Looks like they are expanding to new grades. Does anyone have any insight about program. Where do they practice, costs,where are most kids from,etc. I would be happy to hear from white team parents in particular to see how they feel. I know many so called "B" teams are neglected by some organizations and I want to know if you feel this is or will be the case here.

Is a team already in tact arebthey only looking for certain nspots or is it a true tryout.

They only had 1 "B" team this past year ( 5th grade). They are treated very well by the organization and the parents loved the coaches. One of the coaches is a coach at Farmingdale College. I don't know how many "B" teams they are going to have this year
The parents were also very happy with the 5th grade "A" team. They did well in all their tournaments and the parents liked that coach ( parent coach ) as well.

Fifth grade b also was coached by Roberts brother so that helped....

5th grade - A was a very good team it mostly was an intact team from another club program acquired by True Blue - coaches and all - large % of team was retained. Not sure how many new were added through tryouts last year. Rumor has it that they created the B team because of the talent acquired on that move.M

So the tryout is truly for the "B" team??

Thanks for the info, Where do they practice?

Depends on the team and the coaches hook for a field, could be Suffolk or Nassau, no "home field" as how we had it last year. My take on True Blue - few good teams playing under an establishing club with a great original mission to keep something small and grass roots. The unknown I see, going from 35 mph to 100 in 100 yards is growing from 2 or 3 age groups to 8 age groups. There was some disorganization in the begining of the year like most teams but I think True Blue has to prove it can be the same organization with a few teams this year to roasters by age group as big as Express and 91 next year. True Blue was attractive do to price and teams success, however this is still a growing club lacrosse organization and will it succumb to the pressure to compete at a business level as much as the field to become the same old? Really, how many clubs are really different - True Blue at the new age groups, are they taking established teams to build up quickly like the 5th grade A and 7th grade (express players). The rapid growth makes it feel more like a big org like the others vs what made it attractive - small team focus and attention. No gaurentee that will continue, think they need to prove themeselves first before jumping from club to club.

The 5th grade b team had a few local players know by "the program" and added as a B team which we heard was not originally planed. Are those players "untouchable " this year or is every position opened and will Roberts cut those players this time around?

The 5th grade A - Was a very good team this year with parent coaches, would think most players will return but like most other tryouts you never know what is available, been through this a few times, this will not be any different. True Blue had a different feel then other clubs last year but growing this fast, the quality on the field has to depreciate unless they acquire existing teams which limit player tryout spots.

If they want to be a transforming organization in the club lacrosse space, be 100% transparent, I think parents are looking for this before they invest their time, money and hope to find positive experiences for our kids.

I was at the Tryouts for True Blue last year and it was the best by far compared to any of the "established" clubs..I know a couple parents that had a great time this year..as far as being transparent, not sure what you are looking for, price we heard was good and the kids had fun and learned..and not going to ever reach the "established" club prices. Will see this year.

Not implying the club is run poorly or the kids didn't have fun. Last year was the first tryout and now have established teams. The price will not stay this low now that its growing. Might not be as high but don't expect to paynthe same, example last years tryouts were free and now $40. Point is to avoid the issue with all other clubs which become transient, players moving from club to club, the idea should be to get a core group of kids playing together for multiple years. If this is the goal, then the coaches know who should stay on next years teams already etc. the idea that every player has equal chance to fill one of the 20 or so spots is misleading (across all clubs). I wonder how many of the 5th grade A and 7th grade A kids are bein replaced or leaving? Why dismantle and rebuild each year when not broken. That's the point. Success is made with synergy and knowing teammates. True blue could change the face of club lacrosse on LI but just feel its following in the footsteps to build bigger, that creates all the frustration for parents.

All clubs should show there cost for the season, before try outs.

Does anyone know what 91 and Express are charging this upcoming year?

True Blue - $40
fl$ - $125
Outlaws - $75
91 - $55
Express - ??? (cost or dates not posted yet as far as I know. I think it was $75 last year)
Igloo - $100 for four days
Pride - $40

Do we know what 2013 program costs will be for these programs? I hear TB will go up, to what we don't know, assume less then 91, Express etc. Assuming my son will attend 2 likely 3 tryouts, that already sets me back at least $200. Would be good to know what the costs and service the team offers and how many positioned per team/how many teams there will be before spending more $$$...

I think most peopl would like to know what they are potentially buying?

Thanks for posting the tryout costs. I can't believe how much some of these programs charge and find it offensive.

I do recognize that there are costs associated with holding tryouts so in that respect a small fee is acceptable. How much does it cost to rent a field and hire some evaluators?

Are they trying to deter kids from trying out?

I wonder if some clubs are trying to make themselves seem 'elite' through pricing alone? In that respect I would point out to them that the crabs do not charge for their middle school aged tryouts held over the course of three days.

I wonder what lacrosse on LI will look like 10 years from now. LI has been a hot bed for lacrosse for many years before the business of club lacrosse got here. Is it possible we are canabalizing our youth lacrosse talent because we are putting the great sport out of reach financially to many people? $50 to try out - $800 to $1200 for a team plus all the incidentals (camps, clinics, spring leagues, etc).

The point on crabs is 100% correct and how it should be. Here is a not for profit organization competing on the field with our best clubs. It is possible to do it without the high costs we in NY seem to add on. There is nothing prestigious about paying $1000+ dollars for 4 tournements and nice gloves and uniform. It for one doesn't ensure a D-1 scholarship but does pull from the college fund.a

Know what your getting and the chances your son has to make these teams with just one tryout date.

