Originally Posted by Anonymous
8th graders on Varsity usually get the spot based on their club play and intense self-promotion from their parents. They tend to be ‘me first’, ‘go to goal’, stat padders. The Parents act like its Club and scream at the refs if anyone dares come near their little meal ticket. Most rush right to the net, even if their team is leading - they have no concept of settling the ball, maybe giving their D a rest before rushing a shot, again. Varsity is a team game and these 8th graders come from a certain club that promotes individual stats regardless of the game situation. We were in a close game and these girls could barely pass and catch around the perimeter - they just want to dodge and score a goal, risking a costly turnover, not kill time and get the win. This speaks to the differences in coaching at a Varsity level (trained educators) vs. Club (summer gig for College kids) - Club is designed to get kids into college by making highlight plays and showcasing individual talent. An 8th grader needs to have the maturity required to play Varsity lacrosse where they shelf their ego and recognize they are part of a team that needs to work together to win. Most 8th graders don’t know the difference and treat Varsity as an extension of their Club, where they are top banana and don’t really see a need to play defense, or ride, or do any of the little things that don’t show up on the scorecard. They just want to collect goals and assists so their parents can justify the decision and their club can promote them on Insta.

Perfectly stated. In multiple games we watched a young player play catch with goalie and turned the ball over trying to play hero ball every time she touched it. Looked silly and was talk of team sideline. When you are brought up you are to learn to be a team player with established players who know the plan, not be reckless so crazy mom and dad can feed their insta story and ego. Selfishness is what separates good players from exceptional players IMO.