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I seriously doubt any of the Duke’s parents were around for the Nationals/G’s issues - maybe a Fusion parent outside of the 29s ?

Now that the holiday is in our rear view mirror, we have The Championship to look forward to. Get your popcorn and sodas boys and girls and root, root, root for the home team!!!

Love this time of year.

What championship?

Sadly, 70% of the HHH teams will be playing in lower-tiered divisions so not sure your son is playing for any NLF championship. But good luck

Many parents of boys who play middle school (and even elementary school) club lacrosse are very bizarre, and quite delusional...apparently.

Can we count you as one of them; your post screams “weirdo”

Going for the natty!!!

Go bird dogs !!!

Doesn’t look like the Duke’s are in the NLF, so Birddogs should be safe! Go get’’em Tiger

True Dukes were all at Bird Dog tryouts? Smart move to play in NLF next year.

Duke’s 31s leaving for the Birddogs? Oh wowza, this gonna be fun…
Not sure I believe it but I hope to see it

They want the NLF challenge! They may bump some bird dogs down to the regular 31 team, but they will all practice together so the competition is gonna be fierce day in and day out. Don’t call it a comeback…

Tigers 26 won NLF two years ago now Team TEN 26 with same kids ranked #2 not allowed in the big NLF Challenge.

SweetLax 26 won it last year (and other age groups) now they are also not in the big challenge. In fact, it looks like more than Half the Top 25 2026 teams are at ALL.

ALL will have as many college coaches and their teams will have more commits. NLF was never a national championship since HHH blocks local teams, Leading Edge does in Jersey, Laxachusetts and Eclipse block teams in New England, T91 block teams in Long Island, and Crabs and Madlax block in MD.

Do your homework folks. The NLF mafia is big mad right now…and talking about 31 teams???

Yet they can’t field a 2030 team for the NLF Chip?
That Duke’s 30 squad is top notch, wonder if BM will go poaching??!! They’re rising 7th graders I assume, not far from HS where NLF matters.
Buckle up folks

Sounds like you you or your son wanted to be a bird dog and didn't make it. Don't stress out about it. Recommit to the process the rest of the summer. Get that stick in his hand every day. Come back to next year's tryouts with some improved skills and athleticism and I bet you guys will be able to get your foot in the door.
Best of luck!

Just you sounds big mad.

Birddogs are a type of athleisure shorts and pants with a sown in underwear. Unless I’m mistaken.

Quick Look at Phila Area teams end of the summer:

2025 rankings
17 - Dukes
27 - TT
46 - HHH

2026 rankings
2 - TT
20 - Mesa
44 - Freedom

2027 rankings
15 - TT
29 - BL
39 - HHH

2028 rankings
21- Freedom
24 - Dukes
38 - BL

2029 rankings
1- Futures
33- Dukes
40 - T11

2030 rankings
9 - Dukes
18 - Dawgs
46 - NXT

Great job by the HHH '27s. That team has been a trainwreck for years. and all it took was one good tryout and H.S. NLF carrot and you have a top 40 team on your hands. Really impressive turnaround by BM. '28's take note. The past is the past with these teams. Get there in High School if you can.

My take is that TT rules the High School Division and Dukes is running the Middle School Division. Interesting that the HHH '25 had such a drop off this year. They are all D1 recruits already, so i'm going to guess they just took the foot of the gas and probably focused on other areas. Good for them, they deserve some much needed rest.

Dukes Elite has the best youth program around, not even close. The question remains, however, if they stay together or other programs poach them away as they age…
Perhaps the success of the ALL determines that

Go enjoy ALL and please just stop. Your kid still wants to win NLF, its ok. You picked your team, theyre not as cool as the neighbor but you gotta let it go.........I will say it is funny you call them the Mafia, for a while a bunch of 91 folks had a club called Lax Mafia. https://www.laxmafia.com/ (yes says FL but it was transplants and fool 91 parents.) They know what theyre doing and they really dont care about you.

TEN 27's just beat Machine and Leading Edge last weekend and TEN 26's won last 2 tourney' s with NLF teams in it so you can say one thing but results say another. NLF just likes to box out teams that beat their teams it is pretty obvious.