True Blue - $40 - just one tryout for each grade
fl$ - $125 - two tryouts (good value and opportunity to shine)
Outlaws - $75 - Just one Tryout for each grade
91 - $55 - Just one Tryout (Cost Extra for another tryout)
Express - TBA
Igloo - $100 for four days (one cost)(Great Value and opportunity to shine)
Pride - $40 - Two tryouts (Great Value and opportunity to shine)

I agree in a lot of ways. However in Long Island the clubs are filling some sort of need because otherwise why is everyone doing it. I only know one club team on the Island that doesn't pay their coaches and all the funds goes back to the kids in the form of equipment and training, and is completely transparent with all their costs.

If it was all about developing the sport then most of these clubs should cut the costs in 1/2 if they are in the goodness of the sport putting these clubs out there to promote the sport.

Lets just say a tournement costs $1000 x 4 tourns = $4000. 20 kids paying at least $1000 = $20000. Tryouts = assume 30 kids trying on for 20 spots @ $50 another $1500 or more. Thats $21,500 revenue for a summer team. Equipment - volume discounted - helment, gloves, uniform - lets assume $250 cost. So - thats $5k for equipment/uniform, 4k (on the high end for tournements (some of $500) - We are at $9k cost to the team. $21,500-$9,000 = $12,500. Now each coach cannot be making 6k per summer season - thats more then some highschool team coaches. So yes they are filling an important roll but we are paying for it.

Some of the elements you have forgotten include : cost of field rentals, cost of coaches even without salary (tournament travel, hotels, meals), and extra equipment (balls, training gear). With this, we have not even covered some of the more important business expenses including insurance needed for some field rentals.

I know of many clubs that get fields for free and some coachs aren't paid. Some clubs required individual players covered through a US lacross memebership requirement at thier $25 expense. And if you use some of the town parks grass fields the cost to rent is nominal. Insurance for the field needed - maybe $1000 (been through this process)- Balls? bucket of balls $200, cones - $25? If the clubs are for profit or not - just break out the costs, what is the big deal so we know where the money is going and let the parents make a more informed decision on which club they get the most value from. It a for profit club gives the best value and training, no problem with that but at this point there is no information on what we get for the 2013 season from any club...If you are will in to invest $1500 I assume your looking for some type of return, or is the name on the shirt good enough?

<<Removed Commercial Advertised Tryout Information>>

I don't see why a second day is such a value. It only works if they need to see more of your kid in case he's on the bubble. In that case, they should invite your kid back at no cost.

Are you the same guy posting on each club's site about the cost for next year? Are you auditing their books? Are you trying to start your own club and want to be cheaper?

These are private businesses. Do you really think they are going to open there books to you? Give it a rest. They are charging what the market will bear for their services (it's called supply and demand). If you don't like it, you don't have to sign up.

Thank You. I was running out of Kleenex.

I am sure T.B. is working out a few details before they post any info on their site. My son played for them last year and it is a top run organization. If you know anyone who played for them last year, ask them about the program, coaches, practices and services they received for their tuition.

We are going back to them if they will have us.

No, I'm just a parent on this specific forum trying to understand what type of tryout I'm sending my son too and what I'm getting for the money. No interest in starting a club just trying to understand what the costs are. If there are others posting question on what costs are and what you get, maybe its just a logical question?

Do we really need to know where the money goes, if I think the value is in one club over another that is my choice. if I cant afford one club over another that is life (sucks but still is life).

In life you usually get what you pay for - but you also need to be a smart consumer!

I was at the tryouts last year also. They had lots of evaluators and it was very impressive and very well run. My son did not make the 5th grade team (he was in the 4th grade ) but my friends son has been on the team for a few years. He said they added 5 or 6 new kids from last years tryouts. Thats 25% of the team. I would call that a very fair tryout. I do not know how many kids were added to the 7th or 8th grade team from last years tryouts.

$1000 per kid is cheap try more like $1500 per kid and always,always 24 kids because there is the fluff. Not including tryout revenue try $36K gross then multiply by 8 grades and 2 teams per grade that's $576K gross per org. Not too shabby for a summer gig! Let's not forget the endless barrage of camps and clinics once you are in the wheelhouse of one of thes larger programs. There is nothing wrong with asking all the questions beforehand and holding up the program to their end of the bargain. Just realize life is not always fair and if you are fortunate to be a part of a good team , encourage your child to play hard.

Not so much where the money goes but what your getting before you try out, I think is the point in this thread, from what I'm reading into it. Would you try our for a $2000 Igloo team that breakouts out everything your getting for $100 or any of these others that state nothing at this point and we know it changes from A to B teams etc..

IMPORTANT NOTE

There was an unknown conflict at Hofstra so True Blue will be revising their September 22nd tryout details.

Tryouts for Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 will be changed. BOTC will have the revised details as soon as they are available.

This update will effect the following grades:

Sixth Grade (2019)
Seventh Grade (2018)
Eighth Grade (2017)
Ninth Grade (2016)

As far as costs are concerned to run a team everyone should know. They are businesses and everyone understands that. But that is why if asked a club should be very clear on what a player gets for that money and where it goes.

I looked up all the clubs as this conversation had me curious.

Only one club team itemized exactly what each player gets, how much it is estimated to cost and is all inclusive. If everyone does their homework as you should you will figure it out quickly.

When will True Blue list out which of the coaches listed on their website maps to which team? I'm trying to get this information but not getting anywhere. Does anyone on this thread or associated with True Blue have this information. Also, last season True Blue played in a spring league, are they also offering this in 2013 for all teams? There is no information on the site to what the teams get before tryouts.

