BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Girls 2025 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

Because your the lacrosse expert......

GCS is/trying to become a feeder for TerpsLax. I say good for them! Also Gerstell has some big money behind the scenes and they’ll take you if you can make them better because they can- go for it!

Gerstell will never compete at the top! Mark it down. Best chance they had was last year and after this one it will be a big drop off. Paying money to get beat up by IAAM elites isn’t worth it. Coaching is an issue too.

Hero’s is better than M&D at the 2026, 2027, 2028 levels so I’m not sure about that one.

I do believe that Hero's 2025 is ranked higher this year and has won the NGLL championship for the last 3 years. Both teams do a great job of playing competitive lax

M&D is not the powerhouse it used to be. The coaching is sketchy-they are used to collecting talent not developing talent. Since the goal is not what team is best but is your kid getting recruited/showcased properly and developing her talents parents need to make the right decisions. IMHO girls like to play with girls they like early on so by the time they are forced to play in college with girls they don't like- they don't burnout.

Skywalkers has evolved into a powerhouse lax team. There is something to be said about non-parent coaching.

Of course there is something to be said regarding non-parent coaching....that's common sense. It should be like that across the board but unfortunately is not realistic around here.

I am a parent of player with parent coaches and I could not agree more with this statement. We have lived and learned. If we could do it over, we would. Parents should not be coaching at any level above rec.

Last time I checked they are still top 3 in this class. You could probably flip a coin between them and Hero's. As for Skywalkers. They have no depth and will leave their best players out there in close games. To that note, some of the parents/kids that left, did so because they knew competition was coming. God forbid their D get demoted in 2nd string.

Stop being an 8th grade kids. Hero’s, M&D and Skywalkers are the top three programs, any given game, playoff, tournament. Stop pounding chests and move on and just be grateful for a season. You all need help. Seriously.

All programs have parents that coach. Maybe not their daughters team but still involved. Look at how many club coaches started at Rec and became experts and moved up to club. They got a whole let better when talent came to their club. Heros and M&D have some excellent parent / coaches that coaches at college or high school and work hard with their club teams. Sw is only club I know where you can’t coach ur own kid. If you don’t like a club cause they let a parent coach then find a new club and I don’t think you’d have many options.

you go to SW to get recruited to D1 schools, not win the ngll or some tshirt for a summer tournament..if it happens that is great but its not the purpose of the club. as an fyi all the girls on the 22 SW Blue team have verbally committed to D1 schools

Sorry for not being more specific. Parent coaches who coach their own player’s team. How’s that?

you go to SW to get recruited to D1 schools, not win the ngll or some tshirt for a summer tournament..if it happens that is great but its not the purpose of the club. as an fyi all the girls on the 22 SW Blue team have verbally committed to D1 schools[/quote]

That’s awesome , congrats to you and your daughter! I guess Heros and M&D don’t do that ?

That’s awesome , congrats to you and your daughter! I guess Heros and M&D don’t do that ?[/quote]
she not of recruiting age yet

M&D, Yellow Jackets and Hero's, the top 3 teams in this age group in the country and 3 of the top clubs overall have parent coaches. I guess they are doing something wrong.

she not of recruiting age yet[/quote]

Sorry I assumed you were plugging your daughters 22 blue team. The only club team that tries to get all girls to D1 lax.

Parents coaches are more than qualified to coach, but doesn't mean its the best option. Parents coaches just add a level of political corruptness, favoritism, and of course they think their D is the best player.

No... only some parents are qualified to coach. That’s the problem. The whole point of club is advanced coaching and better players than rec

I don’t want to pay close to $3,000 per year for an average parent coach. Isnt club supposed be o be special ? And you’re right ..., it immediately brings nepotism and favoritism

Parents coaches are more than qualified to coach, but doesn't mean its the best option. Parents coaches just add a level of political corruptness, favoritism, and of course they think their D is the best player.[/quote]

On the flip side of the argument. Only parents coaching will be invested the entire year -every year to a team and their development. If the caoch is objective with all players it is a better scenario than the fleeting young ex-player on her cell phone. These jobs pay nothing so turnover is high. My d has a parent (dad) coach who is the best teacher of the game that we have had. This is our 3rd D to play.

Then your daughter is one of the lucky few. Let me know if you feel the same about her coach once she’s in high school and it’s no longer about winning and all about showcasing.

