BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) BOYS PAL League

or until the middies learn to pass the ball.

A skilled attackman left one on one against a defender is a gift at any level.... Usually results in a goal, or feed off the double for a goal.

No. The cop out is lazy parents who think practice is paid baby sitting and drop and go while their kid continues to flounder. Maybe the lazy parent could hang around and learn something then take little Johnny home and have a catch. Many kids 2nd grade and younger can't catch, they're young and they may not have developed the coordination for it. If a kid can't catch and throw somewhat reliably by 3rd-4th it is the parents fault for either a) not recognizing the kid doesn't want to play lacrosse or b) not helping their kid by spending some time with them.

No child is going to throw any other kid the ball if they don't think the kid can catch it. Complain all you want, change the rules to require passes, whatever. They won't do it and no coach can make them. The kids know and so does your son.

If Johnny can't catch, he's 8-9 years old and he's been involved in the sport for more than a season, IT'S YOUR FAULT parents. You never played lacrosse? No problem - get a baseball mitt and have a catch with that. Can't do that either? Wall ball works wonders. Coaches have you kid for maybe 3 hours a week max. What are you doing with the other 165 hours you have him? Or did he just move from the lacrosse babysitter to the Xbox babysitter?

I disagree. Kids develop at different stages. By shutting out a kid until he's in 5th grade is not the right strategy. Single parents with multiple kids or multiple jobs shouldn't sign their kids up for sports?? Youth sports. Town sports. Sorry Chief, your theory might apply to travel, but not youth. I've seen coaches as young as second grade make kids pass before they shoot. You know what happens? The team gets better. That's a fact. Sacrifice wins in second grade for a better functioning team in 4th or 5th. That's what a quality youth coach does.

Great post. Having coached PAL, practice is for teaching the game, not teaching how to catch and throw, that is on the parents. It's mind boggling that in our town some children still couldn't catch by 6th grade (I am talking children who had been playing since kindergarten). Where do you think their sticks go after practice and for the 9 months after the season? You guessed it, right into the closet. Those children only play the game to 1) please their parents or 2) to hang out with the perceived "cool" kids.

I never said kids don't develop at different stages, thats why I said 8-9 years old. I don't expect most kids who's never picked up a stick to pass and throw. It takes time and practice. One exception, Ive seen kids who play baseball pick it up super fast but they've already got some experience with the mechanics.

Your theory is bunk. I never know the score at a PAL game. If I wanted to know it, I just ask the kids (they always know by the way). I don't care, the purpose of PAL is to teach kids a game, have fun and hopefully kindle a love for the sport. A kid who can't catch isn't going to have fun. Period. And if they're not having fun they're not going to enjoy the sport. On top of that the kids who can catch will resent him which isn't a great environment for a kid. Like I said originally, it's no secret who can catch and throw. Every kid know it.

So if little Johnny's parent(s) helped him learn to catch and throw, coaches can spend their time teaching stuff like clears. Then we can pass the ball 4 or 5 times before going to goal. Because it is the right way to play, not some nit wit stupid rule about passing because no one throws the ball to little Johnny. You teach them to pass because thats how the game works. Because you can't outrun a thrown ball. Because thats lacrosse.

The kids that usually excel early have parents that have a clue about lacrosse. At least to have a catch in the back yard. But even if non-lacrosse parents do that, they can't help with technique. Many kids hold the stick in their palms like they are holding a baseball bat. But it needs to be held more like a golf club in the fingers. Non lacrosse parents aren't going to correct that. So some kids excel and others fall behind. Takes a patient coach to try and bring the others up to speed. But with limited practice time it's tough. Here's the reality. I can get my son piano lessons. But if he's only practicing with his piano teacher, it's unrealistic to think he's going to be as good as the piano teacher's kid or at least someone who is practicing on their own.

At 8 years old, MOST kids can't catch and throw. The ones that can, well their parents think they're the next paul rabil and put them on a travel club so that they can have a brief 2-3 years of their kid being on a top club. I don't buy it. Coaches need to teach kids how to catch and throw and rep it a practice. That's what they're there for. That's what they signed up to do. Not to teach clears and the advantages of of 1-4-1 over a 1-3-2 or zone over man to 8 year olds. The problem is, that's a very difficult thing to do. It requires the patience that many coaches don't have. So what do they do? Bury them at attack, ignore them and hope they quit the game. Good job coach... makes perfect sense.

PAL is the place where kids are supposed to be able to pick up the stick for a few months. Not all kids want to play travel. PAL is the option for them. The coaches should know that.

PAL Should be an option for both the experienced player and beginner. How to make it work is the issue>

I hear what your saying, but the truth is most PAL coaches are dads of kids on the team. They have jobs and other kids like you, they are busy like you. They don't get paid and volunteer several hours a week. Instead of insulting them , coach yourself. Put up or shut up. I've coached PAL for my daughter and my son. We have a warm up catch for 10 minutes at practice ,that's it. After that its team lacrosse. I csnt spend my 90 min, twice a week teaching kids how to catch and throw. That in a large part has to be done at home. I tell my kids go 15 minutes a few days a week Some parents actually have a catch, some tell their kids to hit the rebounder, something. Some parents ignore me ,throw stick In closet to next practice, and when season is over, stick is in closet for several months. These are the kids that usually don't improve.

So, let's say 5th grade. If the PAL has 16 teams registered in A division, 24 teams in B division. And 20 teams in C division. Let's all pray to the gods that they schedule games according to TOWN LOCATION. Going from one corner of Nassau County to the opposite corner of Suffolk County for a single game when there are many other towns in between is ABSURD. Please PAL Directors, hook us coaches, parents and players up. We'll buy you dinner.