The older kids should tryout on Sunday not Saturday. Many boys play MS and HS football that have games on Saturday.

I was wondering what tournaments TB participated in, does anyone know? Do they stay on LI or travel?

BOTC could you please help with this request? You have accepted to advertise these tryouts but there is still no information to what the 2013 season will offer or who the coaches are for each of the teams listed in tryouts.

BOTC is working with the True Blue organization on their revised dates from September 22nd. As soon as all the details are available, they will be released.

I wish all clubs would be a little more transparent- especially on the older end- 7th and up. If you are keeping the majority of the team from last year and are only looking for one attack, 2 defense and possibly a back up goalie or one or two middies... then let the kids know going into the try out what their shot is at making the team. A strong, but not stand out player may decide to go try out with a team that has more openings. I also hope the clubs are true to their word this year and inform players within a certain number of days whether they made the team or not. If the kid is on the bubble and the club is waiting to see if they get commitments or not- just tell the kid- you are the next up, the third on the list etc. Be real- the kids need to learn from their try outs and know where they stand so they can continue on to try out for other teams and not be strung along in hopes it will work out or in silence. My son was issued an invitation from his second try out, after he did not make the club of his choice- but his friend did not get an invitation for almost a month later. That is a long time to make a kid wait and wonder and not tell them a thing.

Where are most of the practices held for True Blue 4th graders?

I think their tournaments for this summer were:

JDRF
Lehigh
LI LaxFest
Hofstra
Bitten Tourney in Vermont

Sounds challenging. Many MD clubs show their face there in the 2017 and above age group?

Price posted up $300 from last year plus the costs of winter and spring league - notice gloves aren't part of the package this year like last year. Guess they are going to get up to some of those other "established" clubs. So much for Blue being a grass roots team created originally for being frustrated with Express. They seemed to have bowed to the pressures.

Nice try. Stir the pot on another thread. TB is the best value by far.

Wow another parent who decided to put there 2 cents in and they are still complaining about the price. Take your opionion and go to a team that will give everything for free. GEEZ, I dont understand why it is so important to put teams down. Just stay with your old team if you havent been blackballed for complaining from your existing team

I agree. It was only a matter of time.

Not a pot stirrer- I guess the point I'm making is that it feels like we are getting less or just about the same for more money with the additional revenue coming in for tryouts. Why expand so much so fast vs. grow the program organically vs looking to become the next big business team? whats wrong with developing already goods kids who had success vs turning over a team potentially every year to drive more business. Was it ever about developing players with great coaching or is it about developing a brand with the best players who performed well in an evaluation with big named coaches driving players to a club to bring in business? If clubs are always chasing the sexiest tale will they ever become a true club or just a temporary landing place for kids to play and business to grow at their expense. Or am I so niave to think it was every about the kids and lacrosse development with good young players to help them become great young men and women with hopefully opportunity to play at higher levels.

O.K. so you are upset with TB for doing this! why not just walk away and find another team that has the same beliefs and philosophies. If other parents feel the same way, then you have nothing to worry about. The team will lose all their players and fold, so no worries.

T.B. was started for the good of the kids and that is still the case, you cant hold it against someone who is trying to do the right thing and grow the Team

Tryout Dates, Times, and Details

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012
Sixth Grade (2019) : 9:00am - 11:00am
Seventh Grade (2018) : 11:00am - 1:00pm
Eighth Grade (2017) : 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Ninth Grade (2016) 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Location : Cedar Creek Park, Wantagh,New [lacrosse]

Sunday, September 23rd, 2012
Second Grade (2023) : 6:00pm - 7:30pm, East Field
Third Grade (2022) : 6:00pm - 7:30pm, West Field
Fourth Grade (2021) : 7:30pm - 9:00pm, East Field
Fifth Grade (2020) : 7:30pm - 9:00pm, West Field
Location : Field of Dreams, Massapequa, New [lacrosse]

Rainout and Conflict Make-Up Date is Sunday, September 30th, 2012

Players who are selected for the upcoming 2013 Season will receive: Helmet, Custom Sublimated Uniform, Custom True Blue Bag and True Blue Sublimated Shooting Shirt. All Summer teams will have a minumum of 12 practices and 5 Tournaments. There will be Winter and Spring programs offered as well. The cost for these additional programs (Winter and Spring) will be based upon each teams participation.

$975 per player Grades 3-9
2nd Grade Prices to be Announced

I can appreciate your passion for the kids and I agree to a certain degree. Its a catch 22, you want your team to stay together, but you will not stay competitive with the teams that are adding better talent. Remember that teams that keep their teams intact are never going to compete and grow as strong as other teams. that is just how nature works, each year kids develop at different rates. If you had the same team together for a few years and they are successful that is great, it was when the boys were younger. Now parents dont want to be on a team where they know if they replace the bottom 4 kids, they will be more competitive. The best kids on the team will not want to stay on a team that isnt competitve. It sucks but its part of the game. The only thing is to keep kids that want to play together on their town team

I know that you would like to keep your kids together and development them into a great team. Unfortunately thats not the way it works. The bigger, stronger, faster kids always win. Thats life. The PAL is for developing kids and equal play. The travel clubs pick the best kids and play to win. I'm not saying I agree with it or that it's right, it's just the way it is. It's this way with soccer and baseball travel teams also. There are many clubs for your kid to play on. Find one that matches his ability.

Trueblue doing the tryouts weeks later than 91? And you know express is going to do theirs early also. Risky move by Trueblue, you could lose a few of your players.

Where does TB practice?

What grade are you referring too, all practiced at different locations - some Nassau some
Suffolk... There was no designated home field. Only fielded 5th 7th and 8th grade last year.