That's great for your daughter - but I think you will find more often than not the parent coach is an issue. If the parent coach's child is one of the strongest players its easier to swallow but when they're not one of the strongest players (or worse yet - towards the bottom of the roster) and they're out there playing ahead of other stronger players then it is a huge issue. You will find it in every sport. Rec lax is dwindling now but a couple years ago playing club was a way to get away from the daddy-ball that was prevalent in rec. Now it's just transferred over to club. The other issue that comes with a parent coach is the "friends" issue. Whether it be the friends of the coach w/ players on the team or friends of the coach's child playing on the team. The same issues that come with a parent coach's child start to also happen with the "friends". Sometimes they play more or play certain positions cause adult friends of the coach pressure the coach - sometimes players should be cut and are not cut for the same reason. And I'm sorry - that's not how club lax works. Personal relationships should have no bearing on a club lax team. When you add multiple parent coaches to a team the problem gets even worse. As soon as a parent coach acquiesces to his/her friends - it means these friends are now interfering with other players place on the team. While I agree a parent coach will stay invested longer than a hired coach - I don't think hands should be thrown in the air and say "ok all of our teams are now turned over to parent coaches". Maybe a solution is to have parent coaches be the assistants ??? The mommy-ball/daddy-ball issue will never go away. But you will not have these issues with a non parent coach. No parent should be able to influence coaches at all and not having parent coaches is a good step towards eliminating that.

Agree with the point about parent coaches and the "friends" issue. See it all the time. If your friends with the coaches daughter, your included more in everything. Even if the players are on the bottom of the roster, they are still around because of the friendships. Nothing you can do about it, just keep improving yourself and look forward to high school lax

That can be a huge issue and I don't think anyone can argue that. I see it on our own team That said coaches like the 24 MnD coach who have no family ties to the team are hard to find and you have to find the right situation for your D.

[/quote]

You are right, I should have said some parent coaches are qualified to coach. If the coaches D is a beast then I really don't have any issues with them getting playing time, but that's not the case. Also the point about "friends" of the D on the team is absolutely terrible, because it is like the coach has like 5 D's on the team. And if there is 2 parent coaches, Ugh!

I would pay an extra $500 - $1000 in fees to get an outside paid coach. I'm sure if you paid someone like 5-10k/season you should get someone good. I'm surprise a club has not done it yet.

What if the D is a beast and the offense runs through her stick and players are told to move out of the way to make room for her to drive, and she doesn’t come off the field?

Sounds like daddy coach made it easy for other teams defense.

Seeing as Hero’s is dominant at the 2026 age group, not sure she picked wrong. I think Maryland and Cathy will be just fine. MnD just has sour grapes that she picked a program other than theirs.

Of course Terps will be fine. I will be interested to see how many of the Hero’s 26 (very good team) end up at MD with Reese’s daughter on team.

Let’s also not act like Terps don’t recruit nationally anyways but you’d have to assume CR has great insight on 2026 class than normal.

3 max. Counting her daughter. She can’t take all from one team and I’m sure most all think their daughter will be one of the chosen ones.

Hero's has won the championship the last 3 years. Can they 4peat or who do you think can knock them off? My initial preseason ranking:

1. Hero's
2. M&D
3. NEMS
4. Skywalkers
5. Stars
6. Pride
7. MD United
8. LBC
9. TLC
10. CCLax/FCA

preseason ranking for 8th grade girls lacrosse...you really are that bored?

said the person responding to the post.

Must be a NEMS/STARS parent!! Haha NEMS at 3, Stars at 5 is a joke. I'd say Pride or SW at 3.

My list.
1. M&D
2. Heros
3. Skywalkers
4. Pride
5. NEMS
6. Hoco
7. MD United
8. Stars
9. LBC
10. Coppermine


I think Skywalkers has gotten better so 1-3 are tops. Gap to 4 and 5. 6 thru 9 who knows the order? I would say TLC and CClax/ FCA need to do a bit of work to be top 10 in the DMV area. Maybe Coppermine, M&D red, 3d Frederick, and Integrity? I would favor all 4 vs TLC.

This was more of a ranking of the top 10 in the A. Minus coppermine I don't think the teams you mentioned play in the a division. CCLax should be bumped to A which would put them right there with Coppermine, TLC and FCA. Again assuming that all teams are playing in the A division.

I watched CClax -they are a B team. MDU has improved but not to 7. Integrity B team as well

MDU beat LBC and Pride last fall. 7 is about right for now. This spring will tell if the new players on all teams make a difference.

Prediction: HOCO doesn't play anyone, get done when they do. Pride falls to the side. 7th to 8th grade is when NEMS and Coppermine peak, if not sooner. Then girls move on. M&D, Heros, Skywalkers, MDU pop to the top as usual by the end of the summer of their 8th grade year and it is more pronounced by the end of their 9th grade once their top girls attend IAAM schools freshman year. The funny thing is history has a way of repeating itself.

Ngll groupings are out on tourney machine. 18 teams in A, 9 in each group everyone plays everyone once. Should be a great spring season. M&D red, 3d and CCLAX now all A teams. Integrity b team