BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NEW JERSEY LACROSSE NEW JERSEY FORUM Top NJ Girl's Club Teams

Who are the top NJ Girl's Club Teams? Use this thread to debate and share your opinions.

Yawn...

why yawn? Is your daughter not on a NJ team or does she play on a team we all never heard of?

STEPS and then everyone else, at least starting at freshman year. Fact, look at college commitment list vs. other clubs and record vs. other clubs.

Facts!

I have been seeing SJ Shamrocks being recruited lately. I would consider them a top tier program for both the boys and girls.

Steps has been at the tope of the list for some time now. After that, Maybe BBL

Do you mean South Jersey Select ? SJS ? what about T3, they have a large program.

BBL? I hope you are kidding. Okay, BBL mom, when was the last time they played in a "top tier" tournament?
How can you mention them before SJS and T3, when they seem to avoid the "bigger" tournaments.

Dewlax is doing good things too, esp at younger ages.

I'm seeing more and more of Dewlax at tournaments. Out of curiosity since they are in the same areas - what would make Dewlax more appealing than Steps or T3? As a parent, I'm asking.

I'm not sure its fair to say one program is more appealing than another. It comes down to the coaches and teammates. Ultimately, its mostly the same tournaments and I'm sure the coaching changes from team to team. Girls are happy in all those programs from the feedback I receive.

Steps is at the top of the pecking order and will usually have close to 100 girls at their tryouts. They were one of the first clubs in the northern part of NJ and have a good reputation with recruiting. That being said, there are politics at Steps as well as most of the other bigger name clubs. Some of these teams are a bit watered down and have 4 to 5 teams spread through out parts of NJ. It makes it feel like a money grab but i guess that is par for the course.

^^^ T3 is the biggest money grab going. Especially the satellite teams (not North) which haven't had the calibre of commitments that other clubs have. Not even close - no comparison to STEPS. T3 is turning into a mill and the coaching and quality/level of player is suffering for it.

Yea and what is with the Team United/T3 Merger?

Nice uniforms and cool tents! From a L.I. Parent. Dewlax teams seem to put a good product on the field and are competitive in my daughter's age groups.

I agree. They are in a great location able to pull players from several hotbeds.

Dewlax does not have the years of recruiting experience that the more established clubs have. They are doing great things but if your daughter wants to play in college, you have to take a leap of faith. Parents and players are very happy and loyal, with less backbiting of other clubs.

Dewlax is a newer program but girls lacrosse is different than the guys. As long as they go to the right tournaments which I know they do, the college coaches will see them play where if this was a boys team, I would say good luck on getting recruited by a d1 school because they are attending the invite-only events but like I said, girls and boys club lax is not the same. With that said, if you play for the Yellow Jackets, coaches will be more inclined to watch them over any other program but b/c the coaches all go to the same events, they will make their rounds to watch a large majority of teams in attendance.

Dewlax seems to draw the kids who can't make STEPS of BBL. They seem to be following the T3 route and opening programs everywhere in NJ. Not sure about the HS teams but I haven't seen them at any of the bigger tournaments.

That's certainly not accurate anymore, at least with respect to BBL.

I think Steps is at the top of the pecking order too but there is a lot of parity now. Tristate, Garden State Elite, SJ Select, BBL, T3, SJ Shamrocks, NJ Thunder, Dewlax & Celtics are probably the next in line in that order but all produce competitive teams.
Thoughts?

Look at the recruiting statistics.

not that it matters, but recruiting statistics only tell us where programs have been, not where they currently are... probably better to look at how these programs are doing at tournaments, where they are being flighted and how they are doing head to head...

T3 and Dewlax are both expanding the brand in NJ with multiple teams. North NJ is over saturated at this point.

Any thoughts on MadDog

Boys side has been a mess since Billy left. Girls look different today but might follow the same path as the boys. Buyer

Does anyone know if Tri-State and Mad Dog Lacrosse merge on the women's side?

Seems like a pretty unlikely union

Mad Dog poached Tri-States people and now they are leaving Mad Dog. Grass only green in CA!

Seems to be a lot of dysfunction with Mad Dog NJ program...

My daughter will be trying out this year for some club teams. She is in 6th grade. What can we expect at the tryouts? What are the coaches looking for? What would be the best advice to give her about the tryouts?

It really depends on your daughter's skill level and goals (developmentally). If she is going to try out for a more competitive club, the tryouts will be more rigorous and the club will be more focused on filling a specific position. Other clubs may play a less competitive schedule and focus more on general player development. Its probably best to attend several tryouts in order to see where your daughter fits skill wise, plus its just good experience. If she is at a tryout that is way over her head, or vice versa, you will know it pretty quickly.

Thank you for your response. Yes she is trying out for a more competitive club. She plays defense. How long are the tryouts usually and what drills or skills evaluation are they looking at? What does the schedule of a tryout usually look like?