3rd and 5th

It looks like the 5th grade team will be mostly practicing in Massapequa.

With all the various dates for tryouts, how much do you have to say yes before they move on to someone else. For example team "A" is say Sept 15 and team " B" is on Oct 13. How do I manage the tryout differences

I have a 2019 boy on another team and I saw a handful of the True Blue's 2019 team's games this year. They were very well coached. I see that their 2017 team beat Express Orange in the final of the Vermont tourney.
I went on their website and couldn't believe who they were able to get to coach their 2020 team for this year. It looks this group is moving in the right direction.

Great credentials for the True Blue 2020(5th grade) coaches.

Does anyone know who will be coaching their 2021 team?

Where can I find the coach for 2020 true blue? Thx...

Truebluelacrosse.com
There is a crawling message on the home page stating who the 5th grade coaches for 2013 are.

Your calculations are off with tournament pricing. It depends which tournaments you participate in. Tri-State is approximately $2,200 per team, Hofstra Classic $1,600 per team, LI Laxfest $1,200 per team. You're also not accounting for hotels (at the cost of approx. $150 per night) for all coaches for away tournaments, field space cost, insurance and other small overhead costs. For a club with only one team at each level, the directors are not getting rich from running the programs. If they were, they wouldn't have full time day jobs. Costs could be reduced by using "parent coaches" but there would be complaints with that as well.

The 2020 team is a group of Massapequa players and coaches. Of course the are practicing in Massapequa. Are they going to be adding kids from other towns ?

Yes, the 2020 team will obviously have a handful of the top Massapequa kids come along with their coaches. They will definitely be looking for players from other towns at the tryouts.

My kid played against the Massapequa team in a couple tournaments last spring. They were a very good squad. I watched them beat the Smithtown team in the King of the Hill Championship right after they beat my kids team by a bunch.

Do you ask SONY why their TV's are so expensive or do you just shop for a TV that fits your budget? No difference here.

Yes, it's a business. I can tell you from experience that it's a tremendous amount of work to actually run a club. What parents see is only the surface. Like any business, there's a lot to be done behind the scenes. Finding field space, uniform design and ordering, emails, rosters, phone calls, waivers, tournament registrations, hotel reservations. It all adds up to a significant amount of time. So yes, a salary is warranted.

Be careful when joining a team whose coach brought a group of kids from his town. Seen it happen before, they are taken care of first because the coaches have to deal with the home town parents.

Can anyone tell me who the 2018 and the 2021 coaches are?

This is so true, for any of these teams. Parents coaching their own boys will always give them the best opportunities regardless of what anyone says. They're looking to build their local program and eventually school teams. Be careful is right!

What you should really be careful of is paying a crazy amount of money to be on a B or C team of the big groups. Or to be on a random team that has trouble competing all spring and summer, and still charges you what the "big groups" charge.

I have 3 boys that have played, or are playing on summer teams.
I would rather have someone who has the incentive to put the time in to coach their team properly with their kid on it, than have an outside coach who is only there because he is getting paid. As long as the coach isn't the proverbial frustrated athlete, that is living thru their kid.
Look at the 91 teams that did well last year, all or most of them had a dad as the head or asst. coach.

Who are the 2019 coaches? Are they affiliated with any town program I am only hearing mention of 2018 and 2020?

2019 coach is a Levittown guy, Bob C. Comes from a great lax family.

It looks like the interest in this organization seems to be adequate. A large amount of views compared to other recently formed groups. While any positive comments on any group's threads seems to set off all the "haters" to dismiss it, numbers don't lie.

Yes, the Team 91 2017,18, 19 and 20 all have dads coaching. Express teams have been and continue to be filled with dads coaching. The head coach of St. Anthonys coaches his kid's team for the 2020 Express. Jesters 2019 and 2020 have dads coaching.
It isn't a problem to have a coach with a kid on the team, if it's the guy "gets it". There are obviously guys who don't get it, and are fixated on their own kids.
Throwing out a blanket statement that having a coach with a kid on the team is something to always avoid is ignorant.

all the e

I couldn't agree more...my sons team last year had 2 parent asst coaches, and even though they have kids on the team they went above an beyond with all the players. A lot of extra practices an off season play. If they were to play their own son more than he should have, the head coach that is a paid coach is there to reign them back to reality.

You need dads involved. You have to get the right dads is the key.

You need to find the right coaches that your kids like and respect. Sometimes they are dads, sometimes not. When you find them, do everyhting you can to stay with them.

Does anyone know where the 3rd grade team will practice

Mostly in the Levittown vicinity

How do you sign up for try outs? I don't see any information and registering on the website.

Contact Chris Roberts directly at this point - please see his contact information at the start of this thread.

The following coaches have been named for the True Blue teams for the 2013 season.

2-3rd Grade - Coach Cook, Coach Tucker
4th Grade - Coach Morrow, Coach Cook
5th Grade - Coach Engelke, Coach Engelke
6th Grade - Coach Cook, Coach Weiberg
6th Grade - Coach Hubscmidtt, Coach Cody
7th Grade - Coach Pescitelli
8th Grade - Coach Catalanotti, Coach Susko
8th Grade - Coach Murphy, Coach Kyrkostas
9th Grade - Coach Catalanotti, Coach Susko
9th Grade - Coach Palazzo

Amen. So often these coaches are enthusiasts since their youth, which may well contribute to their kids success.

So True Blue wants lasts years players to bring their practice pinnies to wear at tryouts! Really why don't you just skip tryouts all together they seem like they are going to be really fair.

