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

The guy is an idiot , typical Daddy ball , was thrown out of PAL once before and now is back . Another smart move from the WI pal .

Suffolk pal posts everything on their website

Tom how was the beating you got at Saturdays tournament. Lol. Your not all that

a lot of PAL programs are becoming a joke. some of the better players are choosing to not even play PAL if their town team is not good. which makes the team even worse and have a hard time drawing kids to compete

I played against West Islip this year as well. They were up 6 goals and the coaches decided to call atimeout with a minute left.They then instructed the team to back off so my special needs player could have a chance to run up the field with the ball. The players on that pal team have already learned more from playing for those 2 coaches and with their friends then they would have all year chasing t shirts.

I read here that a lot of parents want the HS coach to be an active participant in PAL, well the HS coaches I have spoken to believe there should be no "A" or "B" designation, just mix all the kids up and teach them solid fundamental lacrosse. I agree wholeheartedly, thoughts?

Gotta love the embarrassment out program has become. Coach pulling kids off the field for man up seconds into a shift because they "don't know the man up play". Having a man up play is fine, but it has been taught at PAL practice.
The town travel team has a man up unit, but PAL is where all the kids on the roster deserve the chance to play in all situations.

Classy move WI!

Idealistically? Without a doubt! Practically? Maybe - it depends. If you have coaches that can work together to run a productive practice, that both teaches and keeps the boys interested and enthusiastic, all the while accommodating sometimes drastic gaps in both skill and commitment to the game, then yes. But that's a tall order for many coaches and organizations.

The real question for the poster is, "how many of those coaches he spoke to have actively tried to get involved and made this known to their community youth organizations?". Many here lambasted the very idea (not paid to do it, too much more time, etc, etc). In these cases, we at least seem to have some coaches that are thinking this way, but are they doing anything to actually make a mark in their community organizations? Talk is cheap.

I have very mixed feelings. I would rather a team be split where the newer kids can develop together while playing against teams with similar makeups. Instead of getting slaughtered or playing too far down that it's too easy for the better returning players. I see it first hand where our team has a mix from very good to brand new. It's tough seeing a newbie take a pass to the helmet, chest, arm then have the better kids end up lobbing passes or even not hitting an open man because they don't think the other kid can catch. Very hard to coach that to 8-9 year olds. In an ideal world one town would practice together, scrimmage together, but during games split the teams up. Again I have mixed feelings and could probably be swayed either way.

Amazing!!

stop babying the kids.having an A and B squad only benefits the kids. The A kids can play in a more competitive league with kids more their level, and the B kids will get tons of PT and develop confidence. They also will be matched up against kids at their level so they still enjoy the sport. The ONLY problem with A and B is that head case parents can't label their kid as a B player and most Dads who coach are coaching their son on A teams, thus B teams lack dedicated coaches. Thats it, kids should be split. Years ago kids didn't make the cut, now they still can enjoy the game at their own pace.

There are some school districts that will not allow the HS coach to be involved with youth lacrosse in the town.

You can still teach them solid fundamental skills in an A and B environment. You do not need mixed teams to do this. In fact, fundamentals can be taught better in an A and B environment. Depending on the age, B level kids still are learning how to pass, catch and cradle. They will need to devote a lot of time on this. A level kids will largely be proficient on this, and will need to spend more time on their weaker hand, dodging, and passing and catching at a higher rate of speed.

That being said, its best if the A and B team practice at the same place and time as each other, which will allow the teams to mix a bit and give the emerging B team player access to the A team kids, and to have certain B team kids play up with the A team for certain games if the rules permit such.

Great post. In my town the A and B players are mixed together and the top players do NOT enjoy the team. It has only divided the town, the players, and the coaches. It's a disaster and the kids are the only ones who suffer.

I wish my town would do this. It is crazy to have kids out there who can't catch and throw playing against kids from top travel teams. All it does is hurt their confidence and makes them not want to play. If there are enough kids, there should be an A/B format for each team. It is in the best interest for the new kids.

That sounds like a good policy! /sarc Why?

So I can surmise that you would NOT want the HS coach involved unless the PAL was split down a talent level.

