloo, Regulators, Rebels

WHY?

Cmon ' man you never gonna see that. Those teams get spanked by the "B" teams and they may as well fold. The risk/reward has zero upside for the 'A" team. ECE would rock all thoser teams listed

Rush directors must love seeing ECE success. Decent teams. Only criticism is they aren’t a travel program, unless travel to Nassau fits that definition. The model is designed that way. But ultimately you have to leave LI.

No real travel program plays in the Long Ireland tournament .ECE couldn’t even get the rebels to buy them. Director was a soccer player propped up by good assistants for a long time

ECE would destroy Rebels regardless of the tournament name

how many kids are the hornets carrying?

They're all B teams

Lol. Regulators and Rebels might be AA, but would easily handle any B team. B teams still have kids that can’t catch and throw, dodge with their head down, and are smaller or not physical enough to compete. That’s the difference. And Igloo has no business every playing a B team. They are AA.

Regulators, Igloo and rebels would beat B teams by a lot of goals. There is a massive difference in AA (even on the lower end) and a B team. Also the rebels seem to really have some recruiting connections. They have been crushing it with commitments.

they would never agree to play ECE or EXP B. why would they? So they can get crushed on this board after losing? Move on Aint happening

If ECE and Express B are so strong maybe you should request to play at tournaments in Delaware such as the NAL in November. Igloo Northface , Express CoachC, 91 shock , prime time, BBL, leading edge, VLC, DC express sweet lax etc etc all played in it last year and most likely all will again this year. There is no A and B bracket designation. See how you do.

ECE doesn’t leave the island that is their model.

There is always the LI Summer Showdown. Rebels regulators and legacy also took part in that with igloo express 91 etc A teams.

ECE at this age couldn’t even maintain a team 2 years ago how good can they be I never heard them beat anyone

ECE doesn’t leave the island that is their model.[/quote]

Lax has truly become a national sport and most of the best tournaments are not on Long Island anymore. But if their model is to stay local, play local and only college recruit local then I suppose that’s a model to try

Lax has truly become a national sport and most of the best tournaments are not on Long Island anymore. But if their model is to stay local, play local and only college recruit local then I suppose that’s a model to try[/quote]

It is okay for up to high school. From HS up you should look at fitting tourneys off the island. But they also tout as low cost club as well. Which is fine, because everything is so expensive these days. All in all, I would say great club for up to middle school and then you should pivot to more recruiting focused club, if that’s your sons desire. Otherwise stay put.

It is okay for up to high school. From HS up you should look at fitting tourneys off the island. But they also tout as low cost club as well. Which is fine, because everything is so expensive these days. All in all, I would say great club for up to middle school and then you should pivot to more recruiting focused club, if that’s your sons desire. Otherwise stay put.[/quote]

This is a very reasonable take, Travel lacrosse has exploded in recent years, as have travel sports in general. It is not just limited to the best lax player in town who can go D1. Many kids just like to play lax, and the spring town season or HS season (depending on age) is rather short given weather limitations, etc. Its also a great way to occupy kids during the late spring/early summer when the kid may be otherwise in the basement playing x-box, or running around town with bad kids. The expense of travel lax, for many families, is just a substitute for other monies that would be spent at theme parks, extra vacations, yankees games, or whatever else would happen if the kids weren't at practice and/or tournaments. ECE's stay local/charge less model is probably a good way to accomplish a lot of these goals, but at a lower buy in. Also, remember that this is an eastern LI club, and for them to just get off the island is a haul.

They are 2nd tier that found a niche in the market. There is plenty of room for next level clubs. People do prefer being on the top team vs a big club 2nd team. For example, I know people prefer playing on a team like the turtles because that is their one team. But they are a B team competition wise.

Express added some of the better players from teams on this level. I am pretty sure they added from Rebels, True Blue. and FLG

Who even are the B teams these days? Which ones resemble good lacrosse?

Express Davis leads the B pack. Rebels B, True Blue, etc all the same. The only real A teams are 91 and CoachC. People want to label them AA because the rest of the A teams don't really stack up. Rebels, S2S, Regulators, Legacy all can beat each other on any given day. None of them can beat 91 consistently.

This represents the B teams on LI based on the summer

1 - Express Davis
2 - ECE
3 - Hornets
4 - Turtles
5 - Icon
6 - True Blue
7 - S2S
8 - Rebels
9 - Empire
10 - United

Legacy White doesn’t really count since they have 8 B players and then have players from the A team fill in for tourneys

There is also Checkmate.

Sounds like the Igloo business model. Did they fold their B team, which was really their A team? Did they refund anyone's money since the B kids never played, asking for a friend

What remains of Igloo is a B team that pays A team $

Unfortunately it seems everyone pays A team money, regardless of the level. There are a few lower cost exceptions but they aren't very competitive. As for the Igloo debacle they didn't fold the B team, the team left. Sadly, very good people didn't get what they were promised and to my knowledge no apologies or refunds were offered. I am surprised more of these situations don't end up in small claims courts.

Does anybody know what happened to the 24 Lacrosse 2025 Team?

I think legacy east now.

Yeah Rebels East “absorbed them” and Legacy East hired their coaches….

Lol, they sent and email and said they are cxling the team. But their A team is decent.

I believe either the Rebels or Legacy took them over

Here is what 24 put out. But again, it is odd because Legacy almost around the same time announced the 24 coaching staff.

https://www.facebook.com/1066586580...wkUCYyQrZ9at9qh8pUW5ATXk9zMDoNl/?app=fbl

Right so what did rebels get out of this?

Who knows. How can the coaches go to one club and team to another? I would be asking a lot of questions.

I spoke to someone very close to the situation and apparently Legacy poached all the 24 Coaches in the middle of tryouts, offering those coaches more money leaving 24 with nothing. Sad thing is, parents are going to pay significantly more $$ for the exact same product in the coaches. No shock, db move by Legacy.

Pretty simple. The club was sold. The players had a.choice to go or look for another team. As for the coaches most of these clubs hire coaches with no contracts. It’s year to year. Most are paid in cash. They decided to go to a different club.

Sounds like a shrewd business move. I would never begrudge a business for doing everything they can to increase revenue and expand their business. This is for profit. I would be critical when a business fails to deliver.

So the real question here is where did all the legacy coaches go if they needed the 24 coaches sounds very strange to me “problems in legacy land?”

Legacy started an East division to help the 24 coaches who were left behind when the Rebels bought the group. Legacy was smart to grab Pete Mitchell and the rest of the staff as most of the kids are going to follow him to Legacy East. Nobody left the just got bigger and added more recruiting strength and provided a great spot for a lot of east end kids to play.

This is false.

Legacy hired the coaches from 24 first, then 24 was left not able to have teams.. they approached rebels who told them they would take over any remaining players. Those are the facts.

So essentially Rebels East got nothing? Because I don’t see families going anywhere but to Legacy

Ah…that makes sense. And again shrewd. Why purchase a club when you can hire the coaches and then naturally families will go the coach they know vs the unknown of Rebels East.

IMO-Odd move for Legacy because most of their regular teams already pull from east end. Seems like they are watering down their go to pool of applicants even more.
Are they competing against themselves now!?!
And on another note…it appears More and more people people are going to the new programs that are delivering and passing the old dogs.

So then nobody actually purchased anything?

The Rebels beat Icon twice. lol Who made this list?

Rebels Red Hawks played in the 3rd bracket at Lake George, correct?

Thats rough. At least they won We will get answers soon as Fall season about to kick off.

Ok. They still beat a team twice that is "ranked" above them. I'm just curious as to what expert made this list.

New season starting. This could all change again. Hornets disappeared last year. Its ECE and Exp Everyone else is mediocre

ECE? Now that’s laughable who did they beat or play last year at this age? didn’t they fold a 2025 team a while back?

They were the beneficiaries of the Legrush misstep by trying to sell 3 teams (Red White and Blue) and ended up with 1 1/2 teams for all last season. They saved the White team this year but still with the combined coaching nonsense. That is such a poor model in my opinion. Just have a different staff, the experiment didn’t work.

Are prospect days for 2025s worth it or money grabs?

Only if it's a school you're seriously interested in. B teams it's Exp and everyone else, they would beat the bottom half of the so called A teams
A teams it's 91 than CoachC than a big gap to everyone else.

Enough with Exp B already They turn the ball over way too much to compete with any A team. Im not saying they arent good for what they are but they would get smoked by a real A team. Facts

Way too much banter about B teams. Three quarters of the kids on "AA" teams aren't good enough to play college ball. Just enjoy the last year of travel instead of trying to figure out what B team is the best, which doesn't even make sense? After this year you won't see most of the people again and you'll miss these days.

It’s a conversation topic sorry it doesn’t appeal to what you want to read. We will try harder to make a topic more appealing. What team is your son on? Crickets…

If you talking strictly AA teams. Then that simply is not true. Just looking at the 22 & 23 classes igloo , 91 and Express. Each of those teams has 17-20 D1 commits. Others are committed to D2 and D3. The 23 class of the bandits and igloo just about every kid is playing in college.
The 23 91 & Express B teams have more than 1/3 of the team committed to play college. The rest of the 23 B organizations have kids committed to playing at the next level.

“AA” is in quotes because everyone thinks they’re AA. 91 will send a good amount of kids to D1 that will actually play. Express will send kids to D1 who will watch from the sidelines for 4 years. Igloo, Legrush and the rest will only have a handful of recruitable players each.

Historically speaking, 91 and Express always have a good amount of kids that play and get play time at the next level. Igloo had a great run the last 3 years. Their 21, 22 and 23 teams had a ton of recruits about 18 each at the D1 level. How they fair in College is still to be determined. Funny thing about Igloo, they never played 91 or Express but seem to have their kids in good spots to get recruited. I think that run is over. They still have some good players but nothing like they had the past few years.

How is the St A JV roster i am hearing it is stacked and not many kids will actually play ???

Commit to what? They better commit to their studies or they will be bussing tables and washing dishes. Lax scholarships are a joke. In 3 years you will all look back at this and realize the system gamed you!

A really good X attackmen transferred in I heard and the attack was solid to begin with. But they need depth at middie. They have one really good top level middie. But some very good 2026ers coming in and my guess is they will likely get pulled up. Very strong defensively.

Compound this by the fact that 90% of these kids won't have the grades/test scores to go to a lot of the top D1 programs. This isn't football or basketball where athletes can get in with poor grades. They're not bending the rules for a sport that generates zero revenue.

Igloo's players that have gone on to make college rosters have made no impact at the next level, very few ever do. The few impact players have come out of 91 and Exp and played for the catholic schools, no coincidence.

Who cares? Everybody is worried about their own kid nowadays. Team wins means nothing at the school and travel level. Totally different mindset these days.