That's not what they are doing. They only had three teams last year. They now have a bunch more, and have had a tremendous surge of kids wanting to try out.
So asking kids to bring their practice jersey from last year, will make them have a better chance to make the team? If the coach thinks a player should make the team that was with him last year, do you think it matters what jersey they have?
Epitome of ignorance.
Your looking for excuses why your kid won't make a team or from another group looking to hate.

Wow. I am from another "big" club, but must still point out the strange bitterness evident by this person. Do you even think that a new pinnie # can possibly veil the identity of a "stand out" player? Players retain their spots in all clubs. We ? they do not deny. Part of the magic in this sport happens as kids become instantly familiar with their teammates tactics on field. "Flow" is created.
All clubs retain a core group, and tweak it yearly. They ALL lose a few, and yes, DROP a few as necessary. It DOES hurt the feelings of a player, but it seems that it may hurt the PARENTS more. We may also consider the concern of the "TOP" kid here. If he/ she has made it to the top tier of a club, it may be the responsibility of the club to craft the roster as efficiently as possible, for a successful end result.
Most would not argue that SOME positions have been filled undeservedly, but we need to consider all sides of the situation. It is an evolutionary process. Sorry.

How many kids does true blue take per team?

That sounds great
Kids already locked in ?
I hope they scrap that idea and make it fair for,all the kids

See intolerable whining below.

Go back on to your 91 or express thread and stir the pot there !!! Your crybaby comments suggest that you are bored and have nothing better to do than stir up s##t. Enough with you.....be gone !!!

I was at the true blue tryouts today.It was the best most organized tryout my son has been involved with.I overheard some staff members discussing the overwhelming last minute registration that caused a shortage of pinnies.We were nervous about how they were able to evaluate so many kids.They broke the kids into small groups and everybody around us were very happy.My son sure hopes he makes the team.

I was told they had one field for over hundred kids, it was a mess.

were you there at the tryouts or were you to afraid to show your face so you had some innocent parent be your eyes. Be a man and tell us who you are and what program you are from.

Question : Was there a field space issue? That can happen with a surge on last minute registrations as has been largely reported and observed.

There was an average of 15-20 kids that walked up for each age group.
The guys running the tryouts made necessary adjustments and things ran very smoothly. There was never a time where you had a bunch of kids sitting around. There was over 6 stations that had less than 12 kids and they were exhausted not bored from getting so much running time. My kid and all the others got to show off what they can do and all we can do is just wait for the results.

Field space was not an issue and last year's True Blue players should have preference. They helped create the reputation and the 2017 team was outstanding. Hoping it stays intact!

Excellent confirmation and details - thank you for the contribution.

Last year's True Blue program helped to move forward the reputation of Long Island Lacrosse in the region as BOTC has heard from several upstate and New Jersey clubs.

"Preference"?! really - it is a tryout all positions should be open if not it should have been noted. take the best kids availble (best means talent and attitude of both child and parent).


Noone is new to the game older than 2018

which age groups do you speak of. The one I was at was run the best I have seen this year. (each participant not intimidated by LY palyers)

Multiple Stations with the ability of evaluators to look at individual and group skills. There were about 2/4 evaluators per station.

The breaks were spaced out so you could see who was driven to be their best and to see you didnt have it in them.

WOW, you just wont give up, I personally have spoken to Coaches from all the major programs and they will all state the same fact. No team will ever just replace everyone. When teams have tryouts, they are looking to fill the positions that have the lightest talent. All kids have a fair shake, if one is better trhan the other,, I assure you the kid will be picked.
I have been told numerous times from True Blue that no kids are safe, all positions are open, but kids must be better than the existing players to make the squad.

TB is turning out to big a big program that has to adopt the philosophies of the other programs and pick the best kids. That is why this is a fair tryout

Um.....you wanna buy a bridge

TB did a nice job with the try outs and the amount of kids who showed up. I heard there was some kind of conflict with other field and they couldn't use it.

Lots of quality kids trying out and helmets from the bigger clubs on the island. I counted at least eight kids from one of them them. They were all quality players. Dont know what they are doing over there but somethings going on.

At least the bridge I am buying is less than the one that you bought from your team.

I was there also. There was one express helmet and one 91 helmet, the talent was average at best. You have no clue about what you are talking about.

How many express and 91 helmets could have been there? These kids were in 1st - 4th grade last year!! Most never played club before!! TB has something unique....something that most wish they could have!!

What age group ?

I didn't mention a grade or what team helmets the kids were wearing. . How do know what one I was at? There was more than one on Saturday.

There was a group of very athletic kids at the 5th grade tryout tonight. I brought my kid to tryout at midfield. Wrong spot to tryout for, there were a bunch of excellent kids at that position.
Overheard parents talking that the top kids from Wantagh, Massapequa and a north shore town were there.

Chill dude ! Sounded like you were really observing the tryout which would've meant you knew what grade was trying out. Guess not, just another disgruntled parent because your kid can't play.

LOL. Not disgruntled at all. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.

Good luck to all the boys. Sounds like the TB evaluators got their work cut out for them this year in quite a few age groups.

Not bitter at all. I don't think a new pinnie could mask real talent...all the more reason to give all kids a new pinnie. If your top guy is really tops he will have no problem making it if he is number 20 or number 641. I thought about bringing my son to TB tryouts that is how I got the email I decided to go another direction even before tryouts took place. I think when you are charging parents to come bring their kids for you to look at them when you are only looking to pick 5 kids out of 100 at least try to give the illusion that the process is fair...we all know it isn't and that politics, favorites, favors and loyalty will win in the end....but we like still like those brief moments where we think tryouts are just based on TALENT and anonymous numbers.