Hahaha great post. Seems logical, no? I wonder if they are even considering setting the scheduling up that way.

Amen. And by-the-way, I never played a day of lacrosse in my life, yet my kid catches and throws like a champ since 1st, plays travel etc etc. In fact, I never played much sports at all - didn't like them at the time. So I learned the game with my kids because they enjoy it. Its fun. We have fun. Oh yeah, and I coach too. All it takes is giving a [lacrosse] enough to put forth some effort and freaking magic can happen.

Those things are learned by repetition. Muscle memory eventually takes over and they figure it out. Have a more fast paced practice with a ton of reps, I picked up swax lax balls for the beginners. Kids are afraid of them and they don't roll as far so your not wasting time chasing them.

Much of this back and forth is silly. For the younger ages at the Town level, its BOTH the parents AND coaches responsibility to work with the kids on skill development (catching, passing, cradling). Each side should not be pointing the finger at the other.

I am a parent, not a coach. My oldest child took an interest in lacrosse at a very young age because his friends were into it. He is not the greatest in terms of natural athletic ability. I spent a ton of time with him just getting him to be able to catch the ball. Even in the living room with soft underhand tosses. This allowed him to become a very good player - better than is athletic ability suggests he should be. He was also helped by the fact that for a period time his crew of friends had sticks in their hands everywhere they went. My younger son is more of a natural athlete so I just let him pick it up on his own and from just being with his brother.

The bottom line is that as a parent you have to know your kid and their inherent abilities. If your kid is not going to be catching the ball at 3rd/4th grade than you either have to work with him on it, or resign yourself to watching a kid struggle.

But more broadly, every community should have a lax program where every kid in town who wants to play gets to play. And this will include kids who won't catch the ball no matter how hard they work at home, and kids who won't catch the ball because they never pick up a stick other than at practice/games. It will include kids that seem like they hate lacrosse because they hate everything. It will include kids who are more into soccer and basketball and hockey. It will include all kinds of kids. Its very important for a community to offer this to their kids - not just lacrosse but other sports. Its up to the adults to integrate the kids in the best way possible. But every kid who wants to play lacrosse should have a team that he or she can be on.

When will the PAL schedule be released?

PAL is develomental, just like your local baseball little league is. Kids play the sport with classmates....the good, the bad, the indifferent. If you want something different, go to club lacrosse but you shouldn't try to change what PAL Lacrosse is meant to be.......just because you think your kid is better or actually is better than most of the other kids.

I agree PAL should be for everyone! I help coach my son's team. He is very skilled. There are other boys who aren't as skilled but love the game just as much as my son does. My boy wants to play with his friends. The kids he will be playing school ball with. He plays on a very good high profile travel team where he is on the higher end of the skill level and he loves it. I'm pretty sure if I told him that he had to give up one or the other, the travel team would go. While he has made many friends there they are not the boys that he spends his days with. He plays multiple sports with these same kids and wouldn't trade them for the world. For some of these kids being a part of a team and competing with their friends, win or lose, will be the highlight of their sports life. Let them ALL enjoy it.

Beautiful weather to get the boys outside. How many Towns have started?

In my town it never ends.

Wow! It must be awesome to be killing it in PAL. I hear Petro has been sending top secret practice plans to all of you Dads.

Wow! You are a funny guy!!! You should do a standup act! You're way to talented for BOTC

Thanks, finally someone has noticed my talent!

Most of the kids of these parents play travel and PAL. You must be one of the chumps that think that your kid is too good for PAL. My kid loves his PAL team. No pressure. Your kid is missing out because his dad is a jerkoff.

PAL RULE CHANGE - it seems that PAL is adhering to the no "U" or "V" shooting strings this year. Time to restring all of those heads. Penalties will be imposed for all sticks with the banned strings.

Too funny my friend, of course my son plays PAL even though he is probably too good for it. He has fun until a jerkoff like you treats it like travel and over coaches and takes the fun out of it. If we are lucky, you might get hit in the nuts with one of your kids shots. I'm hopeful it happens.

Awful rule for the young kids. Can't see them imposing penalties on the younger grades

Did this come out of the meeting last night in Merrick? I wasn't able to make it.

Not being implemented this season.

Nassau schedules out yet?

ummmm yes it is.....no Vs or Us..i know a ref who told me

Could not AGREE more with the write up on playing attack with good stick skills and lax IQ...at the 6th grade level, some of the best players with excellent coaching go to attack. You may have in the past buried the less skilled kids there, not anymore. I have seen them on the 3rd and 4th middie line...buried.

Any word on schedules yet?

For Nassau PAL I was told yesterday a couple of weeks. I'm guessing Directors will have them in a week or so and coaches 2 weeks or so. I believe the Ratings are done. That info is on tourney machine. But take that for what it is. I completely stumbled on that and did not get confirmation from PAL board.

Got confirmation last night that there will be no U's or V's allowed and refs are instructed to check sticks. Whether or not it happens is another story

I was told not true also but who knows. I was also told Glove only checks. If this is true this is a big change.

How do the divisions rank. Most have Red, white , blue and gold is red the highest or lowest. Or is it just mixed

Red = A
White = B
Blue = C
Gold = D

Our director told us that, yes, checks only to the gloves and head of the stick. Anything else, including the crosse, will be called a slash. There are going to be a TON of whistles! Better hope your kid is on man up or man down!