BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Girls 2027 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

Do you have any idea how many great players currently in College & beyond didn't start playing until High School? Way more then you would think. Why are parents looking at this as such a threat (at least that is how it comes across).

Looking at it as a threat? No. Looking at it logically, yes.

I agree, back, 10-20 years ago, plenty of kids picked up sticks for the first time in 7th, 8th grade and were D1 talents. I just don't see that happening in this current era.
Could it happen? Sure, its a rare exception.

Name a few current college players that never played until HS, its sure to be in the bio since its so rare.

I'd also add these kids today are so further along at this age, then in years past. Our club coach who was an All American states this all the time. Its great for the game, they are going to take it to new levels.

Totally Agree.... The days of picking up a stick in HS and playing in College at D1 or D3 are over, an exception might be in the boys case where there is a 6'5" super athletic defender (with a long pole) who is strong, but the likelihood is that the coach would add him to the team but not play him due to the lack of experience. Lax is very technical and not understanding slides alone will make it very hard to get on the field...

Sorry guys,,, This game is not a easy one, club players are putting in work, hours of wall ball, shooting, dodging, clinics etc. Very few Rec teams have coaches that going to be able to get the girls putting in that type of work. Yes there may be one kid whose parent (or sibling) played at a high level, but in all likelihood they would have her play Club if she were any good. But I don't see how a new to Lax or Rec player can come in now and dominate.

You are in for a harsh awakening. Half the kids that were stars back in sixth grade for my dd’s class 2023) are no longer playing or just ok. I have a family member currently playing D1 men’s lacrosse, and the kids recruited in middle school/freshman year high school (pre rule change)have mostly turned out to be busts at the college level.

Off the top of my head, there was a four year starter at Hopkins (just graduated this year) who didn’t pick up a stick until her freshman year at a Baltimore private. And no, this wasn’t in her bio because it isn’t particularly uncommon.

My own kids started club same time as everyone else, but you have to be delusional to think nothing changes between sixth grade and college.

Your points aren't going against our argument.

No one denies lots of kids get burned out from 6th to HS and quit, that's a reality.

Yes, kids who are stars as freshman/soph and highly recruited end up busts, that's a reality.

Yes, lots of things change.

The argument isn't that a new club player in 6th grade can't play in college, the argument is, a new club playing in 6th grade won't dominant in 6th grade. That's what I am saying.

For the person who said there is no consistency in scoring at this age, look at the predictions before season with the actual standings.

Red division was exact, with only LBC needing to be moved up to 3rd (which they predicted they may have been low on)
Blue division standings exact.

To clarify Rec. vs other club kids- Coppermine picked up 2 top FCA girls that currently play soccer at Coppermine. Understand the 3rd came from M&D. The 4th I am not sure which club she played for but understand played up a year (26’s) and is now playing for her current graduation year. She is a good player as she played on my daughter’s AU team a few weeks back. The M&D girl is another really good pick up. So I have to agree with the original post that Coppermine should be better this year.
I would rank the 27’s in 2022 as noted below-
1- M&D (Red)
2- Hero’s(Green)
3- Pride
4- BLC
5- Coppermine
6- NEMS
7- MDU
8- LBC
9- bunch of possibilities

Thanks for clearing that up. I believe the one you refer to is from Redshirts 26. She is a solid player for sure.

I can see Pride getting ranked so high if its true they had good pickups, but seems BLC lost some talent. I can't argue with the top 8 though I think 5-8 could all beat or lose to one another. BLC, and how much they lost talent wise, will be interesting to see.

Also, Im sure you meant M&D Black at #1, not Red.

Sorry- meant M&D Black as #1. Honestly I do think any team within the Top 8 listed could beat any of the other teams. They are only 12 & 13 years old so there are many factors to consider when they play the games- confidence, mood, fatigue from other sports and just feeling it that day. The list is just if the all played each other where I think they would finish. These are all good teams that are well coached. I’m sure there will be many changes over the next 5 years. Personally just hope my daughter still loves it as much in 5 years as she does now because it makes her hard work fun. As a parent I enjoy the friendships she as made as well those my wife & I too have made. Looking forward to Fall Tournaments. Until then we have a lot of soccer to keep us busy. Fun thing is her getting to play soccer with girls she plays against in lacrosse.

I'd argue 3-8 (and maybe 9,10,11) could all beat each other on any given day. Would need lots of special things to happen for Heros or M&D's top team to lose again any of the others in a full 40-44 minute game.

The one team noone seems to be talking about is TLC. They had a bunch of strong pickups (combined with already having one of the best 3 or 4 players in this age group). While they won't challenge the top, I see them definitely competing in the 5-8 range by spring.

What about Skywakers? Did they pick anyone up? I think the BLC coach’s daughter may have switched to SW? That does not look good for BLC.

I’ve never seen TLC play. We’re they in NGLL? Who did they play in summer tournaments? Saying they have a top-4 player at 2027 age is quite interesting, is she middie?

Again, can’t pass judgment as I know nothing about them.

Just looked up TLC 27, ranked #41 currently, went 6-7-2, looks like their best win was a few close games vs FCA Blue.

I do wonder where the strong pickups came from? Current NGLL A clubs?

They could compete in NGLL B, but they will struggle in NGLL A, least in 2022. They likely will improve greatly over the next season but there is a learning curve against NGLL A teams.

Wow, talk about clueless commentary. If you’ve never seen them play and no nothing about their current roster, maybe best to not opine.

If you have seen TLC play, you will notice #18, daughter of the former national team and Georgetown coach. Could easily start at middie or attack for any club in MD at the 27 age group.

