Express has had a combo 31/32 team, this is the first year of their 32 only team. So last year they were playing in 31 B tourneys. Express will rise above and be on the upper end of rankings, they always do. You think Express owners want to teach ground balls?
I heard that the 2032 team is a 33/32 team because they didn’t have enough players for a true 2032, don’t know if that’s true or just an excuse for their poor 2032 showing. In any case, it’s surprising that a top level club like Express can’t field a competitive team. And to act like they could if they wanted to, but the coaches are “too good to teach ground balls” is silly.
Sounds like Express is banking on their reputation to attract talent from the better teams in the next couple of years. It may work, kids leave teams all the time, but Express has got a lot of work to do and is going to have to completely revamp their team to even be able to compete with 91, Igloo, Rebels in this age group.
This is what they always do. If you think Express is not going to have a very competitive team by 6th-7th grade you are only fooling yourself. Ask around to some of the folks that have been through this all before. They rarely have a powerhouse team at the elementary levels. Beat them by 10 while you can.
I don’t know, I have older kids and Express used to consistently field powerhouse elementary teams. I remember them being untouchable at all age levels. It does seem like lately they aren’t putting much into their younger teams and are letting them slip.
That being said, I do think they will be a landing spot for top talent seeking opportunities as they get older. Their reputation is strong and there will be players looking to make changes - other teams will have core groups already established, so Express will a good option. The teams in this age group are going to change quite a bit over the next few years.
