Great program going into its second year. Last year the coaches were top notch, and really dedicated to teaching their players the right way to play the game. Looking forward to another successful season.

Has anybody ever played for this club? How are they? Any information would be great.

Thanks for the info.Thats sounds good. Looking forward to try outs.

My son played foe the 9th grade Sharks team this summer.We were very pleased.My son has played for years for other summer programs.With the help of coach Keith and the rest of the coaching staff my son has grown into a legit colledge recruit.Entire organization seems to be in this for the right reasons and not just the money.Good Luck

Over the years my son has played for some of the top clubs on Long Island and the Checkmate Sharks is over all the best one he has played with. The coaches are extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced. The boys started practicing together twice a week in the early spring which continued until the week of our last tournament, which is a huge plus many teams start way too late to be competitive early in the summer season. The price is also very fair and competitive with no hidden or unexpected costs along the way. This is really a top notch program that will not disappoint.

Are the teams made of mostly GC kids or are they from all over the island. Thanks for the info and feedback. We ran into some of the younger teams this past summer at LI Lax Fest and they seemed well coached.

Last year they were from all over Nassau and some from Suffolk on all age levels...

In its first year, this club really shined. Even won a tourney or two...and the coaches are classy, NOT SCREAMERS, with good college contacts. The Practices are held at Adelphi...great, great facilities. The parents don't over do it with over the top tailgates and know it all attitudes. A great program...from a parent who has seen quite a few clubs.

THE COACHING STAFF IS AMAZING AND DEDICATED TO THE KIDS

I realize that a lot of the parents on these boards say that their programs coaches are great, dedicated, teach the right way, etc., but it is true for the Checkmate Sharks. In fact, after the first year, many of the individual teams parents requested to the Directors to have their coaches move up to the next age level with their kids. They thought so much off the job that their coaches did that they wanted it to continue.

These people must not have been involved with the 2020 team. I know parents who had kids on that team. They struggled and had a paid coach that didn't want to be there.

My sons 4th grade 2020 team beat checkmate 11-1 at LI Laxfest.

Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in 2008?

I was at the JDRF tournament and saw the 2020 Sharks team play at Burns Park.
They had trouble getting the ball to their offensive side of the field against a town team. It was a good town team, but the Sharks were down by double digits at half.

All clubs go through growing pains. Its a young club with great coaches. They look like they will have a good future ahead. Time will tell.

Best line I have read all day!

Didn't play for them, played against them. The team we played seemed like a C+ level team but was playing in the A division.

Definitely not GC kids. They have their own in town program.

I AGREE! My son was on that team. Coach couldn't have cared.

The Sharks were not on this web site last year. Considering there are over 500 views on this try out date already. I bet you things will change this year. More kids better talent. Parents are tired of other clubs. Couple of new kids will make a big difference. Not every one will be on an A team. C+ for last year in an A division sounds pretty good. With better talent coming. Will see at try outs. Looking forward.

If there is a correlation between views of tryout info and significant talent upgrading, the other groups that have thousands of views must be getting ready for a wave of talent.

I don't think it's that easy dude. Looking at info about a team on this website, doesn't mean that they will come try out.

There were 3 GC kids on the 2015 team

There were about 20 kids for the 2019 team trying out Sunday. I know thats not alot...but from what I saw it looked like a good solid group of kids.

Will they take all those kids or will they have another tryout for the age group?

do you think they will take just those players or will they need to have another tryout?

they told us that they carry 23 on a team.

They got the base of their team, if not the whole team,from their try-out. One of the directors told me that the one or two spots that they would need to fill, they will fill with kids that they bring down to workout at their practices. Almost like a mini try-out for kids that were sick or couldn't make it. Email them if you are one of those. I know 6th grade needed a second goalie. I'm sending down my son's friend to their first practice.

If most of that team is from the try outs, they looked pretty good. I was concerned about the turn out for try outs but I liked what I saw with the talent. I heard the same response from the previous post. This team is basically set except for a couple of spots. One being an extra goalie. Should be a good year. Looking forward to it.

Is this affiliated with the lacrosse camp for little kids at some school in Garden City?

It goes by the same neame and Gordon Purdie spoke at my son's tryout. So yes.

I guess your son is on True Blue or another elite club that plays at a BIG SCHOOL? If thats the case why are you posting comments like that on this site? This is Checkmates second year of a summer travel program. They are fielding all levels of play. Great program and will get better over time. Great family atmosphere and caoching for the kids.Patience my freind...patience.

I agree!!! All new programs go through growing pains. From what I have seen they seem to have their act together. My son is new to travel lacrosse and really enjoyed his try out. He liked the way the coaches spoke to him. It is all about the kids enjoying what they do!

Checkmate is the Sharks, and it is Gordon Purdie's program. Gordon is the athletic director at the Waldorf School (adjacent to the Adelphi campus in Garden City), a true gentleman, and possibly the nicest lax director for any program you will find anywhere.