Some clubs have multiple tryouts, some with callbacks. They will usually run basic skill drills, perhaps then separate positions and run some offensive/defensive drills and perhaps run half field game situations. As I stated earlier, it will be pretty clear if you are in the right place once the drills start and you can compare the talent level. I think that the most important thing is to be realistic with your expectations. If you daughter is well suited to the team that she is trying out for, then great, but if it seems as though she is not close to the same caliber as the other girls, perhaps another club would be better. The travel schedule can be time consuming and expensive, you do not want to end up travelling all over the place in the summer if your daughter will get little or no playing time. Also, you are not married to the club forever, your daughter is young, you have plenty of time to feel things out.

So. Does anyone know what happened to T3? I'm told they folded. How can that be?

Heard the same but was only their shore teams

Thank god there North team (Triple Threat Lacrosse?) is still around. Not a lot of other teams in that area - Steps, BBL, Dewlax and CLC. Steps tryouts have 90+ girls there, it's ridiculous. BBL doesn't really coach the girls at the youth level. Dewlax is a dumpster fire (definitely buyer beware). That leaves CLC and T3 that actually coach and develop the girls.

Why do you say DEWLAX is a dumpster fire?

Its all about the money. Taking as many girls as possible onto teams many of which can't throw or catch, creating teams without goalies, "one team one family" = moving girls around from team to team across age groups to win games. No real player development of game IQ, they focus more on how someone throws a ball. "Connective Coaching" - if your daughter responds to getting yelled at and doing pushups constantly. Coaches value having girls run through as many people as possible rather than passing the ball and getting the open shot, incentives for scoring instead of getting the assist. There's more but you get the point. Go somewhere that will develop your daughter.

Girls can’t throw or catch, so coaches focus on throwing and catching...how is that bad coaching?

All Lax 2023 had a particularly impressive showing at Lax Amplified last weekend. They went undefeated against BBL Black, Dynasty and Xtreme 2023 teams. I think All American AIM has a strong program in South Jersey.

So bringing this convo current what is the general consensus of the hierarchy of the New Jersey girls lax clubs. From player development to completive scheduling to opportunity of training with said club to the strength of the club from the younger girls team to the HS aged girls?

Steps still a strong club especially due to legacy in space.
CLC amazing coaching and development. Best coaches! Growing

Bbl trying to invest in girls but still very much a boys club.
Coaching varies.

Fair enough, thank you for sharing!!

CLC has some really strong, nationally ranked teams. Their 2022 Pride team and their 2026 Pride and 2026 Rise squads come to mind.

BBL has great coaching at the older levels. Definitely teaching the game - selfish play is discouraged; their girls understand the game. Some really high level commits over the past few years as well.

BBL has one great coach (SW) other than that they are average at best. Owners have no idea of how to run a club and are too focused on bringing in any kid who gets cut or leaves STEPS. BBL had a lot of potential a few years back but now is just average. CLC has made a big splash in the area and will continue to be a solid program with high level coaching and training. STEPS is still number one team in northern NJ.

former STEPS parent here. From a recruiting perspective, they are #1 by far. And arguable as good as yellow jackets or top maryland teams.

That said, was disappointed by the level of coaching for STEPS, especially at the youth levels. STEPS tends to attract players who are great already, but doesn't necessarily create great players.

Whats the better BBL team "Black" or "Select"?

Did some searching looks like the "Black" team is the one ranked at the older levels. Thinking it may not matter at the younger levels. Maybe its a way they split up the "central" team, IDK.

What bugs me about steps is they don’t play in too brackets or top tourneys. In lax for the cure they play a weaker bracket to try and make playoffs. Schedule some games against the Md teams instead of waiting until a championship game which never happens.

Its interesting after you mentioned that, I questioned that!!!! That's why I previously posted my BBL team hierarchy question. I noticed BBL had entered one of their top teams, the "Black" team in a less competitive bracket. Like you had stated they ended up smoking the comp and winning their bracket. They left the MD teams, 3 top 10 ranked club teams I might add to hash it out amongst themselves and the less fortunate that had entered the arena!!!!

What is the top talent trying out for this year? AMerican Selects or Under Armour?

Under Armour hands down

The American select teams are loaded with top talent. I'm sure both teams will have great players, but the AS will just have much more. Just look at the American select rosters posted on the website. There was more talent at the AS tryouts this years than last years Under Armour tryouts.

South Jersey has 2 very good clubs. South Jersey Select and All American Aim have a healthy competition going on. The high schools are getting solid players from both clubs. The South Jersey high schools won all the state groups except Oak Knoll. I do question how Rumsen- Fairhaven is considered South. Both clubs put a lot of girls into great college programs.

How do you feel tryouts were conducted for AS?

Did not watch much of the AS tryouts. Heard it was a lot of drills early and scrimmages to see who could play. Pretty standard tryout format. I'm sure there were some names that had an inside tract. The final roster had some girls who I know are good and had a good tryout, despite not a lot of hype about them. That is a good sign about a fair tryout.

Great! Thanks. Nice to hear positive things about a tryout.

BBL elite Black is the A team. Their B team is the Red team aka Helix. Most recently it’s been branded as the Select team.

Can anyone shares playing time philosophy from clc, steps and bbl?

Basically, they make no promises.