Well, I detest to state the obvious, but this team is comprised of the kids who will be playing varsity for one of the nation’s best team. Not a different mindset. The majority of the top plays from the tristate will play for SA. It’s the most relevant team in NY

If your son is top recruit (meaning he’s getting calls on 9/1), lax scholarships are not a joke. Packages of 50% (athletic and academic if gpa is even high 80’s) are common and full tuition is a real thing. Anyone who tells you different has not had a son go through the process or they were not highly recruited.

Yeah, but Ty Xanders released his 4 and 5 stars today for the 2024s and not a lot of LI kids made that list, like last year. In fact, one 5 star from LI. Point is there will be a lot disappointed 2024s from LI tomorrow. Because the culture has set them up to believe every D1 coach is calling on 9/1.

And yet, the Rebels post on Instagram post for players wanted. Honestly are there any players at this point who aren’t on a team?

Good lol

Newsflash: You could have covered tuition to Duke, 2x over, with all the money you spent on Kiddie Lax over the past 8 years.... Smile....YOU'VE BEEN HAD!

Not really. Maybe a semester to the first year

Newsflash; not one kid from 2025 class of Long Island will be playing for Duke. You've all been had. Factor in the cost of your catholic powerhouse, travel lax expenses over the years and the previous poster might be pretty close.

You know who hasn’t been had? All the kids who get into great academic D3 schools like Amherst, tufts and Williams because of lacrosse who wouldn’t have had a chance without it. A lot of those kids will make back the investment ten fold that their parents made to propel their lacrosse careers.

Yes, I agree with you but how many kids act get into those schools. Very few from LI

While I'm not impressed with the 25 class either, the 24 and 26 classes are actually much weaker overall. The main difference to me is that other regions are culling out better athletes. The top teams across the country generally have bigger, stronger and FASTER players. Long Island has skilled players, just fewer athletes because pulling from a much smaller geographic area. LI probably has 20 travel programs between two counties? Great for keeping kids engaged in the sport but also diluting the talent pool at the same time.

FYI the 26 LI class is very strong and will represent

2026 is probably the worst of the 3 groups

This parent is very angry. Guess he felt fooled and decided to share?

Not worried about getting money from lax for college, my son loves the sport and wants to continue playing at the next level. That’s what it’s all about for me.

Newsflash, both my kids love lax. They made tons of friends. My wife and I did too. That’s what it’s about. Yes it’s lots of money. We also go to baseball and football games. We also go to restaurants. We go on many vacations. If we didn’t do things over the past 10 years I’d have a lot more money. If that’s your point you are correct.

Where do you get that info? Lax scholarships are or a joke and are decent to very good. From experience, I can tell you the coaches mix of athletics with academics and come up with a nice package for kids they want. That is a fact for D1 and D2. And D3 will help with academic money sometimes. Just be realistic and understand where your son should play. And do that by going ask your club coach to brutally honest.

Those two counties have 3 million people. That is plenty.

Nonetheless, lacrosse's popularity in many other areas of the country is exploding. Top athletes from these areas are now picking up lacrosse sticks. LI's place at the table naturally will decrease.

First Sunday of fall practice..can’t wait the see the new players playing with the returning players.

"Who's Your Pick for the Pre-Pre-Season HS Boys' Lacrosse Top Ranked Sophomore of the Year (2025 Graduates) on Long Island"

Thoughts on the Top Ranked 10th graders list?

Tough one for this grade. Don’t see any 5 stars yet on any of the LI teams, a bunch potential 4 stars though. That’s the IL ranking, not NLF. Two SA and three Chaminade players definitely in the top 10. The links below give you a sense of the clubs that the ranked players seem to come from. Obviously that changes year over year. For example Legacy 2024 vs Legrush 2025 is not close. Although Legrush has some ballers, just not on the scale as Taz.


https://www.insidelacrosse.com/arti...gnating99AdditionalFourStarPlayers/60215


https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/il-evoshield-class-of-2024-top-50-rankings/60210

I think you have your years mixed up. This is a 2025 thread.

It’s a comparison of the 2024s to this year. And a view to where ranked players tend to come from.

I think they compiled the list by asking 2 club directors who their favorite players are. This list is no way represents the best players on LI, not even close.

Stop with these rankings Half the kids "selected" to these teams are average at best. I have seen kids on some of these "All world Teams" that have no business being there but their Daddy, Club Director or HS coach are involved in one way or another. Its a scam to keep these lax lifers hooked and keep the checks coming in.

One of the most accurate posts I ever read on here.

The list is a joke.

Agreed, hit the nail right on the head. Couldn't have said it better myself.

In some cases daddy, club coach, club director and high school coach can all be the same person. Or at least fill two or more of those roles. The politics exist but they exist in all sports, doesn't make it any less frustrating.

You can either whine about it or you can be part of the solution. Hitting the wall helps.

Don't forget PAL coach/board member from the younger years. Seems like you can't get rid of these people.

Why don't they rank the organizations that make the most money based on these showcases, special teams, all-world clubs, etc? Again, I cant blame the businesses for doing this. Its the people/parents that fund it by buying into "the dream" that are the real culprits. And around and around it goes.... Get back on the Ferris Wheel.

What kids got into any of these schools based on lacrosse? Silly statement, the kids who play there have the grades. That's it, not a bunch of 80 students with 1050 SAT getting in. Matter of fact a 1200 with b's is getting a kid accepted.

If "the dream" is to play college lacrosse you're being a little shortsighted and setting the bar too low for your life's ambitions.

I have older kids so this conversation has been discussed a lot on the older boys pages Lacrosse does help to a certain point. You are correct no kid with a 80-85 average and 1200 is getting in. It does help with the kids who are boarder line. It also helps with the admissions process for those who have the grades.
The reality is that I e seem so many disappointed parents. They thought lax would get their kid into these schools and it did not.
How many kids do these teams take per year how many kids try for those spots. The math says more are disappointed at the results.

If a coach commits your son, that coach is confident he can get him through the admissions process, with the exception being the academies, but that’s why they have prep school. So yes, lacrosse can absolutely help your get admitted. Committed doesn’t mean admitted, but it really does in most cases. That’s a fact. So borderline to sub borderline athletes get into schools based on athletics

100% correct that kids with gpa and test scores that are below typical students will get in if coach wants him enough. Top academic D3 and Ivys included.

Who cares...After 4 years of college lax they will be working like everyone else. If they even last 4 years

Committed doesn't mean admitted, admitted doesn't mean scholarship, scholarship doesn't mean full ride. Nobody is guaranteed playing time. With rosters of 45 plus many kids will never play a minute. Typical D1 in spring season is a 50 hour work week, with travel, mandatory study halls, games, practices, lifts, all while maintaining a high GPA so team stays above the NCAA limit. That means no fraternities, formals and very little of the typical college experience. It's definitely not for everyone

and 100% those kids will struggle to maintain their GPA

So what is the end-game for the folks buying into all of this hoopla?

To get a degree from the best academic school possible.

and 100% those kids will struggle to maintain their GPA[/quote


Not even remotely true. Most student athlete will thrive because they get resources to help them maintain the balance of the student athlete. Kids that don’t make is a choice they make

Exactly

True. My HS buddy played at Harvard and admittedly the densest kid who ever got into Harvard and he did fine.

They are in 10th grade and wins and losses are not a big deal. Why wouldn’t they schedule Shock v Express on Sunday?

Maybe so CoachC can protect his Brand even after he abandoned his former flagship.

Yeah, because having the varsity coaches from Chaminade and St As is a step down. And like them or detest them…the Express never duck competition. Put Shock on the schedule and they will gladly play them.

I will hold on the Harvard jokes about getting in being the hardest thing about Harvard

Nobody cares about what team you're on or who can beat whom at this point. Coaches and recruiters looking at individuals to see if they have the skills and talent to find their needs. Stop with the who is ducking who nonsense, both brands are well past needing to promote their brand.

>Other then 91 & Express being the lead dogs, I'd say this list is a bit incorrect. Legacy has a nice crew but everyone of the secondary A teams can be dropped to the next list.

The Regulators had a shot a couple of years ago to take things to the next level but play way too much Daddy Ball. The entire team is put together to showcase the Coaches Boys.. Who from what I hear and see are very average at best and have a very hard time putting the ball in the cage even though they play the majority of every game. Like they say its who ya know on this team.

S to S is an improved squad for sure as well along with TB who has always played under their talent level and need an offensive game plan .. Rebels have lost a lot this year and I'm not sure I've seen the 91/Express B teams ever beat anyone on this list.

Sounds like some south shore sour grapes from parents of kids who were not good enough to get playing time. The Regulators is a great program without the politics.

The list is a laughable
91 brats
The team of temper tantrum’s
Let’s see what happens so maybe you’ll shut your dense pie hole

The hornets are a C team
They got killed by most of those teams
91 I think went 500 lost a lot of games

Says the Cold Spring Harbor Guy . Lol

You didn’t post my last comments

Not really a program. A single team, that I suspect will have zero recruiting capabilities.

Thank you for your expert opinion Mr Anonymous. The team is playing in good tournaments and boys will be seen. Isn't that what's most important? How is being the 32nd kid on an Express roster who never sees the field a better recruiting option. (Heck, the 16th kid never sees the field, never mind 32nd).

Getting players on a Top 50 list because the coach is pals with the head of the organization is what represents the Regs. I Know some excellent players that left the Regs. too much daddy ball. Yes a shame and a wrong representation for the Creators game. Talking to some parents on the sidelines, the team seemed like a good idea. If it was why did so many players leave?

Everyone that left were from the same South Shore town. Most didn't get the time they thought they deserved because their boys simply weren't good enough. Why not just enjoy where you are playing now, without trashing another organization? You chose to leave, but refuse to move on. It makes no sense. Maybe the grass isn't greener? Maybe it's because your son still can't play, even in that Blue uniform.

Saw Shock did well. Did they beat 2way as well?

What tourneys then?

It’s great to be a Outlaw!

Fall tourneys soon. Now everyone will see who improved , etc The klist above looks accurate with maybe moving Rebels B a bit higher...

Yes the National Shock Team did well. The out of state players were all on LI for the Columbus Day holiday.

They didn’t play each other. Something about 2 way being short on subs.

Igloo appeared to be much improved. Shock looked pretty good with their out of state reinforcements there. Keep in mind a lot of teams off Long Island are carrying older players due to reclassing for school. Express looked terrible with a 1 goal win over a even worse Tri State team. Not sure what changed at Express but seem to be heading in the wrong direction. I know its not about wins and losses anymore but the individual talent looks weak, lots of mistakes and sloppy.

Express has it's 3rd coach in 3 yrs.. They also lost some kids and replaced them with "Me first" type players.... Igloo went 4-0 . Not sure what changes were made there but there was a lot of turmoil last season

It was funny seeing Express with almost twice as many kids as any other team, didn’t seem to help them much, especially with playing 4 games in a day. Can we finally admit they are no where near in the same class as 91.

