Originally Posted by Anonymous
Can someone explain the recent shift to all these “national” teams? I have heard of certain kids making these teams when they barely hang on to their spot for the local club team. Seems like everybody and their brother is running a national team. I feel like that takes away from the point entirely. Lots of bad competition showing up …

National teams are a great idea for kids in non-hotbed areas. It's an opportunity for a kid from the midwest to play with and against some of the best players in the country. There's not enough talent in locally in the midwest to put together a traditional regional team to compete with the best teams in the country. So for those kids . . . national teams make a lot of sense.

If you're playing anywhere from VA to MA, there's not much need to play for a national team. There are plenty of club teams at all different levels so each kid can find the right team for them locally. The national team concept in these areas just provides an opportunity to play more lacrosse in the off-season. So if you want to play more lacrosse in Dec and Jan then your local club offers, you can join a national team and play in some fun tourneys in FL/CA. It doesn't necessarily mean that the national teams are any more competitive than regional teams. It varies by club.