& why should they

They also avoid playing the top teams in the best tournaments unless they have to play them in the playoffs.

In my experience that is not true. As a current Steps parent and seasoned lax dad I have been very pleased with Steps. Our experience has been great. My daughter was blessed to have an amazing coach. Very happy so far.

They shouldn't (or needn't, I guess; what they should do depends on your perspective). Which is why my advice (multiple kids on different teams plus what I've seen and heard over 10+ yrs) is "buyer beware" for any parents that jump ship when the top teams come to poach your kid. Yes they want to bolster their rosters. But they also want to decimate the competition's rosters.

Situation A: Your kid is a star, gets major minutes on a rising team and allows rising team to compete at a fall tournament against Top 3 team (maybe not beat them but comes close). Rising team proceeds to do well in Fall and summer, and Top 3 feels the footsteps. So they try and poach. You say no, rising team stays together for 5 years and your kid and the team do great in A brackets at good tournaments. College recruiters get to see them shine, kid has a great time.

Situation B: Your kid is a star, gets major minutes on a rising team and allows rising team to compete at a fall tournament against Top 3 (maybe not beat them but comes close). Rising team proceeds to do well in Fall and summer, and Top 3 feels the footsteps. So they try and poach. You say yes, rising team takes a step back...but on Top 3 team your kid is one of 15 with similar skills, the other girls gel together better, and your kid gets only a few minutes a game. Some college looks but maybe not as much PT and not as much fun.

Top 3 teams always win in Situation B. Worst case scenario they stole a major chip from a competitor, and get more depth. Player not always--with big downside risk.

The sad truth about club lacrosse is that it's really just a recruiting hammerhead. The clubs have built relationships with the colleges over the years. They don't over hype their girls for the sake of their personal credibility, but they have the ear of all the schools. They play in summer tournaments and offer additional clinics for extra money, but do not expect the club to make your daughter into a top tier player. That responsibility is on the parents, the player and the high schools they play for to do that. Just look on the clubs websites and go to the recruits page, it's very clear who attracts the best players. Steps is clearly tops in NJ. Several of NJ's best girls lacrosse players have joined some Pa clubs. Go online and do the research. The only sure truth out there is the player makes the player, not the club.

Do clubs ever ask for feedback on coaches? My daughter plays for a strong girls club most of team (1/2) didn't love the coach this year but new we would be getting a new one next year. However, she is the coach again this year. Many of us want to give feedback but not sure its worth it as she is the coach and don't want to burn bridges.

I would tough it out and make plans for next year. If you make a stnk, the coach might take it out on your daughter and possibly contribute to her being cut next year. Just my two cents.

Sounds personal. Every club will have its supporters and detractors. Best to see where your daughter fits based on your experience. For every dumpster fire comment, there is a kid at Maryland who says she had a great experience.

An educated parent is the best parent.

Agreed.

AS tryout was a total joke at the tryout in NY. They actually conducted the tryout without pinnies! Tell me how fair that is. There was no way of knowing who was who. What a joke. And affiliated coach was there with a clipboard in hand making selections, even though the website states they will not use any club affiliated coaches in the selection process. The parents all knew it too.

Yes, agree. However at that age, I think the girls are pretty well known on the island from all the other things they do. Club, HS , leagues etc. The top players are pretty much already known. They do the tryouts for $$$s

What happened to the BBL NORTH 2025 team? Did that team disband? I know the CLC BOLD 2025 team is no longer around.

Any thoughts on some of the newer programs? 3D Garden State, X-treme Lax Factory, GSE (Garden State Elite), Team 91 Girls?

Several girls that I know play for 3D Garden State. They really enjoy it and the stronger players get a chance to play on the 3d National Team. They are not in the 2025 group.

If you didn’t bother to tryout for either AS or UA or you weren’t selected or were injured, then you weren’t ranked. It feels like this should be communicated: to be ranked on IL’s list as a top recruit, you have to play at AS or UA. That’s not common knowledge, but it’s definitely true.

If you daughter is great it doesn't matter. Don't get [Censored] into the FOMO.

Outside of the top tier players, IL rankings are meaningless, especially when players are paying to get rated.

Didn't know that they were paying to be rated. Being injured in the Spring of sophomore year is a bummer.

My daughter got cut after being on a team for many years going into freshmen year. She should have switched to bbl years back as they don’t suddenly have. “New” team going into freshmen year.

I am sorry to hear this. Clubs have zero loyalty to players and players and parents need to know this. Best of luck and I’m sure she will land on the right team.

You have to do navigate this club stuff with open eyes. Loyalty is not and shouldn't be a given. You need to do what is best for your daughter. If she is a strong player she will find a home this year. Several clubs including Steps have not locked their rosters. Good luck.

Do you think Steps will take new players?

Dies anyone know if you turn down a steps B spot, does the club hold a grudge? My daughter wasn’t ready for a change but I think maybe next year?

No I would say if it’s a Steps A spot you can’t turn that down. But Walsh is a good guy and they just want the best girls for their team. If your daughter is good and tries out next year then she will get a spot again.