Let the typical express excuses start!

I think some of the players that came to Express were the selfish types who were dragging their previous teams down. Tip your hat to Igloo, they had a good day.

Pathetic 91 Dad. It’s very sad that your life has no meaning and the only joy for you is telling everyone that 91 is the best youth lacrosse team and that other teams are not in their class. You’re right they are in a class of there own Bc most youth lacrosse teams don’t go out and add a bunch of out of state players to win tournaments Get a life guy. There is more to life than youth lacrosse.

New attackman from Boys Latin was the best player on the field period. Total rockstar. Outshined everyone on Shock and other teams. Wonder if they can keep him.

91 won with their solid D. No question about it.

Igloo changed their coach. Penguin hung them out to dry and now they are looking better. Coincidence?

express north and express north CoachC combined have 100 kids - what an absolute disgrace

All the clubs adding reclass private school kids now. Pathetic. Look at all the red Lawrenceville helmets now on S2S at 2024. Going to happen now at 2025 and 2026 level. And all the loyal players who played with the club for the past 5 years get pushed aside.

I'm sure the 30 kids who got scammed over the last few years will be so happy to hear that.

The only disgrace is that there are 100 parents willing to pay for it.

Still same head coach, added a new defensive coach. ZK

Nah. D is ok but the real star back there is the goalie from Culver Academy.

Ok Goalie dad, but last I looked, Goalie was part of the D.

Next year they’ll be touting their commits from a bunch of colleges that nobody ever heard of. Igloo=who cares. Not one difference make came out of that program.

Taken from Quint Kessinich;
Why are club coaches more involved with the recruiting process than high school coaches? Club coaches only spend a few hours a week with prospects at practice and then at tournaments. Meanwhile, a high school coach can provide a much better holistic view on how the prospect behaves and handles school, competes in other sports, and how he interacts with his high school teammates. High school intel will always trump the club coaches lacrosse-only opinion.

So this summer will be interesting when the legit A team players are losing exposure minutes to B team players on the A team roster. For big showcase events they should only roster 22 kids. And then roster the other kids at other events.

Stop with that. "Losing exposure" If a kid needs that much exposure, guess what? Yeah, I dont even have to say it. Get a life

Express was always a small team but very skilled and unselfish. They’re still small but now mediocre and selfish. Added a few bigger kids but not athletic, too slow and clunky. They should go back to the original model.

Express model will be and has always been, “have a pay check and a pulse”

Express is struggling because a few of their top 2025 players were forced by parents to be re-classed to 2026( held back left back. Whatever you want to call it. In the eyes of express parents. If your son is a good player, They can be a great player by holding him back. The holdback epidemic is getting out of control What are parents demonstrating to their sons. Money affords you the edge and loop holes to get ahead in life. Very sad indeed

Ok, after this weekend, this ranking was sort of accurate. Hornets have dropped A LOT though, now way they are #3. Turtles was respectable, Express didnt play and Redhawks was ok against BAD teams.

Express is struggling because 1. Puberty Parity: The other 95% of the kids caught up 2. Inconsistent coaching (3 coaches in 3 yrs) and 3. Replacing players with "Me first" kids.... Thats a bad equation no matter how you slice it.

They're all bad teams, if they were any good they wouldn't be on a B team. It's like saying who is the best of the worst? It doesn't even make sense. Turtles kept saying they want to be an A team, clearly they are not. Which is fine, accept what you are and enjoy your last year of lacrosse. It's okay, just parents getting in the way of the kids having fun.

I cant agree with that. Redhawks looked ok, for what they are. Turtles not bad. Again, Express ghosted this tourney but they are decent too. 91 was horrible

I thought Hornets looked ok but played flat. Apparently they have a lot of new players so I'm sure they'll be fine. Turtles were impressive.

Turtles were impressive? Compared to what, the other B teams that were there?

Couldn't agree more with Express adding "me first" kids. Unselfish players/families are rarely changing teams this late in the game. These people are looking for what's good for them and only them.

Turtles sold they were an A team and got decent players, still lost some, but still play in B brackets.

Yes, it was a B tournament, right?

Yes, B team tourney Only 4 teams Regulators bailed as they couldnt field enough kids..

Totally forgot about Regulators, they have a few good players but will be irrelevant soon. I'm surprised they were going to do that tournament given the lack of competition.

Irrelevant soon. It’s all irrelevant soon. There is 1 more year of club lacrosse left. Thank God.

And the Ferris wheel keeps spinning...Now the next group of Lax Dreamers can get their checkbooks ready

Totally agree but Regulators are only one team not a real program, they don't have any younger teams coming up like the rest of the clubs.

It's a side project for CSH kids, not a bad idea but if they can't get enough kids that's a bad look. Curious, don't tourneys make you pay entry fees up front?

The 2025 group is an all-star team. Other age groups in CSH not strong enough. Best players are from outside of CSH.

The team had plenty of kids. They dropped out when the pool came out and competition was very weak. The tournament advertised A and B bracket. When you sign up for A and they only offer a B, one could assume that fees are returned or credit is given. For an irrelevant town team some people pay an awful lot of attention to Regulators on this forum.

I dont get the whole A , B, C nonsense. At this point it is about playing. I know B teams that would beat Regulators "A" You would think they would want to play just to play. But the risk is too great if you lose to a "B" team

They are in between team and playing this past weekend would have not been worthwhile.

That right there is a losers comment folks! Not playing is not worthwhile?..... That's so ridiculous Its always worth playing the game if you love it. I guess practice isnt worthwhile either? That's the problem: Most everyone is involved with Travel for the wrong reasons.

Dont clubs pay for these tourneys? So your telling me the tourney host refunded them because their tourney was "weak" ? You should be a politician.

Tourney host refunds when they offer two brackets and only have enough teams to have one, which is clearly not the one signed up for. No politics needed.

The 2025 group is an all-star team. Other age groups in CSH not strong enough. Best players are from outside of CSH.[/quote]

All star team? More like Dad wants his son to be an all star and makes a team to feature his kid and other boys who are good but not great players. A star shaped badge on the jersey doesn’t make an all star.

Mediocre at best..... They pulled out because Turtles co;ld beat them and thats a terrible look.

There are a few kids on the team who could absolutely play but then it drops off a cliff to kids in town who are the coaches kids friends. They do equal play time for all. The coaches kids are very average players but still get named on the lists. I guess its who you know.

Its great how they try and Mkt these certain kids and then in 6 more years they will be in the real world , working 9-5...Then what Daddy?

Silly poster - they work for Daddy!

91, United and Express had a playday today. A lot good talent, and solid level of play across these teams at the level.

Who came out on top?

It was a playday and what difference does it make who wins, All three teams had a good level of talent amongst them. High school games at this level can have different outcomes day to day. The point is you don’t need to be on an A team and not playing. 2nd teams/B teams at this grade are vastly different vs when they are younger.

I'd say it was a beautiful day to watch a few good games of lacrosse. All teams displayed skill and was a good warmup for the Fall tourneys. Good luck to all teams. AA, A, B, C , DD, X,Y,Z....

Here we go with the B team conversation again

Said by the probably A team parent whose son is the 25th choice on the team. This forum is about 2025 lacrosse. Not just the kids that play for 91 and Express AAA teams.

Yeah, there is more 2nd teams and B teams than 3 or 4 AA on Long Island.

Correction: 91 and Express are AAAA (Space Force)

So besides those 60 kids, where do the others play?

What does that even mean? AAAA Space force

Where ever they want. And it’s more like 35 play and 25 watch. Next summer these top teams will be showcasing their top talent and leaving them on the field. AA, A, B, yeah okay…it is all about being on the field, nothing else matters now.

Agreed! It's was good lacrosse to watch. Most of these kids are late bloomers and will make an impact on their varsity team and beyond.

Who cares AA, A, B or DDD, If you want t0 play at the next level go to Legacy. TZ put 19 players in top schools, The game has surpassed Express coaching and 91 only showcases 8 to 10 kids a year..

That is their only elite team. They had to merge at this grade….not sure how they really got better. Think they got caught chasing the AA rainbow

Great tournament at cantique yesterday. Wish we had more of these on LI.

Who was playing?

Couldn’t agree more. 25’s were; Laxchussetts, Eclipse, Sweetlax, Legacy, Primetime, Mad dog national. BBL, DCE, Igloo, Edge and Shock. No playoffs or Shock would have won.

Funny Shock dad pretty sure you lost to BBL who also lost to another team

Shock up 6-1 at half Vs BBL. Lost 8-7. Great Choke job. Better bring in more out of state players….

Glad y
So glad you were watching. Groupie.

As usual they played everyone and most importantly the College coaches saw the boys, for good and bad.

With all due respect the list of All Long Island players is most definitely Suspect. I will admit there are many that do belong there without a doubt BUT there are a handful that make you scratch your head.. If the list was correct a team or 2 would certainly be a lot better then they are.. #whodoyouknow

Same as the awards here.advertisers get first shot . Rest of the kids are legit but will never play. They had to pay $200+ to take those photos and play in 1 game this week. Anybody tjsy cancelled were promised they could play again in June. Same guys that charged $600 to play in the Regional games and told the kids it’s the only way to get considered for future events. They didn’t even show their faces in Albany. Lesson learned

When half the roster of a team that hasn't won a thing make the team you know it's politics as usual.

"a team that hasn't won a thing" LOL. Newsflash: those t-shirts "your team won" in 5-8th grade mean less now than they did at the time, and that's saying something, because they meant nothing back then. Plenty of kids from teams that haven't "won a thing" will be playing D1 lacrosse. #sourgrapes

yes and no,,,,,usually the kids who are on the best ranked teams are leading d1,,,,winner win,,,,simple.,,,if you havent won anything and arent winning there is not much waiting,,,

Oh no, Are we sensing another insecure response from daddy coaches… you are correct it’s not about winning it’s about playing the game well. Although I don’t recall any names being mentioned someone has a complex apparently hahah..

Oh no, Are we sensing another insecure response from daddy coaches… you are correct it’s not about winning it’s about playing the game well. Although I don’t recall any names being mentioned someone has a complex apparently hahah..

Absolutely correct....these so called " all long island " liata are made up from lilj otherwise known as failed flg owners who can't field competitive boys teams because they're a mess so they have gone to plan B which is to crey these lists and horrible " college bound " clinics/showcases for kids as young as 2028 which are also a disaster and mean nothing . Word if advice , if you see something that involves lilj especially for boys just move right along because it's a meaningless [Censored] by a failed attempt at being relevant

Well, the good news is the parents can continue to write checks and have some good Holiday party bragging sessions. They can show off that $200 picture for their "friends". And then their kid can get a job in 4 years and its all a distant memory. Cant blame the kids though.

