BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys High School

For Spalding's sake I would hope this never happens. He would quickly ruin their program, in many different ways. He is far from a class act.

The Hawks 2022 team are so good for a couple reasons. First off, they practice more than everyone else. That's great that the parents are willing to get the kids there so many days a week year round, but in high school everyone practices the same amount amount so that advantage is out the window. Secondly, they have a ton of holdback kids. That advantage is also gone in high school. Every year we hear about how all these great club 8th graders are coming to Spalding. And every year Spalding stinks. It's a crappy public school charging private school prices. The real talent will always head up to Baltimore or down to DC.

That would be hilarious if Ripley takes over at Spalding. I honestly hope that happens for the comic relief.

Agreed. He is one of the worst people I have ever dealt with. Complete snake in the grass.

Why are so many hawk players going to Spalding now? What happened to the St Mary’s connection.

Could be harder admissions standards. What do you think? It is easier to get accepted to Spalding.

plenty of Hawks at both schools, but definitely a change in 21 and 22 classes.
a few reasons for the change,
one dad took his ball and went home when he didn't get his way at Saint Mary's
one dad tried to package a coaching deal if his son went there

i'm sure there are many other myriad reasons and I'm sure we will read about them in the next two pages

API coach tried to make it as a Spalding JV coach also. How did that work out?

I had a very different experience. Found him to be generous, upfront, and fair. Great communicator and leader. Good friend and fantastic role model. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I can honestly say I have yet to meet a coach or teacher that compares.

This is a worthy response. Quit your day job.

Watched UA tryouts last night...joke of a process in MD...political, Corrigans pushing for the Roughriders to get into the final 44 game. This event ued to be quality, not it is a joke...and it can all be yours for $190.

Unlike Kelly pushing for all the 20 year olds right ....

Highlight team is generally already decided before the tryouts take place especially with an FCA coach involved. Not necessarily the best players in the area (all very capable players which is very different from the best) but they are the ones with the best connections making the calls, exchanging favors and pushing for their guys before anybody steps on the field. Unconnected players have never had a chance even if they are more skilled. It is all very political and to keep the appearance of legit they will sprinkle in a token public or less influential club representative here and there. Those in the know don’t bother registering. Been talked about on these forums in the past. It is a great venue for the connected kids but that is simply all it is.

Your grammar is even more of a joke.

Talked with a college coach at the tryouts on Wednesday. He said he couldn't rely on just watching the UA games themselves once the teams had been picked because there was too much talent left on the table at tryouts. That's why he and two assistants were watching the tryouts. It was literally elbow to elbow DI, DII and DIII coaches. Lots of familiar faces. If your goal is to make the team, maybe you are right not to bother. If your goal is to be recruited, it's not a bad option. Those in the know recognize this.

Don’t disagree that there are coaches there but those same coaches are at most of the best tournaments all summer without all the drama and politics. The OP’s comment was about the actual team selection and not about whether there are coaches there. Same coaches who are in attendance also know that many quality kids stay away. If a player does not have access to the better tournaments during the summer then the tryouts are a good way to get in front of some coaches but given the style of play, chance of those players getting enough touches to make a difference is minimal. To each their own if they don’t have alternatives to get in front Of coaches and are already 2019 but the OP was correct in their assessment of the team selection.

Who were the evaluators for the Highlight team?

UA underclass has definitely grown into a prominent event. However, the politics and lack of transparency have become very damaging to their brand. If they want to be honest with everyone, the actual UA team tryouts should become an invite only event with coach nominations allowed. They could also run a separate UA showcase thats open to all for kids who just want to be "seen".

So, Back of the Cage says posts are monitored and offensive post will not show up. Yet, they allow this poster to openly call Roughriders and their players "garbage" is completely ok with the so called monitors. This is way out of line and when you post and call out this individual for making a degrading statement, that post never appears. I'll say it again, from what this poster says, it appears to me his son didn't make the final 44 players and he is bitter about this and lashes out at Corrigan, who presides over the Roughrider program. Seem there are dual standards here. Lets see if this gets posted.

So, Back of the Cage says posts are monitored and offensive post will not show up. Yet, they allow this poster to openly call Roughriders and their players "garbage" is completely ok with the so called monitors. This is way out of line and when you post and call out this individual for making a degrading statement, that post never appears. I'll say it again, from what this poster says, it appears to me his son didn't make the final 44 players and he is bitter about this and lashes out at Corrigan, who presides over the Roughrider program. Seem there are dual standards here. Lets see if this gets posted.


Who cares what that donk says...clearly he doesn't know what he's talking about. If he did, he would know that Collin Heacock played for that club. They have good players. Most high level clubs do.

And no, my son has never played for RR.