One guy on here talking about NLF. It’s like if Auburn blocked Alabama and Ohio St blocked Michigan. It’s not a National Championship just a tourney where a lot of teams can’t play because the NLF teams are scared. In no other sport does this happen or is allowed. It’s a joke. Everyone knows it and so do the college coaches who are all coming to ALL buddy!

Go out and look at the ALL tourney. It’s not very good. Scouts are going to be at NLF without question. NCAA vs NIT.

Ok TEN you have a complex and it is hysterical. TEN did this, TEN did that, NLF is bad. The World Series involves how many other countries or continents? The branding really bothers you doesn’t it? In regards to ALL, I know this the ACC coaches for the school my 25 is going to texted him saying they look forward to catching up at NLF this weekend. Those are facts That and the minute you got the invite you would come on over and say how diluted ALL is. By the way, is it a league or are you ok with them calling it that because it suits your sad narrative. Sorry.

ALL will compete with and surpass NLF in the not too distant future. NLF blatantly favors its own (check out team 91s easy pools) and the fields are always horrible. Soon, it will be 91, Express, HHH and Laxachusetts playing a bunch of B teams…

HHH 27 only improved because they got the scraps of the Mesa players that could make TEN or BL…it’s ok to be 3rd best in pa

TT and BL have unproven pipelines to D1 Programs. HHH on the other hand.... I think I'd rather be sitting in that stable. BM will develop those kids into highly sought recruits. Throw the NLF in there and boom goes the dynamite. Guarantee there are gonna be some Orange helmets at the HHH tryouts next week. Those mesa kids that went to TT saw the scouts at NLF last year. They will see the scouts at ALL this year. They are going jump ship once they realize the recruiting benefit the NLF provides (regardless of who they box out of the tourney).

NLF is pga. All is lpga

Not for long. Horrible fields and home cooking pool scheduling will lead teams away from NLF.

I think it is fascinating that the NLF proponents think college coaches at one tournament will make the difference for a kid who wants to play college lacrosse. There are top college coaches at tons of tournaments all summer long, not to mention NHSLS, Nike, New Balance, and plenty of showcases. If a kid is a strong prospect, they will be seen no matter what club they play for - HHH, BL, TT or otherwise. The gate keeping by the NLF is not helping or harming strong, skilled, athletic players.

Clearly you don’t understand how the game works. They have a monopoly on college recruiting eyeballs. That is all that matters. A few good games (even in losing) gets you seen by the right coaches.

You are also assuming that college coaches don’t know about the NLF gatekeeping. College coaches are savvy and will find the good players, no matter the club or high school. Plenty of kids who don’t play for NLF clubs in Philly are getting recruited by top programs. Assuming that college coaches will allow the NLF to dictate their access to great athletes is exceptionally short sighted.

Bird dogs are trending! These kids are legit. Paired up with a great coach and you get these results.

Tune in to the national championship game tomorrow morning ti see how the season ends for this group of ballers!!!

You wishing it away isn’t going to change it. The best of the best were at NLF from coaches, to players to teams. WCS, Resolute, etc. Fields, tough one with this weather no doubt but that hasn’t diminished anything over the last 5 years of bad weather. The full ACC coaching staff were there. Saw all 3 ND coaches today. ALL3, means none were at ALL. These clubs have proven to find the best players in each market. The coaches don’t care, they go with track record and track record shows NLF brings the best of the best together and ALL the rest can complain, play their own tournament and will surely get seen but the coaches will continue to be at NLF over ALL, just ask them. Look at the brackets for ALL compared to NLF, top to bottom one is an A tournament and one is a B.Simple as that.

So excited to be a part of this organization. The 25’s are going to be getting together with the Bird Dogs tonight to provide some support and build some good vibes heading into the biggest game of the tourney for these guys. The torch is being passed from the old guys to the new guys. Let’s gooooo!

Zzzzzz

I agree with this, but the ALL is simply sweetlax being upset they couldn’t run the table with their Navy team anymore. It will have good teams in it, but it won’t compete. ALL will get some coaches but coaches go to all events. NLF is just a feeding ground for them, and other tournaments are snacks.