Agreed, anything with the "lilj" name on it is a sad joke , and the parents are even sadder for paying for this stuff. Really sad

Sad? Wait, they dont have status and prestige because of it? I thought that is what really mattered? The growth, improvement and love of the game were all secondary, No?

Juniors Open will be a giant flop.

I couldn't agree more. That is why the "All LI Games" team is nonsense. All LI as decided by whom?...the club directors/advertisers whose logos appear at the top of the page. If you think this represents the best of LI you obviously haven't been paying attention. Congratulation to all who made it now keep those checks coming.

12 players from 91, 16 from express, 9 igloo, 5 legacy, 4 S2S, 4 regulators rest other. What program is not represented that you think should be? Players must be from and play on Long Island. Could there be additional from the top two who didn’t make it, probably. It’s a matter of opinion,that of LILJ. Everyone’s got one. No reason to get all worked up if your kid isn’t on it. Congrats to the players who are. Time to move on.

The FLG folding of the boys program was so surprising. But Epic Jokers and 24 also folded.

Great line up of of a select groups of teams and coaches for 24s and 25s at the Autumn 8 on Saturday at Cantiague. I really prefer smaller events with a handful of teams vs the chaos of these multi team events. I think Igloo has the correct construct for recruiting events. These massive 20-40 team events are too much for coaches to evaluate properly in my opinion.

I agree! Such a great tournament with selected teams. Lots of talented players!

What teams are playing at Cantiague?

Mostly b teams, all the real A teams will be at NLF

That's not true at all. Mostly B teams?? MOSTLY AA teams. Look who attended!

That's not true at all. Mostly B teams?? MOSTLY AA teams. Look who attended!

That's not true at all. Mostly B teams?? MOSTLY AA teams. Look who attended! There were 80 D1 schools in attendance. Shock, Sweet lax, Lax Black, BBL.........the list goes on.

Tourney there this weekend dummy, not last weekend.

Yes, this weekend at Cantiague is the Autumn 8 hosted by Igloo. A boutique type event, which is great with D2 and D1 schools and few D1s. So great exposure from the coaches, not running around with their chairs from field to field. And they mostly 2nd teams and some A teams. But the college list is very good.

Nice event. Cold but not overly so.

The NLF schedulers seems like they put no thought into this today. Forget being a player and dealing with these game gaps, what if you’re a college coach, coaches don’t want this schedule construct. Plus, the HS event going on. I can’t imagine a coach shuffling around Farmingdale and all these games and any kid getting quality looks. If you’re going to run these big events, work on improving the scheduling logistics. Just my opinion.

The most professionally run event I been to on Long Island. No I am not an Igloo parent. This is a great model of how to create exposure opportunities for players.

It was done well although would have been nice to see Igloo play Express.

That wasn’t cold. Lax in college starts in January.

I agree. Very well run and great atmosphere. Overall competition was close but not sure why it was all B teams and Igloo A. It was a great opportunity for the 2nd tier of players to stay on Li and play mostly like competition.

Event was great. Hats off to Igloo for putting it together on a cold Fall day. However, it was funny to see the Igloo A team participating and playing in a "B" tourney. Same story as last year. A penguin never changes it's stripes. Would anyone really expect them to face the top B team? No chance...

Would have been nice to see Igloo and Express play each other.

Igloo ignore the negativity, if the college coaches like the format. Please keep scheduling these. Us 2nd team parents appreciate the fact an event was created for next level players and it’s not all about Maverick and UA.

What teams were there ?

Sure Igloo Parent, schedule your son's "A" team against lesser competition to falsely inflate those stats. Igloo Daddy: There are no shortcuts. That theory will ultimately end up just exposing the kids/people involved. The real answer is that the Igloo program is eternally un-invited from NLF so they had to quiet the parents somehow and serve up some Mr. Softeee as a distraction. "Winning cures all" Shame , shame shame.

But the event was really well run regardless of who played who and the ulterier motives. Format good, Refs. good, scheduling good. Nicely done

Igloo, Shore 2 Shore, Express, Legacy, Icon, Rebels,

The NLF does some decent things in my opinion, but they clearly only focus on elite teams. In fact, I think when they announced the federation that was one of their guiding principles to match AA v AA so those teams weren’t in lopsided events. There is a gap in the market a next level federation. Meaning single A and B. An A and B federation would likely be likely be as large as the NLF. My guess it’s the next thing to happen. Most of these clubs run copy cap models and all seemingly have national programs.

Geez relax it's a mistake. No name calling.

Of course they wouldn't play us, they had to beat up on weaker B teams. Gotta keep those lax dreamers happy. Anyone know why they keep using a 2024 goalie?

The showcase aspect may have been exaggerated but overall it was a fun event and well run. Would have liked to see the best clubs matched up but everyone seemed to go home happy. Thanks to Igloo for the event.

Yes. Most of the games were good.

It would be nice if people worried about their kids grades half as much as the youth level of a sport that 99% of the population doesn't know exists.

You know you are on a lacrosse site, rite? I’m sure there are many academic sites on the internet. Why don’t you go on those sites and talk academics.

Who says they don't?

and yet you are on this site.... Look to yourself.

This is exactly why US Lacrosse and now PAL have started age verification. Not sure if tournaments will adopt the current systems put in place. I would think at this point insurers would demand it to protect themselves from liability. Age verification would surely quiet down some of the "not fair" accusations.

Any advice on True Blue? Looks like a mess from the outside.

Your observation looks to be accurate.

What’s the mess Coach C? They practiced every week played in 3 fall tournaments (10 games) They played competitive lacrosse this fall except 1 game vs Express . TB was missing 8 of their better players and starting goalie because they are multi sport athletes. A mess is an organization that keeps roster of 40 and play same 15 players . You need to understand the word mess .

The mess at True Blue is with younger ages. Lost all their top 2030, 31 & 32 talent to new Jesters teams.

Not Coach C here. The 2025 team is a solid B team if that is what you are looking for. They entered in B tournaments and won a few games. Would like to see them play Express Davis though.

lol. I guess Fall Classic was a B tourney and Express A Shore to Shore A , and Tri State 91 select are all B teams.

True Blue played Davis and won by 15 not using starters. I guess you failed to read what the other person said. But this is an open forum so reading is optional. In the fall most of the higher level lacrosse athletes play a second sport. I'd say make it a point to play them in the spring if you have a lot to say when its lacrosse season. Play them let's see what happens!

TB would beat Express B team. By a lot. They already have a few times. Ask Davis last time they played TB A team. TB coach displayed sportsmanship by telling his players to stop scoring. You are clueless obviously.Go away and troll somewhere else . what is your agenda …to bash an organization Why ?

0-3 in fall classic but played great on vets day vs the turtles and leg b. they seem like a team stuck between a and b like davis

Get your facts straight TB went 1-2. Lost to express by a lot lost to shore to shore by a goal and beat Tri State select by a goal never played turtles on vets day. You are clueless. And very embarrassing. This has to be a teenager having fun at the keyboard

True Blue A hasn’t played Express B recently. In fact, now you mention sportsmanship…True Blue B played at Tri Star last summer and in the playoffs played brought in their A team and then the A players went off to lax fest and left 13 kids behind to play Express and they wiped them in the 1st half and gave up scoring in the 2nd half.

At least True Blue is playing in A, not like the Turtles and their B- and B+ teams. How did the Turtles even form a 2nd team? Which folded club did they annex? One is Tenacious and one is just The Turtles.

Oh man True Blue, the Adelphi feeder with a guy that has lost all respect in the coaching community. Good luck to their 2025 team, a lot of great kids and families on that team.

In my Humble Opinion, TB "A" would get smacked by Exp B. Fact. Hopefully they match up soon . Altho, It might be closer than expected as Exp B looks to play to the level of their competition. That never sets up well for a Blow out.

Under the current ownership/leadership, True Blue is a sinking ship

True Blue played in the farmingdale tournament but then entered two B tournaments that no respectable A team would play in.

LI Clubs rankings for the fall

5 - Shock
32 - Igloo
40 - Express A
52 - Regulators
56 - Legrush Red
65 - S2S A
75 - Express B
78- True Blue
79 - Legrush White
103 - Turtles
124 - Rebels B
156 - 91 Hornets
168 - Rebels East
189 - United

Express A isn't close to Shock anymore. Regulators improved after the exodus of True Blue kids. What happened to Rebels A?

Express A had just average middies for the fall. They be fine in the Summer. lWho knows about the Rebels. RedHawks have definitely slid backwards. Rebels seem to putting a lot of energy in the National teams and building out that brand. Probably a better move, I see those True teams everywhere this summer and fall and that seems like a better model

I can't understand how they leave 91 MD off the list entirely. I know they carry mostly older players but to me they are the best team in the "age group" by far. Also, it's silly to rank teams beyond the top 20-25. After that it's irrelevant. College coaches don't care what team you played for or where they were ranked. That's only for parents trying to brag to their friends or the kids who don't get it yet.

Regulators at 52 is a JOKE! Igloo is overrated, especially since they are playing in "B" tournaments which cooks their W/L ratio.

How is Regulators at 52 a JOKE? Seems about right. They beat S2S who is 65. S2S is probably around the A/B+ cut off. The top B teams are ranked in the 70s, not far behind. Seems pretty accurate.

Can you please stop with the exodus of True Blue kids when referring to the Regulators supposed improvement. The daddy coaches barely played them when they were on the team because they were too concerned with their own kids and their friends. Get your facts straight. Last I heard Regulators lost a lot more games then they won this fall. So how is that improving exactly????? And Regs would have lost every one of those games if they didn't beg the True Blue Goalie to stay..

S to S was missing a number of top players when we played Regulators so not a fair assessment..

True Blue goalie didn't play for any of the Regulators wins in Fall. He missed one of two tournaments. S2S Lost to Regulators twice in Summer too. Missing a number of top players then too? Have they beat anyone but True Blue?

They beat express CoachC in July. Cherries in July. 3 out of 3 in Delaware 2 weeks ago. They also lost games. Your question was did they beat anyone else. The answer would be yes.

Who are you referring to exactly??

Where is Rebels Chrome on this list?

They and many others were N/A for fall rankings. If your team plays at an event and the scores aren’t recorded, then that team will not have enough events to be ranked. That’s likely Team 91MD is not ranked. I think the rankings are close enough at the end of last year. Believe teams will slide and others will rise throughout summer. Every win is weighted and it’s not wins and loses only.

“We”…lol…every team that is at the HS level is missing players in the fall. The team is a decent team, stop with the excuses.

