BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Girls 2027-6th Grade Fall 2020/Summer 2021

$3000 is average

They allowed all the girls from the previous year to sign up without trying out due to covid, so the team is a mix of a and b girls. Next year will be different with tryouts.

You should find out where the clubs practice and go speak with some of the current parents. Don’t speak to the club owner/directors as they will all tell you exactly what you want to hear. This forum is not the best place to get advice. People love/detest certain clubs for certain reasons. Much easier to get a true read from speaking with parents not people sitting anonymously behind a keyboard. It’s a big investment and you should do research to find the best fit for your daughter and your family.

Says the parent who is here reading and posting on BOTC. Sounds like a Liberty or TG parent that doesn’t like hearing a negative about their kids club. Sure, let me walk into a practice of any club and strike up a conversation with the parents. I am sure they will tell a total stranger that they are unhappy with anything or that their kid is looking at other options. While you will get sour grapes from some parents here, I think you will also find truth to some of the things. Do some research. Just because they say it’s an A team doesn’t mean it is. Winning games and tournaments means nothing if the competition isn’t against true A teams. Go watch some games. Does half the roster dominate play? Being the bottom of an A team doesn’t mean your kid will play. If you are interested in having your kid collect t-shirts or you can get we are the champs FB post while riding the bench or playing very little then you are all set. If your kid doesn’t see the field it isn’t worth the money. B teams can provide good training and plenty of opportunities for your daughter. Be realistic about their ability. Get info on the coach. Be ready for changes. These clubs will see a ton of movement over the next few years.

You should find out where the clubs practice and go speak with some of the current parents. Don’t speak to the club owner/directors as they will all tell you exactly what you want to hear. This forum is not the best place to get advice. People love/detest certain clubs for certain reasons. Much easier to get a true read from speaking with parents not people sitting anonymously behind a keyboard. It’s a big investment and you should do research to find the best fit for your daughter and your family.[/quote]

Says the parent who is here reading and posting on BOTC. Sounds like a Liberty or TG parent that doesn’t like hearing a negative about their kids club. Sure, let me walk into a practice of any club and strike up a conversation with the parents. I am sure they will tell a total stranger that they are unhappy with anything or that their kid is looking at other options. While you will get sour grapes from some parents here, I think you will also find truth to some of the things. Do some research. Just because they say it’s an A team doesn’t mean it is. Winning games and tournaments means nothing if the competition isn’t against true A teams. Go watch some games. Does half the roster dominate play? Being the bottom of an A team doesn’t mean your kid will play. If you are interested in having your kid collect t-shirts or you can get we are the champs FB post while riding the bench or playing very little then you are all set. If your kid doesn’t see the field it isn’t worth the money. B teams can provide good training and plenty of opportunities for your daughter. Be realistic about their ability. Get info on the coach. Be ready for changes. These clubs will see a ton of movement over the next few years.[/quote]

Not a Top Gun or Liberty parent. You sound like a parent who has probably changed clubs multiple times already because you little superstar is on the bottom half of the roster. You’re right, that’s a much better idea: drive to NJ, Pa, MD, VA to stalk games to see who is and who is not playing! 🤔 There are a ton of “keyboard warriors” on this site and no, you don’t always get a objective opinion.

Says the parent who is here reading and posting on BOTC. Sounds like a Liberty or TG parent that doesn’t like hearing a negative about their kids club. Sure, let me walk into a practice of any club and strike up a conversation with the parents. I am sure they will tell a total stranger that they are unhappy with anything or that their kid is looking at other options. While you will get sour grapes from some parents here, I think you will also find truth to some of the things. Do some research. Just because they say it’s an A team doesn’t mean it is. Winning games and tournaments means nothing if the competition isn’t against true A teams. Go watch some games. Does half the roster dominate play? Being the bottom of an A team doesn’t mean your kid will play. If you are interested in having your kid collect t-shirts or you can get we are the champs FB post while riding the bench or playing very little then you are all set. If your kid doesn’t see the field it isn’t worth the money. B teams can provide good training and plenty of opportunities for your daughter. Be realistic about their ability. Get info on the coach. Be ready for changes. These clubs will see a ton of movement over the next few years.[/quote]

Not a Top Gun or Liberty parent. You sound like a parent who has probably changed clubs multiple times already because you little superstar is on the bottom half of the roster. You’re right, that’s a much better idea: drive to NJ, Pa, MD, VA to stalk games to see who is and who is not playing! 🤔 There are a ton of “keyboard warriors” on this site and no, you don’t always get a objective opinion.[/quote]

My kid is 12 and has been playing travel for a year with 1 club. We have played TG and Liberty. It is easy to see that there are kids that don’t play. I don’t need to travel anywhere but my own kids game. Liberty has 4-5 standouts that still can’t compete with the YJ or FLG A teams (minus the top girl who is rumored to be moving to YJ) The rest of the team rotates in and out. TG is definitely more of a mix and someone above clarified they didn’t cut girls because of Covid. I would think that will be different this year if there is new talent at their tryouts.