At TB 2021 tryout some pretty good talent there.

I heard they are adding another team for my son's grade so there shouldn't be too many hard feelings. Overall, the staff did a very good job with the number of kids who showed and the space they had to work within. I can understand that players and parent from last year may have felt overwhelmed with the number of kids who showed up, especially if they weren't going to add a team. But, this is the way travel teams work from all sports work. New players get added and players leave every year.

Hey, if you know what happened you may take a different look at things. An email went out that said due to the larger than expected response, would last years players bring their practice pinnies. They wanted to do their best to make sure each player had a pinnie on, old or new. That is the word from a director on scene, I was there, not some guess work from the peanut gallery.

Well when a program has something that everyone wants you can't help but to have a great response. My kid was at the True Blue tryouts on Saturday and kids did have their old practice pinnies and kids had the new ones...we were not on a team last year. All I can say is that there were about 15 evaluators. Haven't seen that at
most other tryouts. Old player or new player all the kids got more than a fair share of looks. TB is adding teams in a lot of age groups. The teams seemed to be pretty solid last year let's just hope our kids are good enough to make it. I would love my son to be part of this organization.

Great day of Football Sunday which followed up a good morning of tryout lacrosse.

I was at the 2019 try out. Great organization with the time and space given. I could not believe the amount of boys. About 100 give or take. Shows within this age group there are still some really goods players out there. Only critique you couldnt read numbers from the fence, but with 2 or 3 evaluators at each station and 3 to 5 during the scrimmages, it was well run.

There were 2 tall defenders that stood out during the drils portion of the tryout. Seemed like they called them over a few times to ask there number names. Their size made you keep your eyes on them. There were 3 others that seemed to grab your attention during the scrimmage portion. One had Express helmet another orange undershirt. They were not on the fence side.

There were 2 attacks that stood out. They played together in the scrimmages on the fence side. Again couldnt read the #'s on their backs from 10 feet away. One tall/thin one short/thick. Seemed like evaluators knew the tall boy think he had a TB helmet very good player, shorter player was also fun to watch he had a yellow shirt on and a helmet with a maroon & orange # on the side. Whenever i turned to watch these 2 boys they always seemed to have the ball. Saw the evaluators move them to middie towards the end and were just as good. I only noticed one lefty but I was not sure if he was a middie or attack.

Two very good middies with 91 helmets stood out. A white one and a blue one. Both seemed like solid physical players. Couldnt help but see what they would do next. There were also two other good middies that played against each other one had highlighter shorts Express helmet. Those shorts kept me looking, he played very well during stations and called to my attention the other middie who played against him. The highlighter shorts kept me looking. During scrimmages they were fun to watch. 4 others that rounded out a good mix of middies.

2 solid goalies and with some training seem to be on the rise. jesters helmet, and I think TB helmet.

Maybe I noticed some of these players because of their clothes helmet. Highlighter, yellow, orange, 91, express, Houston oilers logo, or that one with the # on the side.
So I guess it works to wear a bright color or program helmet to get your kid noticed. But those boys were good and with 100 something kids something has got to set you apart.

Plenty of others you couldnt seperate from the pack. Should be a good season. But I am not an evaluator so it is only worth the time you wasted reading this.

PS I dont think the pinny thing came into play, but you will only see that when the selection is made.

Enjoy MNF

Agreed

2018 / 7th Grade tryout -- 70+ boys. Maybe more. Very well run, although three scrimmages going on side-by-side across the field hurt the attack (they couldn't play behind the net) and made it easier on the defense.

Despite the short field, this tryout was the best 2 hours of lacrosse I've seen. 6 stations of 1-on-1, 2-on-1, 3-on-2, etc., plus 45 minutes or so of short field games (all boys rotated at least twice). I didn't notice many big club helmets, but there were plenty of town team helmets present. The boys gave it their all, and from what I saw there was enough talent for two A level squads.

I don't know if TB had a 6th grade team last year (this year's 7th), but I did not notice any TB helmets in this age group. And old pinnies vs. new ... didn't seem to matter. I didn't see any number lower than 92 and the highest was around 290.

Regardless of the outcome for my son, this was a good tryout, and he showed well against strong competition. Time and money well spent, even if he plays somewhere else next summer.

When are they announcing the teams ?

Wednesday. They said that they will call the players that made it.

i saw alot of express kids at tryouts? hmmm, makes you think, is $2400 excessive? who would pay that much to be on a 'B' or 'C' team? Good for you TB!

Will they have 2 teams in each age group?

Where do the TB teams hold practices?

I thought they did a nice tryout for the kids.

What grade? Watched some of the 2021 tryout - didn't seem they ran through many skill drill stations. One point only used 1/2 the field and have the kids in 4 groups doing 1/1's. Allot of standing around - then to i guess 2 or 3's al un settled - little disorganized i thought. Then to 1/2 short field scrimmages 7x7. Not sure how you get a good look, will see. Heard the older groups had 6 skill stations then scrimmage, would have liked to see that - but did see allot of team bags from one particular town....

They are in 4th grade. What kind of tryout do you need to identify 4th grade players.....Pass, Catch, tie your cleats, and blow your nose by yourself.

Did anyone from 2018 hear from True Blue yet ?

Website says you will be called/e-mailed sometime today.

Thank you

From the TB website:

"The True Blue staff is meeting on Tuesday to select the teams. Our goal is to let all selected players know on Wednesday."

I would expect the calls or emails will be made tonight sometime.

TB calls have started

what age group?