I think the Regulators should play TB
Tired of watching you jerks from the Regulators bashing that the goalie kid. You keep bashing TB. So make it happen, so maybe you’ll stop the childish bashing. I’m sure if your so good with all those superstars you have nothing to be concerned. I’ll put $1k on TB if your so confident
I’ll take the college coach over the Daddy coach any day

The regulatators I think are a single team. If so they grade out in 18 months and no need to worry. I believe the coach is also a coach at Express I think.

There's really no place for Daddy coaches beyond middle school, it doesn't matter if it's club or school. Even the ones that don't favor their kid should have enough common sense to know that it doesn't look good.

You are 100% correct. Daddy coaches after a certain age is silly. There is an exception to this however. What if the Daddy coach played Division 1 lacrosse at a high level and is a very valuable asset to a particular team. I would much rather that Daddy coach then a kid fresh out of college who doesn't know [Censored] about coaching high school kids or just a staffer who a club throws in there to coach 5 teams.

It depends, because every situation is different. Dad coaches can favor their kids, absolutely. But they are also more invested in the team than some coach that is happy with just fulfilling the minimum. And coaches who are dedicated are hard to find.

The regulators coach is one of the best if not the best coach on LI. Selfless, team always first, takes time to teach high IQ and a great role model for kids and community. True leader. Anyone says different just doesn’t know.

My kids heavily invested d1 daddy coaches sons are horrible! They are jeopardizing quality kids playing time, the team wins, and program rankings.

All Daddy coaches favor their kids and their kids friends. Jeopardize players because of their child’s needs.
The best example is Legacy. That whole organization went down the tubes when a daddy bought 51% of the organization. D1, D2, D3 it doesn’t matter. It’s always same with daddy coaching. I agree 100% with other comment.

I would agree that there are probably a few guys out there like this. However, they don't have to be the "coach" to be valuable to the team. Also this type of person would probably not be interested in the position since he "gets it" and realizes how bad the optics are.

Except certain teams, they call in reserves from other states an still get smoked...

Except certain teams, they call in reserves from other states an still get smoked...

Says the Assistant coach!!!!!

Unfortunately, a very weak age group for LI. Look at the older age groups. Traditionally 4-5 teams in the top 20 at this age. I have a senior also and 2023 had Bandits, S2S, Express, Igloo, and Warriors all inside the top 20. That was a powerhouse grade nationally too.

Maybe so. The talent is less concentrated amongst a few teams. Plus some of these rosters are filled with too many players and most of which should be first line players on other teams. Still shake my head that parents choose a better team for their son vs being a 1st liner on a decent team.

Parity sets in as they get older. Igloo ranked higher than Exp? Regs at #52? How is this calculated?

It's only based on the Fall season. Everyone knows where Igloo belongs on that list.

I have to agree with a previous post, it turns out this is a weak age from LI. I can't think of a single dominant player on the island for 2025. You have a few kids who are good at one, maybe two aspects of the game. Not really a complete player like some teams out of state have. The older age groups from LI had some top tier players but I don't see any 25s.

LI kids are hurt by playing too much organized ball which is killing is improvisational skills . That being said if you know what to look for their are a lot of very good kids that are playing against other very good kids so you won’t see as many highlight plays but the skill level is there

Then you haven’t watched an Express v 91 game. What is true is that there is no depth on these teams, and not tuition donation practice players, no depth on a AA level. After 8-12 players, the gap in talent is like D1 to D3.

I've seen them play more than I care to remember, nobody special on either team. The nicest way to say it is that you have undersized, weak players or overweight, slow players. Don't really see a complete player with all the physical attributes mixed with lacrosse talent. Teams off the island have much better athletes. The 2025s don't compare to some of the players from LI over the last 5 years. Could be that everyone else is catching up because their better athletes are finally taking an interest in lacrosse.

If soweak and undersized then why has 91 beaten some of the beat teams in the country? Theres has to be dome talent on that team.

If soweak and undersized then why has 91 beaten some of the beat teams in the country? Theres has to be dome talent on that team.

best players are from outside LI.

Long Island 91 Shock with players from Texas, Maryland, Connecticut, oh and some from New York - LI and Westchester

Decent players are on all of these teams and that will continue to change over the next year or so...The "Shining stars" from early childhood are now on a more level playing field as the other kids have physically caught up. Just having a good step down will no longer work. Kids need to be complete lax players. I think therein is the confusion: A lot of these kids are very good at 1 thing but not many are good at everything. Some kids and parents are in for a rude awakening so get your popcorn ready.

It’s travel lacrosse, correct? I didn’t know you can only have players from LI. Go back to PAL.

Ok tough guy when you have 20-25 players that show up to all the practices and don’t play on some weekend tournament days
Because you don’t actually know who’s on your team day to day….

That’s a choice correct? If that’s bothersome to player/parent, then that is their parents fault for putting or keeping their son in that situation. Great thing about travel lax if don’t like that teams recruit out of state then you simply leave. Again, this isn’t the WSYL or PAL where zip codes matter. It’s travel and at the end of the day these clubs care about winning, nothing else.

Yes it’s travel, but also lots of money. So when your kid makes the team, he practices hard, attends all the practices. Attends all the additional add on trainings. Attends all the more money box league stuff. Does everything he is supposed to do. He earns his playing time the rite way. Then out of the blue some strange kid from Pittsburgh shows up our tournaments, takes playing time from your kid. You’re trying to tell me this is how it’s supposed to be. Also how do you leave team you paid several thousand dollars too. Just go to another team and pay again. I don’t understand how some people find this normal.

Time is short for this group when you think about it. Yes, you cut bait and leave in my opinion, tuition payments are usually spread out.. Or if your club has a 2nd team, move down. Nothing else matters than being in the field for next summer and next fall. Make the change now before you regret it in the summer, while leaving a tournament in the summer and trying to keep it positive in the car ride home for your son.

At this point Travel is just extra exposure HS ball is key. As always, if a parent dont like a situation, do something about it...If not, take it like chump and remain quiet.

Anyone who thinks HS ball is key is lost. With a few exceptions, most HS teams [Censored]. It's actually difficult to watch. You have players that can barely catch and throw on some teams.

Thank you for your input Lax Director... At the end of the day, HS, Travel, etc: In 6 more years these kids will be working 9-5 and those Lax sticks will be a distant memory. Deal with it.

Next HS game tell your kid you're staying home. How about supporting them for playing a game they love, maybe even show some community spirit. Regardless of whether the hs team is good or bad, these kids will remember playing with their hs buddies and cherish them the most. They'll barely remember their cut throat back stabbing club lacrosse days.

Just rich people looking to get ahead.

Wow this devolved quickly. People talking past each other.Not hearing the other side.Agree with poster 2 but OP has some merit. If the goal is to play in college bit of both from our experience but side more that club is needed. For my oldest club was the most important by far. He played for a top five high school and no kid saw the field for real minutes until junior year. If he had not played club Sept 1 the phone wouldnt have ringed. Because he played for a top club team he got a lot of calls. If you play for a bad high school team and the goal is college lax then club is important. And if you play for a good high school team unless you are a top five NY or MD HS there are less looks and again club is important if college is the goal. Recruiting happens at the big tournaments and showcases. Make sure your club has a great recent history of recruiting. Be skeptical and ask questions and make sure club isnt hanging there hat on recruits from ten years ago or something like that. Recent recruits and success stories. Recruiting director and all. Good luck.

Don’t forget California!!!
If you want to be the best, you need to play with the best!
A rising tide…..

My guess is in Florida this weekend both Express and 91 had their out of staters “travel” there. Why? It’s travel lacrosse…. I hope the families that have kids that show up to every practice enjoyed Disney or the [Censored] time minutes. Don’t worry, I think college coaches don’t know the difference between quality minutes and mop up minutes.

So obviously an elite event put on by the IMCLA this weekend. Why didn’t they separate A vs AA like they did for the 24s? Huge gap from the bracket teams. S2S, Rebels and Legrush Elite, are all decent teams, but 0-9 vs the elites.

Its great to be a Rebel...LOL

Express-12 v Shock-4

Big win for Express

How did that happen?

The tourney organizers should have made A and AA because after Shock and Express (and Igloo if they are there) those teams can’t compete at that level, that was true for half the teams down there. The fact remains that teams that don’t recruit nationally can’t compete with only local talent, to saturated. Ex. 91 2026 now is an elite team again because they recruited beyond Long Island. Which is fine because it’s a travel sport and sure Express welcomes the competition since they beat everybody else easily.

Express catching on. There roster was suddenly full of out of state players this weekend.

It was great! Went down with 1/2 team and some fillers and kids played well in front of hundreds of coaches… scores don’t matter!

You happen to be right. Scores don't matter. Individuals with talent will be seen... but newsflash; NOBODY IS LOOKING AT 2025'S SERIOUSLY YET. It's was a great weekend, lots of national level talent but take it for what it is, a winter event. I know of several top tier players who didn't come because they're playing basketball. For the record Igloo is not on the same level at Exp and 91, fact.

Tell that to coach Tillman and coach Bocklett

Rebels isnt even a B team at this point. Their "B" team would beat the team they sent to Fl this weekend. That's a lot of $ and time to fly to FL to get humiliated. And they got worse each game. Great job by the coaches too. Hey, at least their kids got to play. As for recruiting, the highlights were plentiful: "If you had a Rebels jersey, Here's what NOT to do"

Hey genius, Scores do matter especially when team team CANT SCORE. Highlights of kids slamming their sticks or dropping their heads wont land them a scholarship to a sanitation job nonetheless the ever elusive "Full Ride" to Duke.

Because they made your kid an offer, right. Get real, 2025 recruiting journey doesn't begin until the summer of 2023. Sure you're on their watch list but so is every other kid.

These rosters are all full of elite HS players and all can beat each other. It’s not about how? Every game is different.

Maybe true, but Igloo is a solid team and my guess is they will have many kids recruited a year from now. Which means some kids that aren’t starters on the elite teams would probably see more productive minutes on other teams if they were on those teams. So it begs the question AA vs A. Wouldn’t you want your son on a A team vs AA if it meant a lot more meaningful minutes? Because clubs like Igloo, S2S and Legrush have shown that they do a good job with commitments.

Still learning here - has there always been AA, A and B teams or is the A the new B?

Still learning here - has there always been AA, A and B teams or is the A the new B?

It's the new way of saying A and B without offending anyone. Also the proliferation of national clubs has also put a few teams over the top in terms of elite players

More like there like seven A teams on Long Island, but no team on Long Island can beat the top two teams. So they now look at those two as AA. For example, Legrush at this age is A and their second team is B. At 2024 their top team is AA and their second team is A. Make sense now.

Simple:

AA = Holdbacks
A = On age.

Stop with the holdbacks already. If your son plays varsity he is playing against older kids and no Parents are complaining about that while they purchase all the team merch....