How often do you have to nudge your girls to practice on her own? My kid loves the sport but usually needs prodding to go outside and do her reps. She’s only 11 so maybe this is typical and it’ll get better as she gets older…or is that wishful thinking?

Too much lol. I basically tell her that you will get out of these sports what you put into it, outside of regular team practice. If you want to get better, make it happen. And also that travel sports are expensive and that I’m not paying for it so she can be casual about it. If I’m paying out in extra work. Does she listen? To a certain degree but that is most of the girls I think. I also don’t want to push her. These are just games/sports right? And she’s involved in 4 sports right now so where do you find time with much of them year round.

I got a 12 yr old, we have scheduled practices (with a coach) outside of club, usually once a week. She never has issues with this. She'll go out on her own from time to time, but honestly, they don't have a lot of free time and I don't want her burned out so I try not to ride her.

We'll ask if she wants to go to a friends house to practice and she nearly always does so id suggest group workouts with her teammates. They enjoy that.

She's also a goalie so we always get asked to come have her friends shoot on her.

This is a hard one. I know many that force their kids to practice. I have seen it backfire as the kids get resentful and burnt out. Your kid need to want it. You wanting them to be an amazing player isn’t going to do it. Sadly watching my older one I have noticed that it is often the parents dream of having a kid go D1 or being the best kid in town.

I have an older one who's 14 and she goes outside to practice on her own, working on stick tricks, perfecting her "around the world" and so forth. When she was 12, I had to "remind" her to do wall ball. My 12 year old still needs "reminding." There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for you. I feel it may be age-based or because of wanting to compete with the older girls. I'll let you know for sure in two years.

But in my experience, the thing that works best, it's corny and the subject of TV commercials, is "Hey, you girls wanna go have a catch?" We can be out there for an hour (and I never played lacrosse, they are gracious with me). Everyone has fun. Especially them ... making fun of me.

Ha, great post!

Great stuff. Lacrosse if definitely a journey for these girls with different stages of love/like/detest/love again. Burnout is a real concern. I would say that once they’re 13/14, they have to really want this themselves. And parents should know when to pull back and let their kid lead.

I’m hearing rumblings of YJ making a fourth team. Not surprised since they’re all about the $$$ but just wondering how low are they willing to go?

How competitive are the other two teams after the top one?

They are good. I’d say the 3 yj teams, flg a, top guns, are probably top tier. The 2nd/3rd yj teams are better than jesters/liberty etc.

Where do these teams pracrice?

If your daughter is a solid player for this age, what team should you try out for. I don’t care about how far, but sticking to Long Island.

If you’re willing to coach as well then I suggest YJ Grazzy. Regardless of your daughters talent she’ll get to play the whole time.

Now that is hysterical! Ask those 10 kids that barely see the field about that one!

[quote=Anonymous]Now that is hysterical! Ask those 10 kids that barely see the field about that one!

My daughter is on grazzy. Team is broken, toxic. Parents complained because our practices became hour long white board sessions designing plays to get the ball to our star player. We still kept losing so coach threw his toys and refused to practice for a month. We did win the mid Atlantic but many bench kids didn’t go and a few left mid tournament after zero minutes. The coach literally plays 12 girls the entire game for entire tournaments. And remember 2 parent coaches and a goalie so you’re talking about 9 spots for playing time. The entire offense and strategy revolves around one girl. There are no assisted goals, no cutting, no off ball. Good luck to the new parents and kids. Not paying for that experience again. My PAL team practiced more and not a white board in sight!

Parent coaching has to stop at these clubs. Pay for some coach’s that are not affiliated with the kids and the parents

So where do you go from there? Many of these teams have those types of issues. Parents creating sub teams to compete in 7vs7 tournaments. Same top kids play more than the rest and some are just there to sit the bench. Parents are willing to deal to say their kid is on an A team. If the coaching is good they get that benefit but if they aren’t I. The game it is pointless. These clubs need to learn to develop every kid on the team. I would rather play for a less competitive team who is vested in developing my daughter than have my kid ride the bench and say but she is on the A team. I don’t know that they exist but would love to hear peoples opinions.

So where is she going? FLG? Empire?

Third YJ team (Gaghan) is no where near other top teams. routinely play in lowest bracket in top tourneys and go around .500

Not sure. I have no doubts there are issues everywhere. Just thought all should know what they are getting into if you decide to take my daughters spot. I’d love to hear the good/bad on some of these other clubs.

