BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Money Grab Lax...is it all too much?

With all the clinics and tournaments all the time will our kids be burned out before they even get to HS?

A percentage of them will be yes.

I bet a lot of them will be. Kids need a break - both physically and mentally. I'd rather raise a well-rounded, average level lacrosse player than a superstar who missed out on playing other sports, participating in school activities, not being able to hang out with their friends, etc. because lax was the be all, end all. Remember, only a tiny fraction of HS players play in college and even less go pro - none on the girls side. Make sure they're playing because they want to, not because somebody else thinks they need to. I want my kids to look back on their childhood with no regrets.

You don't have to do everything. Pick and choose what to do... don't get caught up keeping up.

Cant let them play year round. Encourage them to play other sports. They NEED time off from lax. Too much pressure on these kids to play year round. Too many kids giving up on other sports to play lax year round. Its not healthy.

Most college coaches I have spoken with prefer a kid who has played at least 1 other sport , the reasons they give are varied ie. Basketball , soccer helps them with game sense and vision or a kid who has only concentrated on lacrosse year round may have maxed their potential while another kid who plays other sports may not have yet.

Not true, visited 5 top schools recently and all they cared about was lax. That is the sport they are recruiting.

I heard just the opposite they want you to play at least two. They don't want any kids that are going to get burnt out.They want kids they can develop.

They want the best players. end of story

Best players TRUE, but. all things being equal, two "best" players apply and one plays other sports, he is getting the job...period

Let's not forget many of these opportunities to play year round are not good for our kids. Many are just playing on the parents emotions and convincing them they need to play year round to "make it". Look at how many there are now. They are multiplying exponentially. Some proven ones are good but there are many that are poorly run by unqualified people strictly to make money. I know this happens in any free market system but it's fairly new to lacrosse. Simple said...beware.

I would say this is happening in lots of sports. My kids and their friends all seem to be playing soccer, hockey, lacrosse, basketball year round. If your kid, bows out of a season,, or even a month of training, the coaches often make it seem like they will fall behind... in some cases they may, but in most cases they will not and will have a better spirit for taking time off, and hopefully playing another sport that will keep them conditioned. You have to follow your kid and listen to them and encourage them to listen to their body as well. Kids can burn out mentally and physically. I think a lot of people are forgetting the bigger picture- these kids need to study, as well as rest- they will not all be professional athletes.

Burnout is real in today's youth sports. It comes from doing too much of the same thing and anxiety on playing on specific team. I support my kids doing all of this year, but I also leave up to them. So it is not too much as long as we are on top things. Money grab...yes - but case-by-case. I would say buyer beware.

Just recently I backed my son off of going full speed lax all the time and gave him about a month and a half off before he started playing again. He looks great and he looks like he is revitalized and more focused and energized when hes playing. I think the time off really helped him. I think the more different sports they play the better and I would say definitely pick and choose the showcase/tournaments and clinics they are doing. It can all be too much. They need to time to relax and be kids. Its unreal how every day a new clinic/showcase and/or tournament shows up.

Funny because every top program we visited the coaches could not have been happier my kid also plays basketball and each one told me they recruit the best athletes they can . Maybe they mold their words around who they have at the campus at the time.

This is so true. There are waayyyy too many clinics and leagues popping up. Play lax in season with a winter league thrown in if time permits. Play other sports and be a kid! You parents that are listening to these coaches telling you it's all lax all the time you are being PLAYED! Save your money and take a vacation and spend some real quality time with junior.

My advice... There is no money in professional lacrosse. The end game is maybe they play the game beyond high school while they get a quality education. Take the clinic money and invest in a tutor or a vacation before Junior resents you or the sport.

Just got an email from a D3 coach who is interested in my son. The last two statements he made in the email and I quote:

"Are you playing a different sport this fall? If you are keep at it, playing different sports will make you a better lax player"

"How are your grades" Remember, schoolwork comes first!

I think that about sums it up

Not so fast! Of course the gades are important. Still not convivced about the other sports. My son will stop playing football to minimize the chance of a severe injury, as many of his teamates have suffered, concusion, torn ligaments and broken bones. My other son stopped soccer because that to, is a money grab, maybe worse than lacrosse, and there is too much overlap in season. Got tired of coaches constantly being pissed off at my kid. My sons now play pick up games of various other sports with friends. Since Lacrosse has become year round. They have practices and tournaments year long. We no longer will have race from one pracice/game to another, changing in the car. Lacrosse is the sport they love the most, so we are committed to that. My older son, who is committed to college, was actually cautioned about playing other sports with high injury potential by his college coach. I do realize that an injury can occur in any sport, but my sons will both play lacrosse in college, so to risk injury from a sport other than lacrosse is too risky .