"A" teams seem to be comprised of kids that are more "serious" and enjoy (in some cases) practicing 3x a week year round and enjoy going to Florida to play the same teams that they can play here on Long Island.

The "A" teams also foster more of the nutty parents that cant talk about anything else but their own kid and their Lax attributes . They are also the ones screaming on sidelines blurting out ridiculous slogans like "Wheels" or "Good time"

Let me know if there are any further questions.

My 2025 son is a very late bloomer and hasn’t hit his spurt yet. He is about 5 5 130 and will likely end up about 6 foot according to doctor. Voice hasn’t changed yet. He probably has the talent to play mid level D1 according to his coaches but they said because of his size he might get overlooked this summer. Club coach suggested that if he really wants to play D1 that he plays for a 2026 club team and do a PG year after HS which would make him a 2026 recruit. This seems like cheating to me but I see how that can make sense. Thoughts? Thanks

Why would he suggest playing 2026 if he is a 2025 ? That is called CHEATING. Why not let him play 2025 until HS is over? If your son chooses to do a PG year and develops physically and is good he will get recruited.

My 2025 son played club lax up until a year ago fir a good club. He is a goalie and is pretty good but has not hit a big growth spurt yet. He is 5'6 and 120lbs soaking wet. His club coach asked him to reclass (the Coach's kid was also reclassing). My wife and I talked with our son about it and he looked at us like we had two heads when realizing he would leave his friends and repeat 8th grade. He is also a very good student.

After our discussion he decided to leave club lax entirely and focus on the sport he loved the most, soccer. He changed soccer clubs and is on a very competitive team. His coach is a division 1 college coach for over 30 years for a local college. And his team plays in two leagues, one on age and one UP. His coach tells the boys you want to get better, you have to play against bigger and stronger kids.

Lax is such a cesspool it is disgusting. It is the only sport where kids play DOWN and pound their chests. It is a shame because I love the sport but it is unwatchable now with all the slimy people involved.

Good luck to your son in whatever choice he makes. But remember most of these club coaches really could care less about the kids, it all about marketing the Club name.

We are in similar predicament. Would love to hear if anyone else took this route and how it worked out.

Why would he suggest playing 2026 if he is a 2025 ? That is called CHEATING. Why not let him play 2025 until HS is over? If your son chooses to do a PG year and develops physically and is good he will get recruited.

My 2025 son played club lax up until a year ago fir a good club. He is a goalie and is pretty good but has not hit a big growth spurt yet. He is 5'6 and 120lbs soaking wet. His club coach asked him to reclass (the Coach's kid was also reclassing). My wife and I talked with our son about it and he looked at us like we had two heads when realizing he would leave his friends and repeat 8th grade. He is also a very good student.

After our discussion he decided to leave club lax entirely and focus on the sport he loved the most, soccer. He changed soccer clubs and is on a very competitive team. His coach is a division 1 college coach for over 30 years for a local college. And his team plays in two leagues, one on age and one UP. His coach tells the boys you want to get better, you have to play against bigger and stronger kids.

Lax is such a cesspool it is disgusting. It is the only sport where kids play DOWN and pound their chests. It is a shame because I love the sport but it is unwatchable now with all the slimy people involved.

Good luck to your son in whatever choice he makes. But remember most of these club coaches really could care less about the kids, it all about marketing the Club name.[/quote

If he is going to PG he should play 2025 then switch to 2026 when he is a rising senior. If he stays with 2025 that summer he will only get seen by D3 coaches.

When you reclassify you have to repeat the Grade level education again Id assume?

Usually yes. For PG kids they usually switch teams when they are rising seniors to reflect that they are doing another year of HS.

If you are asking this question maybe you should have reclassed yourself when you were younger

Thats ridiculous Why would a parent do that to their kid? For the Lax Glory? If you cant understand that then maybe you should have reclassified...

True. The PG year allows a player to get another summer to be seen by D1 coaches. First as a rising junior on his HS grad year team and a second time as a rising senior playing for his PG grad year team. Sometimes late bloomer kids PG because they didn’t get recruited their junior year and think or were told that an additional year will give them time to grow which will get them noticed. Sometimes this works sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes a D1 coach will tell a kid that they liked them but don’t have room for them for their HS grad year but have a spot for them the following year. Sometimes a high academic coach will like a kid but his grades aren’t good enough and will suggest a PG year for that reason. Bottom line is that there are a number of reasons to PG and if you can afford to do it and your kid wants to do it there isn’t much of a downside to doing it other then the potential of not getting recruited to play D1 because you did it which happens sometimes.

If playing lacrosse is that important to your son then I would suggest the PG route. Reclassing to me is ridiculous because you have to change schools and get separated from your friends. Let your son graduate HS and see what his options are at that point. If you reclass, then you should reassess your club team. You don't have to stay with the same organization. A reclassed player has a physical advantage and you should be on a top team. What the coach is suggesting sounds wrong, you can't just say you're going to do a PG year at some point in the future. It doesn't work that way.

Thanks!

Doing a PG year is pretty darn expensive and there is absolutely no guarantee it will pay off. For every success story like Rob Pannell there are way more that didn’t pay off. Stay the course and see what happens. 99 percent of the kids are not getting calls September 1st. If your kid is good he will get recruited. If he pops off junior year he will have plenty of offers. If he goes to a college he doesn’t like (and plays well ) he can easily transfer with the new transfer portal rules. And no…..you can’t go play with a 2026 team with the promise of doing a PG year later on

You only have 4 years to play once you're in public hs. If you reclass you'll have to leave your current school and go to a private/prep.

and then your son can really dominate those younger kids.

Holdback route = Express and 91.

Correct, so hoping this conversation would end when this class entered HS. If people choose to put their child in a position to open up the most opportunities possible, then that’s their business.

Get ahead at the expense of others. Nice.

That makes no sense.

Makes total sense. You just don’t get it. You failed in life and you’re now teaching your kid to follow in your footsteps. I’ll pray for you and your family.

So now what for the winter? What do these club teams do? Year round practice? How does that work? Do they do anything?

1 OR 2 practices a week, maybe some position specific clinics. The better players are typically multi sport athletes who are practicing other sports 5 days per week as well.

So your case is… My son would have gotten that spot, but some holdback or PG got it, because my son was next in line if not for them. Not… That is a laughable argument and makes zero sense. In my opinion…The most successful people know how to seize opportunity, not wait for it or worse think they are entitled to it.

Anybody who is anti holdback, which is fine. I am not, as it’s not of my business. Do you pay tuition for your son to play on a team with holdbacks? If yes, why?

Ok, Lori Loughlin. You win I guess.

Holdback father conversation. Son. You are not good enough at lacrosse at your age 2025 so we are holding you back so you can be a stronger player at 2026 grade and play kids a year younger. I know you won’t graduate with your friends and have to repeat a year of school but me and mom are willing to pay for a private school so you get a lacrosse scholarship because in the end that’s the most important thing in life. …..clap clap clap. I know. It’s their business right. Great example they are setting. Son there are ways to cut corners to get ahead. Playing by the rules is for others. Learn from this

C'mon you can't fault them for using their $ to get ahead at others expense.
Its within the rules right?

If holding back is going to give my son an opportunity to get into Duke, Virginia, Ivy, etc… instead of an average/slightly above average school, then yes, I would do that all day and twice on Sunday. That decision can change the trajectory of his life. Also, some kids don’t have a ton of friends and are friends with kids on their lax teams. If he goes to SA or Chaminade he’s likely to know a bunch of the kids on the team.

And no, my sons are not holdbacks.

If your son can play on a high D1 level he will play on that level. Because regardless of the talent pool, if he can play on that level, he will be recruited to a high D1 school. Look at the 2023 numbers, the coaches don’t have a definitive number in mind they just look for talent that they think can play. The commit numbers fluctuate year to year on every team. Some have 10 and some have more than 20. So again, if your son has the talent they will find them. If he is not being recruited to a high D1 school a year from now, it’s because of individual talent, not somebody else’s talent.

Yes that decision will undoubtedly change one’s trajectory and not necessarily for the better. Your argument is totally immoral and of very bad character. Someone failed you in life and now you’re trying to justify your life. I avoid people like you like, avoid like the plague. I’ll pray for your soul.

Wow, you like yourself a lot dont you. Trying to understand why reclassing a kid for any reason is immoral. and then really trying to understand who failed you that you come on a message board and judge on morality. FYI- my son has reclassed because he had an opportunity to get a much better education after being disconnected and depressed during his lost Covid year. Yes, depression is real and impacts people. He is now as happy as he has ever been, getting a great education and is still a top d1 recruit. He never plays down, has always played up and will only do showcases at his grade level. The network he is growing and the opportunities he has already had provided are as far away from the psychiatric visits and depressing conversations that we were having. Judge me and post your phone number and address so we can continue this discussion. You have no idea of what you speak.

Wrong. Reread the thread. The argument clearly stated was holding back for sports reasons to get kid recruited to a top school. Do you agree with holding back for sports reasons at the expense of an on age kid? If so, I’ll try and avoid you too.

I am personally against it but until it stops getting rewarded by college coaches it will always be a part of the sport. Don’t detest the player, detest the game.

No ones blaming the kid. We blame the shiesty parents. Just show some character and play your kid on age.

I totally get both sides of the argument. Everyone wants what's best for their kid. Nobody will argue that. I've spoken to my son about this before when we play against teams that obviously have reclasses or holdbacks. Him and I both agree that we would be embarrassed to have him play against younger kids. My son plays aggressive and he said he wouldn't feel comfortable beating up on younger players. He doesn't understand how 16 and 17 year olds can feel good about themselves playing in the 2025 class. It really shouldn't be a decision anyone has to make. The sport needs to implement the guidelines. It will be too late for our boys but it's in the best interest of the kids for the future.

Some parents have no shame. I have kids that are 18 months apart and one grade apart. I know a kid that repeated a grade to be in the same team as my older one who he is like 6 months older than. The kid just reclassed into my youngers grad year team. Two years and change older. Nice.

Until colleges stop rewarding it - why should parents stop?

I think everyone souls are fine. Problem is arguments people just want to win and have no flexibility and disagreements are when people want to understand both sides. There is good and bad in this, but what has people more upset, older competition vs younger? Or your son will miss out because some kid is older and better? I can say the older vs younger nobody cares about. Look at PAL they promote fairness and all the rest of nonsense and play grade vs age? So even PAL I guess doesn’t have a good soul…point is why argue here. Ask a PAL director, hey why not go age like football?

People do care my friend. That’s why change is coming.

I believe they will make a change eventually but it will be too late for this group. Unfortunately it will probably take a serious injury caused by a player a year or two older. The subsequent lawsuit will bring about change in short order.