What age group?

For what age group or team??

Plenty of kids didnt wear a program helmet but had their program bags.

The attack in the #18? helmet plays Express. So did one of the tall defensemen. Not all Express players have Express helmets.

4th grade

calls started for 4th grade

ANYTHING ON 2018 YET ?

Are they only calling those that made the team or informing all palyers their status?

Any 2020 calls placed yet??

Yes

Has the 2018 team been notified yet?

is that a yes that the 2020 team has been contacted

I just got a call for my 2020 boy, that he made it.

Congrats, have fun!

Is this a new grade for true blue?

What other grades have been called?

any word on 2017

Got an email this morning that not all calls have gone out and more are expected Wednesday, so I guess they are finished.

I received the same message. They probably meant Thurs not Weds.

Received the same email. It was sent after midnight, so I'm sure they meant Thursday (today).

I suspect this is more than a one-day process, as the directors are gauging the interest of their first choice players. For example, if there were 6 obvious standout defensemen in a particular age group, they would need to know if those boys are going to commit before rejecting the next best group of boys. How long that takes depends on how long the parents sit on the fence.

Has the 2016 team been notified yet?

My son got called last night.

HAS ANYONE ELSE COMMITED TO THE 2018 TEAM YET ? MY SON COMMITED YESTERDAY

Looks like your reply and my post got mashed together ... but yes, a 4-on-3 fast break would have been good to see. With the half-field and 6 stations, just not enough room. I think they saw enough to make good decisions though.

Haven't heard yet, which I assume means it isn't happening for my son. We knew it wasn't - he got two hard slashes in the same spot between the shoulder pad and elbow pad half-way through, and finished out with one arm. Nothing dirty, just happened at the wrong time. Those are the breaks.

Talented group of boys, and the organization seems top notch. I'm sure the 2018 squad will be winning their fair share of tournaments.

Thanks. Wonder if there's still placements to be made?

They may not of been able to make all the calls last night. Also, not everyone will accept so they will need to backfill.

Any idea what their structure philosophy is ? What I mean is how many players per team , because 24 + boys is way too much to be successful. Everyone talks price on the larger organizations but 18 boys @ $1400 grosses $25,200 and 24 boys @ $1000 is of course $24,000. So the question becomes is the $400 divided by 5 tourneys worth your son playing less of a role. This is a tough question but consider traveling 3 hours , paying for a hotel room and meals only to watch your kid playing 1/3 of a game in a 30 minute running time format. At 24 players that equates to 10 midfielders and a long pole so 5 games into a $1000 weekend and Little Jimmy didn't even play an hours worth of lacrosse and because the coaches have to get everyone of the 24 ample playing that means you are less likely to win. Caveat Emptor .......... Let the buyer beware !

I am guessing you are not familar with the other organizations. Almost all the major programs are taking 23 kids, they all run 3 lines of middies. Let me know all the teams that are only taking 18, would love to know.

anyone get calls for the 2019 teams, still havent heard and hoping

Love them or hate them but most all 91 Orange teams do this to get the best players on the field and right lines shifts to control the game. Agree 100% with the above post. 9 to 10 middies in a running time formate usually results in 1/2 the lines not playing much. Coaching in running time games to very difficult to get all playing time. The only benefit of 9-10 middies is on those hot days but thats what allot of water is for.

Most teams will have 20-23 players. Your forgetting that these kids are usually playing 3 - 5 games a day in the summer heat. The kids would never make it through the day only taking 18.

Typical team (IMHO)

2 goalies
5-6 attack
5-6 defense
7-9 middies

It's travel lacrosse little Jimmy isn't guaranteed his normal shift like PAL lacrosse

Actually if we are requires to go through all these tryouts and they take "the best" I would think then equal playtime should be easier to manage than PAL. We all love when we have to play little jonny who can't catch bit really is he getting the same playing time even in PAL.

For the talent they say they retain and for the price, it's all the more reason the kids should have more equality in playing time.

Good point on the number if games in a given day but that is another issue with club lacrosse. Is it really travel? It's 5 tournements over 5 weekends playing the same teams for the most part and a single location. It's money making in the tourney side making kids play shortened games that more endurance than skill sometimes and it forces clubs to take more kids than coaches really want. Name me a team coach that wants to manage 9 middies and 24 kids in a 45 min running time game.

So more games in on day equals more money a tournement can charge which justifies clubs to carry more players then they really need which makes more margin to use to show a lower cost. However the product your purchasing as a parent is diminished because playing time is naturally reduced.

I think this is the argument and there is no good answer because there are no other alternatives. What we need is actual travel league play where these clubs play in actual games from June to July 2 or 3 times a week. That is true travel. Tournements were always the icing or fun part of playing - it has turned into the main event....

All of the 2020 team must have been notified and accepted the spots on the team. My kid has a practice set up for this weekend already.

Yes this is not PAL which I'm sure your son doesn't excel In that either but as in most big tourney formats actual playing time is reduced to 35 minutes ( Tri State , Lehigh , etc ) and there is no horn substitutions. Therefore the coaching staff needs to be adept at subbing on the fly and couple that with a long pole midfielder plus man up or man down situations. Also if Mr. Big Shot is so familiar at 2012 Tri State because of excessive heat the actual playing time was about 25 minutes per game because of the mandatory water breaks. So because this is not PAL and you must travel and pay $$$$$ to play the boys should know what amount of playing time will be afforded them and that relies on the roster size when certain variables are factored in.

Curious... do they basically keep former teams together that have played for many years? Of course I'm talking about the older boys. My son has always been a starter and excellent player, but was not called. Freinds, ect. were surprised.