But Gordon is not likely to be the day-to-day guy on the field for your son's team. Like every other club, whether your son has a good experience will depend on who his coaches are, and if the program puts the team in the right tournaments based on the talent available. Experiences will differ, and probably differ widely.

A side note ... the Sharks name carries more weight than you think. It was the club team that many of the Garden City national championship kids played on when they were younger. A bunch played for the Sharks, and others for the GC middle school, and when they combined at GCHS, well, you know the rest for the past 3-4 years.

At least that's what I've been told by those who were there. My kid is much, much younger than the group now playing for GCHS, and the recent grads playing for Ivy League and D1 schools. I do not know if the current Sharks program was inherited by Checkmate last summer, or resurrected by Checkmate, or what their affiliation (if any) is with the original Sharks program. Which means, I know very little, other than some positive history.

Hopefully they grow the program back to the level it was several years ago. Enjoy!

Very well said. Great information! Its sounds like a good club to grow into. Glad my son is part of this program.

Not original Sharks program. My friends son played for Sharks from Garden City. It was only kids from that town that were on that team. Dads coached. Kids are in college now. This sounds like a new program trying to launch off the old name?

The old Sharks program was still part of Checkmate, but coached by one of the dads and limited to GC kids. If you Google "garden city sharks lacrosse" the first couple of links have articles and pictures going back to 2005-06, which reference Checkmate.

Really big names on those teams. Jahelka, Dwyer (this year's national high school player of the year), Fischer, etc. It appears the program went on hiatus when that group went on to GCHS (classes of 2011, 12 and 13).

Probably a long road back to where they were, but with the Checkmate and Waldorf School connection, it appears that it is at least technically the same program/organization.

It might take some time to get this club going. But it seems like they have a good coaching staff in place for the kids. Considering it's a Gordon Purdie program the connections will be there to help this program be very sucessful.

Does anybody know if the 2019 team got there second goalie? I know they were looking for one. Thanks

Dude this is not the same organization. Only used the banner Checkmate Sharks. Not even the same coaches. Shouldn't be using these names. Jahelka is a director at fl$.

That guy's name is all over the press from the team during that time period.

He was just mentioning that they had big names on that team. We know they are not the same coaches. Apparently they are trying to bring back the club. Checkmate is new to this website and I am just trying to find out some information. So many clubs out there and politics that go with it. My son is going to play with them this year. At try outs they seemed liked they were headed in the right direction. I liked all the coaches. Hoping for the best.

Ok, I've read through the press, and there is A LOT out there. In the mid-2000s (2005-07?) there are dozens of articles about the Checkmate Sharks, and they were a dominant club team. The Waldorf School and Checkmate are mentioned all the time. It was apparently all Garden City kids, and the coaches names and players' names are mentioned over and over. Nothing wrong with self-promotion, but this is a study in PR. There's even an article written as a poem (?), and it is loooooong. Somebody was investing a lot of time and energy in developing the Checkmate and Sharks names, and promoting themselves. Nothing at all wrong with that!

The Sharks kids were not allowed to play for the Garden City middle school. Wow. How does that happen, and the group still goes on to greatness at Garden City High School? Wouldn't the school coaches look down upon that? Well, at some point in the articles (2007?) the head coach of GCHS makes an appearance as the head coach of the Sharks. Interesting. And all those players are the premier guys at GCHS and go on to great programs afterward. Interesting.

But what is even more interesting is that considering all effort, the PR, the good will, the great success of the team, and the brand name being built ... and the backing of a school (both Waldorf and apparently Garden City HS!), plus the availability of the Waldorf School and Garden City facilities, and the name of a legendary lacrosse director (Gordon Purdie has been at Waldorf for almost 20 years, well before the Sharks were formed, and was there when all this happened) ... considering all of that substantial effort, that people let the program collapse (or at least disappear for a few years). Why?

Why would someone put that kind of time in to promoting themselves and their team just "for the love of the game" and then walk? The Checkmate-fl$ connections, the GCHS connections ... there's a much more interesting back story here, one we'll probably never know!

They are trying out a few goalies at their practice. Nothing is locked up yet, as of now they still need a second.

My friend from GC told me that the group of GC dads that put the team together were just looking for a banner. They took this group of kids and didn't let them play in P.A.L. or in middle school. They needed a banner to play under and called themselves the Checkmate Sharks. After that many went to play for the Jr. Lizards and eventually left there and formed fl$. That's all I've got. Sounds like the only thing that's the same is the name. Whether they're called the Checkmate Sharks, Lobsters or Minos, I'm sure it will be fine. Definitely not A teams but maybe B.

Does anybody know whats going on with the Sharks. I heard they didnt field teams at some of the younger grades. People have even seen some of their coaches at other travel program tryouts.

I guess they are looking for extra kids that dont make other clubs. It is only there second year and maybe they are trying to recruit some kids to come over. So many quality kids out there that did not make other clubs will have an opportunity with the sharks. If they look good this year more people will be interested next year? Who knows? With so many clubs out there I can't believe certain clubs have all the top players.

The only grade they didn't field was 4th Grade.