FLG parent- no complaints at all. The coach is amazing and the Winks do it right. Know all the girls in the program by first name regardless of team. Very happy.

Typical Whining. Everyone makes excuses. If your daughter was good enough, she would be playing. YJ coaches put the best players on the field. That’s all.

I was waiting for that predictable response. And you are absolutely right. Congrats to you and your daughter if you are one of the 9 best lacrosse players on the island (we have one goalie and 2 coaches kids). Personally my (biased opinion) is that beyond a couple of clear stands outs the rest of the girls top to bottom are pretty close.

Imagine how good the YJ team would be if they actually practiced and had a good coach??? For those of us staying we’re hoping for a coaching change.

Nonsense, not always. Plus, It’s 6th grade! All the players should be playing pretty equally and developing at this age. “Best” players are developed that way. A “good” coach will Give the girls a chance to develop their playing on the field in live games at this age. It can’t be all about winning in 6th grade!! Coaching just to win in 6th, Makes some potentially “best” players want to quit! Need good coach’s who want to “develop” young girls and give them a chance to grow their game.

It’s 6th grade - Play all the girls and give them a chance to use their skills in a game. No one will remember the wins and losses in a couple of years. The best player now, is not always the best in 8th grade. Give the girls a chance to play. Start by - Taking parents out of coaching their own kids. Find coach’s looking to develop all the kids

Or you could focus on yourself and just leave us all alone with our choice. Nobody cares about you.

But you can’t have a team of 9. You need bench strength to compensate for injuries and conflicts. If you take 20 on a roster you should develop 20. Nobody should be ok with paying a few grand so that the top 9 can play. And a good coach should be able to get all the players on the field. And I hope that your daughter continues to be a top 9. There is a long way to go. A torn ACL could put your daughter in the bottom 9 very quickly. Some of these girls are just hitting their stride and will start to dominate. Some of these kids will quit because burnout and overuse is real. One kid should never play a full game. It isn’t healthy for their body.

My D played and beat YJ in summer tournament. I found your coach to be a class act, as well as the parents, very encouraging and not toxic like some parents can be, especially in defeat. One thing I did not like, our player got injured pretty bad with a slash to the head. I was disappointed to see on YJ IG account a photo of the YJ player who provided the cheap shot standing over our injured player, as if celebrating it. Also saw same type of image from another game you all played.

Not sure who controls the IG page, but it was certainly noted.

Don’t let one inappropriate post, or a single parent change your opinion of this team collectively. We never want to see anyone hurt, nor do we celebrate it.

I’m on the same sideline as you pal. And you eye roll the same as I do about the lack of practices, lacrosse IQ and parent coaching.

This is such a coward post. This must be your oldest child. Have you met with the coaches? Expressed your concerns? Found out what your child needs to work on? Where are they strong? Where they need improvement? Came up with a plan to help her? You either did, and didn’t like the answers, or you didn’t, and your just spewing garbage in an attempt to make YOU feel better about your situation. Do it right. Every parent, on every team, at every level has something they don’t like or would like to see more of, but this isn’t the right way.

Parents are 90% of the problem. We have PAL coaches in our town who bring ringers in for games and Pull certain girls to the side before games and instruct them to only pass to each other. Some girls play the whole game and the “bad” ones get shuffled in and out and hidden on the field at attack where nobody passes. When parents realize it isn’t just about the win and remember these are kids we would all be better off!

As another parent from the team above. The original post is really out of line. If you were that frustrated by how things were being run you would have addressed it within the last 2 years. But you didn’t, you just posted nonsense on an anonymous board.

Every parent on any “A” team(any club) is made aware that they want all the kids to succeed and the team to win. Your kid succeeding is up to themselves and somewhat on the parent. The coaches play kids that will help their team win and have earned time. Not every “great” player is the star, and not every kid that is limited athletically sits on the bench. Kids earn their time based on what they contribute.

Not every kid is meant to play in this type of environment. It helps some kids get better. As a parent that is on you to figure out what is best for your kid. So take some ownership on the environment you placed them in. And take some responsibility on yourself on how you are acting about that now.

As far as bashing the coaches. That’s really classless. They’re trying their best. They have gone out of their way to help these kids. No coach is perfect, everyone can Monday morning quarterback every situation in their life. Bashing the parent coaches in some cases may be correct, but not here. Those 2 kids deserve every second of time they get on the field.

Really disappointed that parents would start this type of HS drama BS after the positive end to the season. If you’re not happy go somewhere else, set a good example for your kids. Stop acting like .......(insert your own term here)