Also, are the teams now complete? Is there a chance that a spot may open if someone declines? Would love some feedback.

Since this is really only their 2nd year there are a lot of new teams. All of the teams that were in existence last year faced kids being added, cut or moved. I am sure there is opportunity if spots open.

I heard that there may be some spots still available. Sometimes kids are missed at these tryouts, it happens at all the big programs..I know a parent over there and he loved the program. I would reach out and see if some kids declined and possible spots may be open. A program to look at def.

What age group? If he was trying out for a group that played last year, it was an uphill battle.

I'm sure the tryout was completely open, but the reality is any new player has to be noticeably better than one of the existing players to knock someone off the team. If he is basically at the same level as an existing player, they will probably keep the existing player.

The math always works against the new kids. If they had 20+ kids returning from last year, and 60 additional kids trying out, how many of the 60 had a realistic chance of making the team? Maybe there were 2 open spots, and 2 existing players they wanted to replace, and 1 that simply got outplayed. That's just a guess. (And saying there were 5 open spots going into the tryout is probably an over estimate.) But if that's close to reality, that means 60 new kids went out for 5 places. And if those 5 spots were at positions your son doesn't play, it might have been impossible to break in.

Nothing against TB or any of the other clubs. If my son were on TB last year, and we paid the fees, and the coaches new and liked him, and there was nobody obviously better than him at his position, then it would have been tough (and probably unfair) for them to tell us to go somewhere else this year.

We're in the same position. But that's how I explained it to my son, and I think he felt better about it.

Great advice guys and thank you. I appreciate the unbiased logic. Best of all, it makes total sense.

For which team ar e you asking is there room. Blue or White?

Are there 2 teams? What age groups?

Is this a Massapequa based program ?

No, its not Massapequa based. a couple of their grade levels have Massapequa guys coaching them this year.
The guys who own it are from Merrick and Locust Valley.

It looks like they have two teams each for 8th and 9th grade. One team each for 3rd thru 7th grades. I was at both days of their tryouts, as my older boy went the first day and younger one the second. They had more than enough kids to make two or three teams if they wanted to from 5th thru 7th.

tryouts were a sham. Better kids were passed over in favor of kids with a connection. Parent coaches only add to the favoritism.

Since you would not want your son to play for a "sham" organization, it is actually great news that your son was one of the better players that were not considered. This is to your advantage since you can now head to another, "better" program.

Wait, was that your point?

On paper sounded like an excellent mission statement. Unfortunately the end result was the coaches and evaluators took the kids they were familiar with. This was a new grade for TB so there were no kids to bump off spots. Kid played his heart out but never got the call because we didnt know the staff. Clearly one of the better kids at the position but too political.

Which Grade are you speaking of?

So where did these boys wind up? Inquiring minds want to know. Will TB 2019 challenge 91 Express Dune Dawgs fl$?

So why didn't one of the better kids make the Express, 91 or any of the other better travel teams ? HMMM I guess you don't know anybody on the staff in those programs as well.

You are saying that a brand new staff was "famliar" with all of the around 23 players that were selected for a brand new team, correct? That staff must have a lot of free time to do all that research to get familiar with that many kids from various towns that were picked for whatever grade it is. This is not the Express, where lax is a full time job for the "staff".
They did all that research to put together a good team and passed on "clearly one of the better kids", due to politics? That's logical.
If that rationalization makes you feel better, than run with it.

We don't know anyone at TB but somehow they found my son. I think you had your "Dad" colored sunglasses on at the tryouts. I'm sure all the kids did their best trying to make the teams.
If he did as well as you think, they would of found a spot for him.

You are correct. Playing out East does not give us the prestige or exposure needed to have many lacrosse contacts. We dont play in Massapequa. Are you trying to tell me the parents glad handing the coaches and directors on the sidelines dont influence their decisions. it is sickening how political the whole travel game has become.

For 2018 I don't know how they made decisions. There were a couple of standouts at each position (easy decisions there), but after that there is a lot of luck and randomness in the process. It it the same for every tryout, in every sport.

Examples of randomness:
-- an evaluator might be looking somewhere else when your son does something great, or speaking with another evaluator and not paying attention
-- that same evaluator might see your son make a mistake (all the boys make errors, but he didn't see or recall the good things)
-- your son is a standout for an evaluator that grades harder than the other guys at other stations (so, your son's 7 at station A looks low (even if is the highest at that station), compared to the 9s at station B, where your son might have made a mistake)
-- the evaluator that liked your son just isn't as vocal during the selections
-- a vocal evaluator has 4 kids he's pushing for, but gives up after he gets his first 3 (and your son is number 4 on his list ... even though he might be the next best player)
-- and yes, all other things being equal, the evaluator will remember the kid with yellow cleats, or a florescent green undershirt, or an "orange" team helmet (it's human nature), if that boy is performing at the same level as your son.

Any combination of the foregoing would mean your son isn't going to get the call. It is a flawed system, that isn't perfectly fair, but in the absence of something better it isn't necessary unfair.

Please stop, although my son is not playing TB, the staff has been nothing but overly accomidating to my son. He/we do not come from a well named town program but the staff had made themselves available to me during the process answering all my questions and being overly understanding to my situations (which is not unique to many of us).

Hopefully they will remember my son next year and not hold it against us (that we did not play for them) but say that boy can play and that family is a class act.

That is all you can ask for (hopefully you dont call that being political).

Chris Roberts is a class act in my book!

I, too, always tell my children, " Remember, children", I tell them, "...always blame the other guy"> This has brought us many great things.