People do care my friend. That’s why change is coming.[/quote

See that tried twice before and twice failed. 1st time the then PAL President tried to vote it into PAL and was voted down by the other PAL directors and 2nd time USA lacrosse put out age guidelines and the clubs just ignored it. We will see if 3rd time is a charm.

The clubs lack of skilled coaching will not allow a change to happen.

Who cares? Your kids are about to age out. Deal with it and keep the checks coming.

Heard Chaminade will not be accepting hold backs in the near future. Honestly don’t know how true it is but I did hear it from one of their larger $$$ donors.

They will if the $$$$$ is right

Is “holdback” a sin?

I hope you avoid me at all costs. You seem extremely angry and wound way too tight. I said my sons were not reclassed. But I have no problem with the process. Your son is in 10th grade. Why are you complaining about holdbacks still. If he is a high quality player he would have been brought up to varsity last year and played against kids that were 3 years older. Even if he only got brought up to JV as an 8th grader he would’ve been playing against older kids. Let me ask you this, do you also have a problem with kids taking a PG year after HS? Because, many coaches ask recruits to do that. And many students accept that opportunity. It’s not talked about much, but it happens all the time. If Coach Tiffany or Coach Danowski told you on September 1st that he wanted your son, but would like him to take a PG year, you wouldn’t do that?? I would in a heartbeat to provide my son with such a life-changing opportunity. Maybe I’m just a better parent. I look at the big picture, instead of focusing on winning T-shirts at crappy lax tourneys. The fact is, college coaches would rather have a bigger, stronger, more developed player. That’s not a debate, it’s factual. My older son was recruited last year, and because of grad transfers and 5th year eligibility, coaches were recruiting 1/2 of the athletes that they normally do. The anti-holdback argument lost its relevance years ago. Time to refocus on the future.

Against the 16th Commandment. Thou shalt not holdback to gain advantage against your brother.

WHO CARES! This is the last year of this nonsense anyway! Move on.

Everyone cares. They will need excuses in a year for why their son isn’t recruited because holdbacks are taking the spots. Lol. I think some really believe that.

Its fool what some people believe. They have been foul-hooked but oddly, seem to like it. Let your kid play, put him/her in the best position to succeed and enjoy the ride. Its called parenting.

So, it’s the colleges that are immoral for rewarding the holdbacks with spots on their teams!? Facts, many are holdbacks on the top teams!

All you righteous people who are calling the parents immoral should second guess going to any of the colleges that have holdbacks! Prove your morality and don’t let your kids attend such pathetic, immoral schools as MD, Duke, Virginia, etc…

I bet you would have your kid attend any one of the “immoral” schools!

It's all really simple and rational and hardly immoral:

1) The NCAA allows more than a 4 year age range for athletes to support kids who followed different paths to and during college
2) College coaches have to field the best teams they can to keep their jobs
3) Teams with older kids are on average going to be stronger than teams with younger kids
4) Older HS sophomores/juniors will stand out during recruitment over younger HS sophomores/juniors
5) Its beneficial to be held back before HS since HS may limit you to 4 years of eligibility for sports

Unless you change 1), everything remains the same. You certainly can (and should) have youth tournaments switch to on-age but that really won't stop the hold backs.

You nailed it. If you can afford it, the end justifies the means if gets you ahead in life not lacrosse which doesn't matter

Nah. If it means the difference between my kid and yours over a life changing ivy degree I'm doing anything I can. Sorry the way the world works

Holding back? Seems rational but it’s actually pathetic. You believe you’re using the university, but the sad truth is that they’re using you and your son. I’ll let you in on a little secret, there is no shortcut in the game of life and an elite school doesn’t make the man. It’s clear that you’re no man and it’s abundantly clear that you’re not raising a man. You are a fool raising a fool. You should get a vasectomy immediately and I’ll gladly contribute to the cost of the procedure.

Tell all the dudes/ college athletes on Wall Street that! Who are also hiring their “own”, who got in to top schools with a little extra year or two in school. Other lucrative jobs as well! They hire from their schools and have great connections. Go to some of those schools and a kid could be set for life, due to his connections. If staying back will help a kid get into one of those top schools, more power to them. I know it’s elitist as most can not afford to do this!

However, if a kid who would never have a chance at one of those schools and gets there through lacrosse and has to stay back to do it? More power to him. Even better if it’s a kid who would never have been able to afford one of those schools! Those schools reward the holdbacks! Nobody at the great job after college cares how many years you went to school!

Wow, you should get some therapy.
Lets start with some basics.
Were you not loved as a child?
Did you have ambitions to play sports at a high level? Were you awesome in middle school?
Is your kid on a top 10 team?
Is your kid any good?
Did he actually lose out on something due to a reclass?
Is he on Varsity at a good school? Are all the kids he plays against older? Have you written to the school district asking if he/she/it can only play against kids he/she/its age?
Are you teaching him that in life the playing field is always level and fair?
Inquiring minds want to know you feeble little troll……
I actually feel better about reclassing my kid now know it is has you so wound up. Really hope my son takes your sons scholarship to UVA. FOOL!

Whether you agree with the ethics of it or not, holding back/PGing is rewarded by the college coaches and can often help a player get into a better academic situation. If that bothers some people, so be it. As the guy above said, no employers care if you graduate college at age 23 or even 24. If it’s not for you, then don’t do it. But as long as it remains within the rules, it won’t go away no matter how much you complain about it.

It’s no doubt it’s rewarded by the top D1 Lacrosse schools! Just check out their commits.

Personally, I don’t think it should be allowed before the HS years at the youth LAX level. Kids should have equal opportunity in the developing years. After that, in HS years I think kids start to equal out as far as growth goes and by then the skills developed will show. Then it would be obvious who the top players are as far as skills goes. At least they would have been on equal playing fields getting there if LAX went to age based in the youth years!

The starting QB for the national champion UGA Bulldogs is 26. Give me a break. No one cares. Get over it.

Actually many people do care about cheating as evidenced by the number of threads on this board year after year. You don’t care because you gave up on being ethical a long time ago.

Fool. You are comparing HS/College kids to youth players?

Georgia QB couldn’t hack it at 21, wasted 5 years at his future career and is a cheater.

To all the holdback supporters fathers. You should watch the documentary. Operation Varsity Blues you will love it.
Everything you believe in.

There are threads going back years, its never changing, keep crying, its the only thing you and your son are good at.

Check his NIL deal, made more than you will make in your lifetime as a college senior. NIL deals are awesome! Changing the landscape, you thought holdbacks were bad before? You haven't seen anything yet.

why do you people care?

You can't compare college football and lacrosse. College football is a multi billion dollar industry and college lacrosse is mostly insignificant and generates zero revenue. Completely different from tv exposure, game attendance, sponsorship, etc. If your kid is good enough to play in college it won't matter how old anyone else is. If your kid loses a spot to an older kid chances are he was going to be standing on the sideline anyway so what's the difference?

Listen this conversation is so tiresome. Holding a kid back in youth is lame. End of discussion. Lame. Not illegal. Not against the rules. The word is weak. The word is lame. No valid excuse doing this. This group isn’t in youth anymore. Now it’s about HS. Soon college. It’s good for the future youth kids that the rule is changing. So weak parents won’t be playing their kids down to make them look like studs.

I think that should just end the argument/ completely agree

Yes, a kid shouldn't get to play a kid's game because a parent thinks that their 8 year old should be allowed to play against 6 year olds for the next ten years. College is college. Youth and high school are not. Otherwise, we should have 20/21 year old high school players. There is no difference?

** I hope you’re a relative or better yet his agent. Otherwise you’re a pathetic fool making statements to another about earnings. Good for him that he’s making some money off NIL as it won’t last that long for him and hope he makes it to the pros or is successful in life.

So after the fall season how do the travel teams rank? Anyone take a step forward? A few steps back?

Just check US Club lax.

You may be the densest poster ever on here. To actually believe I am his relative and that his millions can’t be invested and last a lifetime. Who’s the pathetic fool? You probably have spent 10’s of thousands of dollars for a minuscule lax scholarship for your son. That’s the fool!

Let’s put aside the holdback conversation. It’s not changing.

As a parent who has been through this process recently with my two older boys (‘22 and ‘23), let me give you some advice. Do not think for a second that your son’s travel coach or team is going to look out for your son and get him recruited. Their responsibility ends when they get you to tourneys in front of coaches. Despite what they will tell you, the most they will do is answer calls about your boy. Even then, often they will push the top 5 players on the teams over your son.

This is time for you to take your sons future into your own hands and start selling him. Go on to schools team pages and fill out the Recruiting Questionnaire. Fill them out for every school you can think of. That is the first step.

Make sure you have his highlight film updated with his fall tourneys. Sit with your son and have him start emailing coaches to introduce himself. Include his highlight film, along with any positive press or write ups that he may have had.

As we get into the spring season, start compiling varsity highlights and update the highlight film with them. You want to keep it under 3:00 so just the best. If your son is playing in spring tourneys, let coaches know his schedule, number and field number.

Once the summer season gets rolling. You and your son should send emails to coaches weekly. Include highlights, press, schedules, and what he likes about the program.

This is the time folks. This is what you’ve put in the time for; sacrificed summer vacations for. You need to make his future your priority and do not leave it in the hands of anyone else. This will be stressful and exciting at the same time and I wish all of you the best of luck over the next 9 months! Our boys deserve it!

Club Lax isnt accurate

If you are really interested in his future, put a lot of money into tutors for the SAT, tats where the real scholarship money is.

Probably the best post I've seen on this forum. Useful information laid out in an articulate manner. Thank you!!

What is the best site/hammerhead people use to put together highlight clip ?

I did it on our Mac using iMovie or whatever it’s called. I didn’t know how to use it so I wrestled with it (a lot of cursing). There are probably some better programs out there to do it though. After a couple times it got easier.

Wait a minute. You mean I've been paying 5K for a select club team that claims they'll help get my son recruited and it's a lie. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. Being on a Top Ranked Club" only helps the top few kids on that team
Wake up people the only one getting your son recruited are him and you and it's hard work. Be realistic, make sure it's a school they absolutely love and would go to regardless of lacrosse. Most will not last playing 4 years at any level. I've seen a ton of kids transfer, drop out, burn out and quit.

Make your kid do it, they can do it from their iphone.

So I agree with most of this. You have to do most of the leg work. Do not sit around and wait for a coach to reach out. And be realistic, if your son is not a starter on an A team, don’t just seek out D1 schools. I can say that from experience. However, what I disagree with is my older sons club really stepped in when the conversations were getting serious and 100% helped to close the deal. I get all clubs are different and I won’t promote a club anonymously, but some clubs do make a huge difference.

If your son is a desirable player, schools will find money above the athletic scholarship. A 90 average can get you another 25%. As far as SATs go, most schools are not requiring them. They will only determine the amount of merit money. But if you do submit them, they need to be very high. I’m referring to 1400+ scores. Even then, the merit money won’t be much higher. I know that sounds irrational, but I saw it first hand with my ‘24.