I don't know anything about who they may have picked up, but if it is 3 or 4 solid players, they can be competitive in the bottom half and A in NGLL. (definitely a step above Integrity, FCA, SW, Hero's White, potentially more).

The team was formed in early fall, so they didn't even get a full season tryout to acquire talent. I saw their beatdown of AIM at Crabcake, you know that they can play at that level. I expect them to be at the level of the older TLC teams sooner rather than later.

I think what is a clueless commentary is assuming they can hang in the NGLL A without playing a game against M&D, Hero's, Coppermine, Pride, LBC, MDU, NEMS, etc.
They lost to Renegades, HOCO Black, Check-Hers.

Again, where am I clueless?

I didn’t opine about how they would do at all. I will say TLC has been around a long time and their older teams are consistently far better than Coppermine, LBC, NEMS, etc. . ,both performance and college commitment wise

Watched TLC at a few summer tournaments and my daughter is friends with a few. They are a descent team but I would also say the parity between their top players and lesser players is huge. That being said I would not put them in the Top 8. They also loss one of their better girls to M&D. They will get better though soon. Just not right away. They’ll be back with SW and FCA.

They have really fallen off. From 23 down they aren’t very competitive.

That's fair but if we are talking about 2022 season, TLC 27 isn't there yet. BLC is traditionally a lower team, with no HS program, it may be that way soon, but they are a top-5 team nationally as of now. I have no doubt TLC will get better and better over the years.

BLC has/had 1 good team and it is the 2027s, that team is breaking apart and we can see why. I would not use them as a guide for anything. As you said BLC has 2 seasons of this team left (no HS program) and then the girls have to find a new team, and BLC as a program will go back to the B division

To put it in simple terms, BLC would crush TLC next season, despite the past history of TCL recruiting and HS teams vs what BLC was/is

TLC is likely going to be very good in a few years, its also going to be made up of a lot of girls who aren't on TLC today, that goes for Skywalkers as well.

One key thing that noone is talking about is that the number of A teams will nearly double this year vs. last.

HoCo, TLC, Stars, CC Lax and a few others (potentially redshirts) will play in the 7th grade A division. (Don't want to get this into a debate over whether they should. So going 500 in NGLL A is nowhere near as hard as it was last eyar

I assume you mean the gap between their top and bottom players is huge?

Also for those criticizing some of their losses, remember they had to have a field player in goal for two of their tourneys due to Covid.

I was not aware of that. Being that you only play 8 games, and sounds like maybe 16? teams? Some folks will certainly dodge bullets, even more so than last year.

Obviously pending a schedule, but Stars won't win more than 2 games in the A division.

There were 16 teams this year. TLC, Redshirts, Stars, Hoco, MC Elite all played a at the 26 level.

At the 25 level, add in 3d Maryland, CCLax,

TLC was a decent organization with many great players matriculating through, however they have seriously gone on a downhill skid. They play in obscure tournaments and hide behind a veil of semi-mediocrity. Not certain why, and this is not a “witch hunt”, but they are “B- or C level” at best.

TLC starts out well enough, they lose girls to SW and M&D though Hero’s and Elite are too geographically undesirable). There is nothing wrong with TLC but they do not put in the skills training that other clubs may do at that age. Once you get to high school, if you’re not working with an outside trainer you are not serious about club. You come to practice and you work on plays you don’t work on the draw, shooting etc. A true catalyst for moves to other clubs. Also they don’t like to cut people.

Since club teams have decimated rec leagues/teams there is a need for TLC and clubs like it

There needs to be places for the girls who want to play lax but don’t want to or can’t play at M&D to play

Stop bashing them. The most serious girls play at the big three but there needs to be places for other girls to play

No one is “bashing” it’s just in response to the poster who has them as a solid A division team, which clearly is inaccurate.

They are a B team along with 12 other clubs in area that help grow the game, which is the goal.

Again, things change, players develop, players get burned out, these rankings are not in stone, just for discussion

TLC has been around for 17 years and has name recognition. Unlike some of the newer clubs.

That's all true but it doesn't change the fact that for 2027, in the 21-22 season, newer clubs like Coppermine and lesser clubs like BLC would roll them.

At the high school level, TLC plays in the same bracket as the big three at Tournaments like G8, lax for the Cure, etc. . Same can not be said for teams like Coppermine, LBC, and NEMs which are not even invited to G8. Which is why girls who may be on these teams in 7th grade tend to move to clubs like TLC and Skywalkers by high school.

BLC is on the decline. They had an exodus because of lot of issues with coaches.

Did BLC lose their coach (and her daughter) and if so, where did they go to?

Looking at final 2027 rankings, FLG is ranked #9.

They went 18-2 which is impressive, but the only matchup of a top-10 team was two games against YJ A, losing 5-7 and 5-9.
Seems they are overrated at that ranking, but hopefully they get into more of the traditional tournaments and play more competition.

Does anyone know if the ranking for 2021-2022 build off these or do they start new based on fall, spring performance?

I believe they start new. Prelim rankings will be based off previous year, but once the season starts they are based on current year (I think).

No the coaches and their daughters are still there. I heard that 3 girls left, 1 is a player that was not expected to leave, which was a surprise to everyone. They will take a step back with her loss but not too far back. I think she ended up a M&D.

I know they lost one of their top players to Hero's Green, I think that is who you reference, as M&D didn't add any BLC players.

It will be interesting to see if they remain just under Hero's and M&D, and if not, who grabs that #3 in Mid Atlantic spot, seems Pride is frontrunner based on talk and new additions.