Has the team been posted yet? If so, where?

Who are the evaluators for this group?

STOP. The calls and comments from parents about their kids is what makes the tryout so ugly. Not the subjectivity of evaluators and coaches. Different coaches like different players for different reasons- and dislike too because of attitude, team dynamic, size (big or small), decision making etc. The evaluators know these players, and produce a product. A 22 man roster to play lacrosse. 22!!! there are hundreds of colleges and I can promise you inclusion or exclusion from the UA roster gets you or denies your son nothing... other than some text on his resume and some conversation topics for his parents.

This UA process needs to be revamped. Rather than charging the hundreds of dollars to kids who have no chance of making either a top 40 or 22 man team,it should be a tiered process. Unfortunately, egos are involved on the club owners and parents end. Sorry but seeing these club owners out there demonstrates a conflict of interest. Be a smart consumer when deciding on where your son has the opportunity to be seen in front of college scouts. Your already paying a ton of money for your son to be seen at the skill level that he made his team on and type of team. 1-No club owner or head agent /parent should be involved in the eval process; period. Instead there should be recommendations coming from the club or HS of its top five-six players and those players sent for a 2-3 day tryout process. Those outside of that tiered process who aren't given selection recommendations are sent then to a round of their own- as an independent. Some of the kids selected to top 40 game have never competed summer after summer against the top tier talent they are going to face in a national regional tournament such as UA. It will be the difference on the final 22 man team winning or losing. The boys and coaches will have very little time to build chemistry and in the current UA process you can't say consists of the "best of the best". College coaches have already expressed they want to see the best regional talent period, cut to the chase, stop the money grab, have some integrity. Best of luck to those who are still in it, not bitter just hope things get better.

Everyone knows that the UA tryouts are for 4-8 spots max on any team. Every Region team is loaded with players the coaches know from Club, team or players of coaches buddies. These arent tryouts in a true sense. Just a money grab and PR event . The teams could be assembled without a tryout or a tryout of 30-40 players tops. But that wouldnt get the attention or money 200 players supposedly trying out for a team would.

I'm thinking that Corrigan would be laughed out of the room at the Strong Island tryout meeting (and other regions as well) if he tried to insist on a certain number of players from a certain club (his) or from certain schools (public) be included in the call back game. It's a joke here in Baltimore. Best of luck to the Baltimore Highlight team but I'm pretty sure some of the best players were not included in the call back list.

Who was in charge of goalie evaluations? Heard that he based his decisions on warm ups......

Get a grip.

Does anyone have the link for the final team roster?

Call back game is scheduled for this Wednesday. Guessing that rosters will be posted at some point thereafter.

Wow...You think the rosters will be posted after the call back game? How did you deduce that Sherlock?

Suppose if what this poster says is true then that doesn't exactly allow for a team of "lacrosse's elite" to be assembled, now does it?????

You really need to find something else to comment on

You really need to find something else to do other than making really stupid comments are factual statements.

Having that number of players try out makes the event affordable for those ultimately selected, pays for the event itself, and makes money for the promoter. If 200 kids didn't tryout, the 22 that play on the team would have to pay $1000 for the event. The kids that tryout get 5 abbreviated games with like-minded good players and can see where they stack up. Its just like your club. 18 players pay the freight for the top 4 or 5 on the team. The rest of the team's players benefit by having those really good kids on the team. Its why the club system stinks fo the majority of players. Huge rosters that benefit only a few kids and the benefit the club operator who needs to make a living too- he/she has chosen to run a lacrosse club and needs rest of the families to keep the system afloat. Under Armour showcase is no different.

What coaches are evaluating these players for the highlight team?

Those spots were filled long before warm ups. But thank you for your $190.

Wasn't there but I know some of these kids... I heard about a couple of the Command (2021/2022) goalie call-back / no call-back outcomes and if what I heard is actually true then the above is untrue.

When your talent doesn't match your hype you are left behind in this kind of a thing.

Truly talented + up-and-coming move through regardless of pedigree and hype.

We will see after Wednesday.

More power to you if you do not believe that hype and pedigree play a huge part of the selection. History has shown that this is the case every year and it is far from a non biased selection.

Stats don't lie.

True. My son tried out. Based on the players we know, we thought he was
Number 2 or 3 going in and this held up in the tryouts. He didn't even get a callback. Even though his coaches and other had him top 3, our realistic goal and hope was to at least make it to the call back. 2 of the callbacks are head sctratchers for sure. The one kid may have had the 8th best tryout but when the names of the callbacks are released, you will understand and be able to piece together why he got invited. The top 2 that SHOULD now make the team are excellent players and well deserving. I just hope it is those 2 who make the final roster.