I think the original poster was spot on, though. The time is now, so let’s not leave it to chance.

You are fortunate that your son’s club was helpful, but I think the point of the post is that we shouldn’t leave that to chance. This is an opportunity that will likely have a tremendous impact on our boys’ futures. We should take control of the reigns.
I would also add that when it comes to highlight films, definitely sit down and figure out the best hammerhead to use. If I were a coach, I’m not sure I would want to see something produced by a 15 year old. If you have a Mac, iMovie is a great hammerhead. I think Windows Movie Maker is also useful. If your sons team has them subscribed to a recruitment service (like Connectlax) then they should be able to make a nice film on there. There are also services that will do it for a couple of hundred dollars, but it’s really not necessary. If you search a few of the more well known kids’ highlight films on YouTube, you’ll probably be able to tell which service/app they used. Varsity highlights can be made pretty easily right on HUDL. All teams have a subscription to that.

Good discussion. I spent the Fall walking around and asking the college coaches about how to navigate this space. All very nice and engaging. I didnt walk up and say this is my kid and how do I get you to recruit him but asked, how does the process work.

Math tutor would have a much bigger impact on his future.

Point is all clubs sell the commitments. So get with a club that does. All clubs and their ability to network is different. I would say Legacy, 91 and Express seem to be the most successful.

Lax truths

Love reading these forums and the variety of opinions. Some are very helpful and some are laughable. Having been through the process, here are what I believe, to me, tone the “truths” and by truth, it applies to the bell curve majority. Disclaimer: these truths are really just opinion and you know what they say about people with opinions…

1. Many parents are trying to live vicariously through their children. Thus they don’t make the best lax decisions because they are doing it for themselves md not their kids but they still try to justify it.
2. I’ve seen the majority of lax parents make a lax decision for their college choice, not an academic decision, which is a short term decision with long term consequences
3. The vast majority of successful lacrosse players are reclass / PG. Period. It works. But not for all….
4. …as those successful players that reclassed are not representative of the true outcomes of most the holdbacks. The majority end up not at duke or the ivies. People need to look at the people who delayed college by 1-3 years and ended up exactly where they would have been had they not held back. That is where the majority of holdbacks end up, back at square 1 or square 2, not square 100 like everyone believes they end up.
5. Lacrosse is finite. Anybody who dreams of making a living out of playing lacrosse should consider a different career path
6. Stop comparing lacrosse success to basketball and football success. It shows you just want to be a wannabe in a niche sport. Those NIL deals are not for you. And don’t use a Georgia qb as the gold standard for being closer to 30 then 20 years old as the dream we should be chasing.
7. See #4 for football and basketball as again, we only see the successes and not the majority of the people who don’t go on to succeed.
8. Holdbacks are not illegal. They are allowed.
9. Holdbacks are a [Censored] way to get ahead in life. Can’t succeed in your own grade? Go ahead and beat up on kids younger than you. You can use “holding back” to get ahead in life at this stage in your life but that “get out of jail card” is a one time use only. You can’t use a holdback to solve all your deficiencies; it usually just hides them. But everyone who holds back and ended up not succeeded has always found a way to justify their holdback and come up with some reason why it was good. No one has enough courage to say it was a mistake.
10. The majority of holdbacks don’t go on to UNC, Virginia, duke and ivies. See #4
11. Lacrosse is quickly becoming an niche sport that caters to the wealthy. Equity is becoming a huge problem.
12. Club lacrosse is a business. They do not care about your recruitment unless it benefits them
13. College and club lacrosse are the chokepoints of what is ruining lacrosse. They want older kids because they are more mature, faster and stronger and will do anything to get them. That’s why they want holdbacks.
14. No no one cares about club lacrosse in high school. Check the 2022-2024 forums. No one posted in them because no one cares
15. Prospect days are purely a way for coaches to make money, unless you are actually invited
16. Speaking of making money, showcases are also in it to make money
17. Guess what? There’s nothing wrong with making money. But don’t fall prey to every event that spams you with an email inviting you to super duper future phenoms apex first class 1% all american showcase. Chose your events carefully. Avoid most with an “all star” team. Use these events to get film.
18. To get recruited you will have to do the dirty work and get yourself exposed at some of these money making showcases and prospect days. Make film, contact coaches and teams and most of all be good because that is what you are eventually going to be judged on
19. #18 is a farce. The best way into college is through connections. I hope your high school coach or if you are lucky enough to have a club coach that cares, has those connections
20. There is nothing wrong with playing lacrosse in college. Do it to have fun. And don’t think for a moment that yiu can’t play play lacrosse in college. There are 75 d2 and 175 d3 schools all with spots available. That being said, see point #2
21. If you are pretty good then you can play d1. Everybody thinks d1 is unobtainable but there are plenty of d1 schools that are not that good that you can play at but…see point# 22
22. However don’t play d1 just for the sake of saying you played d1. You are much better off at a NESCAc or centennial d3 school then saying you played for Wagner hampton NJIT VMi sacred heart clevelandst vmi bellarmine Siena Detroitmercy LIU Manhattan etc. you get what I’m saying. The bottom 33 of lacrosse d1 are not that good and academically maybe not the strongest.
23. D2 is a good option but they are not the strongest academically
24. The majority of lax players go into finance. You want to go to a school with good education and good connections. And for goodness sake, when being recruited it is much better to say you are undecided then say anything in STEM. Many coaches don’t want students who study STEM. They want athletes.
25. Good luck being recruited if you play defense. They are the hardest to get recruited. Coaches want goalies, fogo, attackmen first. Then middies. Then LSM and SSDM and then dpoles last. The prospect days always seem to have too many dpoles and not enough middies.
26. If you are truly a superstar in the sport, then almost none of this applies to you. The rest of you? This is all “truth”
27. No matter where you go to school it will end up fine as soon as you stop chasing the lacrosse dream. Enjoy this time with your kids. It’s supposed to be fun. And please stop living vicariously through your kids. A wise man said don’t let lacrosse use you, you use lacrosse.

Remember this does not apply to everyone, it applies to the bell curve majority. Congrats to the few who beat the system or are lucky outliers. My condolences to those who spent 1-3 years reclassing and chasing a dream and missed out future income and personal growth. And yes, my two kids were not holdbacks and are doing perfectly fine playing lacrosse in college.

Hahahahaha, you are truly the epitome of a clown. Thanks for the laugh. Hahahahahaha, awesome waste of everyone’s time. Simply awesome nonsense, thank you, I am crying at your silliness. The best!!

I stopped reading after the first sentence because its far too long a post. And most of the audience your addressing cannot read anyway. Lax is life....

#24 is 100% accurate, but If your kid wants to do STEM, be a good parent and tell your kid to let that be known to the coach. Usually STEM kids are "smart" and are going to school to do "STEM" things (labs, internships, ect). Be a good parent and encourage your kid to pic a school they can envision themselves at if they weren't playing lax. Speaking from experience, if a coach attempts to steer your kid into a different major than their "STEM' major, you should have your kid think twice about going there. STEM majors tend to make a little bit more upon graduation than most of the pro lax players. Patriot league, some Ivy's (yes, their coaches steer majors too, Cornell and their 'Hospitality Majors') and top D3 schools are the go to schools for STEM. Just my advice.

It’s a great day to be a Outlaw!

Everyone quit complaining and go over-spend in your kid's team swag store....1 more year and the party's over folks!

Most of you people are pathetic.

If you think you’re not, look again. Welcome aboard.

Rebels are fine. Worry about your own team. Some teams don’t travel well in fall. But getting to go down there and expos yourself is an awesome opportunity. Wins and losses?? If you’re worrying about that you do not know that recruiting season has began. The only important thing right now is starting the process and opening as many doors for your little Johnny.

It’s a great day to be a Outlaw!

“an”

Rebels are fine. Worry about your own team. Some teams don’t travel well in fall. But getting to go down there and expos yourself is an awesome opportunity. Wins and losses?? If you’re worrying about that you do not know that recruiting season has began. The only important thing right now is starting the process and opening as many doors for your little Johnny.[/quote]

This is correct. Wins and losses are no longer relevant. Now it’s about getting to the right tourneys and in front of the right coaches.

This is correct. Wins and losses are no longer relevant. Now it’s about getting to the right tourneys and in front of the right coaches.[/quote]

Since I'm paying the bills I respectfully disagree. We should have stayed home. The only reason we were there is to promote the Rebels brand and get some name recognition. Any press is good press, after this weekend I doubt it. Total waste of our time and my hard earned money. Nobody stands out on a depleted bad team, so what's the point?

Since I'm paying the bills I respectfully disagree. We should have stayed home. The only reason we were there is to promote the Rebels brand and get some name recognition. Any press is good press, after this weekend I doubt it. Total waste of our time and my hard earned money. Nobody stands out on a depleted bad team, so what's the point?[/quote]

Kinda true with respect to a team that isn’t competing. Very hard to stand out as the best players on a team that is losing. It’s unfortunate, but coaches will pick their chairs up and move. But why the need for A teams. The Rebels B team is good, they were impressive yesterday at Stony Brook. What’s wrong with two B+ or A- teams? Just put them in the correct events and all will be fine.

A little sanctimonious

With HS winding down…it’s go time for this group. All about the quality minutes on the field this summer.

A little sanctimonious[/quote]

Very sanctimonious. But this whole forum is full of bombastic and outrageous comments so it fits right in. Lax truths are not absolute; just find what applies to you. Some kids reclass and beat the system and it worked out beautifully. Most dont and their extra 1-3 years before college results in the same outcome if they didnt reclass. The ultimate truth is lax is ultimately finite. Almost everyone should not be making long term decision based on lacrosse alone. But the reality is the lacrosse would benefit greatly if an on age rule was put into place. It would be the great equalizer across club and colleges and would stop this funnel that cater only to those who have access and the money to benefit from this. Equity in lacrosse will only benefit the sport in the long run and I dont think the club or the college game would suffer if access was provided to all players who are interested. Until then, it will also be a niche sport.

The process? What is that exactly? Endless posts this summer on Instagram? How many that followed the process were playing this past weekend in Philly in either the D1, 2 , or 3. I saw a lot of Express and 91 alumni on those rosters. Not sure of the other clubs on LI.

Um Duke fogo

Correct, Legacy I think. They do a great job with their recruiting. Probably equal to the big 2.

Its all about exposure. But yeah, if your on a team that's getting destroyed you may as well burn your $.

I agree, it’s a mix of playing on a team where first your son plays and also the club is entering the correct events. Some clubs have models that are designed to limit costs and travel, fine for pre HS years, but for the recruiting years, just staying local is probably not the best plan.