Most of the newer HS coaches are tied to travel programs and more concerned with getting their players developed there where they are profiting from it. I think the number of coaches that see themselves in the same spot in 7 years where the need to worry about the development of 5th grade pal kids is very small. Wouldnlove to a guy at the helm that is all in on a town program.

That's nothing!, you should see the kids that came out of the woodwork to play 7th and 8th school! Never picked up a stick they are getting 30 seconds of play time and getting crushed in the process. All because their parents want to be in the in croud. I feel sorry for them!

Parents wanted to be part of the in crowd??? Really...you just said that?
In crowd?? You probably think it's the in crowd because of the low number of parents that you hang out with...... The rest of us are just laughing at you and your "in crowd "

So most posters believe the PAL program should be split, against what 3 separate coaches, Varsity and JV of both male female teams have told me. Says a lot about the school coaches getting involved with PAL. Now I know why all 3!stay away, they would have to fight a very uphill battle with parents.

Most High School Coaches are so involved with their program they would have no time for PAL programs. Half of them can't even make their travel team practices

So if you have 2 teams, just split the kids onto each team with no rhyme or reason?
So if you have 2 teams you would just split the teams evenly?

Those parents are the same ones that think participation trophies are good.

They stay away cause they have no time and they don't get paid.

Did you ever find out why he's gone?

Those were high school coaches who felt that way. The reasoning was to teach a much larger pool of kids good lacrosse so when they get up to middle school and high school you have sound lacrosse players developed through PAL. Or you could win the mythical PAL championship. Some parents think that's good too.

school board needs to be spoken to, HS coaches in some way or another need to be involved with youth programs ( in all sports). Remember coaching contracts are yearly.

I am a firm believer of A and B split teams. I also believe you need at least 2 practices a week. One practice as a grade, one as a team. If coach wants another 3rd practice day, so be it.

Kids play at different skills. If enough players for two teams definitely go, AB. Keeping an eye on all players even the players a grade below. I also believe in bringing the better younger players up a grade. I come from a town that the PAL parent coaches blackballed a boy simply because they knew their friend's son would be negatively impacted if they allowed the younger player to play.

Coach wasn't involved with youth, he was old school, didn't see the new wave of things. Happens. In the process town lost the two best players the town (even LI) would have ever seen, along with the support players that would have made them a top program.

The culture of lacrosse has changed (maybe all sports), Coach didn't see it and lost the town's opportunity of a championship. But is it all worth a championship, who knows? After all, it's just a sport!

W

Totally Agree with the post. Our town's PAL program is terrible. My son will be going the Private school route because of the negative town experience.

So your son is going to private school based on lacrosse? Priorities baby!!

What town is that? Which private school has a good lacrosse program for your son?

Huntington. St A's is local. It's the town PAL program that's a complete mess. It was the icing on the cake over all these years that made my mind up to send my son to Private.

That is an old guard statement, no coach in this day and age would say that. Okay maybe a coach who has very good to good. If you have players on different sides of the spectrum you wouldnt say split. It is all relative to what you have. if you have good to very good maybe split evenly.

if you have a good amount of both very good and developing, you cant, for each players growth, blend the team it is a detriment to both the very good and the developing.

He is absolutely right, if you think kids don't join HS sports teams (lacrosse, football) to be part of the "in crowd", you need to get your head out of your a-s.

You're not in the "IN CROWD", I can say this because I am in the IN CROWD.

Call it what you will, one of the coaches won a state championship and one of them is in the mix every year. So I'll say they know their business.

Sometimes lacrosse (or any sport) is the last straw. Just as drama or any other sport or extra curricular activity might be.

I know of young boys who played Varsity in 8th grade then chose to go Private. They didnt stay because to their families their priorities were straight. I also know of others that played HS in 8th that wish they made the switch to catholic but didnt just because they wanted to stay in town. Were their priorities correct. Hindsight is always 50/50.

It isnt always lacrosse but sometimes it is. I applaud the player that seeks a challenge and wants more. Especially those that would have been awarded and had been 5 year varsity starters who probably broke records both individual and team.

there isnt a model that fits all kids, what you may consider a priority is not my top 3.

Kids do go out for a team because of the camaraderie. Parents do push kids to try out to be a "part" of something. Nothing wrong with either especially in MS. At least kid is trying... at least parents trying to get kid involved with something.

You're in HS??