Have seen a few studies and the opinion of most orthopedics docs is that single sport athletes are more prone to injury than multi sport athletes, for a couple basic reasons , overuse injuries and imbalance injuries as a result of building up more muscle etc. that is involved in your sport than muscle groups that may not be as involved.

I think in the younger grades maybe 8th and below it's great to play multiple sports. I don't know how, unless the kid is an off the meters freak athlete, a kid can develop and keep the skills needed to play multiple sports at a very high level. Football is the worst sport ever for severe injuries, that's just a fact.
Why is it that some of the coaches out there have this mentality that playing another sport makes you better at lacrosse? Do the basketball coaches at some colleges think by playing lacrosse you'll get better at basketball??? How about swimming, tennis, golf, soccer, cross country?? Do you become better at these sports by playing lacrosse? I don't think so. Top Basketball recruits play ball in season and AAU out of season. They don't play Lacrosse to get better. It is the most ridiculous notion that playing another sport is going to somehow endow you with more ability in another. Will it keep you in shape if you don't workout or train? sure. I think that's about it. If there was some measurable effect that made you better by playing another sport in the off season, surely college teams and even pro teams would have there athletes playing other sports. It's just the opposite, most high level college and pro teams what their players to refrain from playing other sports for fear of injury.

Great post....agreed 100%

Did you not see the previous post. It answered your question. It said...

"Have seen a few studies and the opinion of most orthopedics docs is that single sport athletes are more prone to injury than multi sport athletes, for a couple basic reasons , overuse injuries and imbalance injuries as a result of building up more specific muscles etc. that is involved in your sport than muscle groups that may not be as involved."

I have read several studies that back up the notion of increased injuries in single sport athletes. I'm sure we would welcome some evidence to the contrary if you have any but I will take the word of orthopedic doctors who study sports injuries over yours...no offense.

Unless its specific to lacrosse its irrelevant? Ok Doc. Take two minutes to google "one sport kids injury" instead of posting silliness.

I did see the post. The studies he refers to are over use in young children. Not fully developed 18 yo college bound young men. Look them up on the AAOS website. Also, look up an article in the WSJ from Hospital for Special Surgery that states a well rounded workout program in kids 10-12 and up a few times a week is the best way to prevent injury. Especially over use injuries. That's why I said from 8th grade down I believe there is benefit in playing multiple sports. As the athlete gets older, there is limited or no benefit. In fact, with a sport like football there is far more risk. Ask those same orthopedic surgeons how many football injuries they see.
Again, with regard to college bound athletes, when basketball, football and other colleges coaches start telling their recruits to play lacrosse in the off season, I'll start believing there's some benefit. Until then, it's a mentality that dates back to the football coach who also happens to coach lacrosse. No evidence to back up the notion that you'll somehow become a better lacrosse player. Prevention of over use injury in little kids? I agree.

We are having a conversation about a topic here. There is no reason for a simple minded person to go the personal attack route. Same person on the other threads acting like a fool possibly?
Moving on...is it healthy physically and developmentally to only play one sport year round? It's an argument with plenty of ammo on both sides. Many feel it's better to experience other organized sports that require different strategies and on field decision making skills that help expand the players primary sport repertoire. Others think it's better to focus on one sport and continue to improve. I feel diversified activities in the off season including another sport is preferred to single sport year round activities.

I agree. A child playing multiple sports in the 3rd thru 8th grades range is one part of the child's development as a human being. Sports at those ages are about making friends, building confidence and having fun. It should not be about being recruited and scholarships.

The science behind the argument for one sport or multiple sports is out there for everyone to look at. There is studies that are for and against, just like anything in this world.

I can say that at the younger ages, some of the sports, can help develop their skills that are also useful in lacrosse. For example, in basketball, boxing out for a rebound helps with ground balls, setting a pick in basketball is exactly the same in lacrosse. So there is tons of things that the kids can learn from playing other sports during the year and lacrosse off-seasons.

Playing lacrosse all year round is great for your child's lacrosse skills, but is it great for there development as a person and their exposure to other things in life? It's a question each one of us should ask ourselves and answer truthfully. If your child has no interest in other sports beside lacrosse, that is one thing, but they need some downtime away from lacrosse also.

We are responsible for the choices that we make for our kids and the influence we have in the choices they make. Keep your eyes on the prize. The prize is the memories and moments you share with them along the way.

Clearly your suffering from way to many hits to the head.Hey, send your kid out to play football, good luck to you. By the way, they're talking about little kids playing one sport. Not college bound athletes. Hope your kid doesn't inherit your reading comprehension skills... Could be a tough go on the SAT's. Any parent who lets there committed D1 lax player continue to play football is mentally challenged. If the college coach says he wants him to, you tell him NO...

My 8th grade son plays on AA level club team all year, plays on the school lax team, volyball in winter and football in fall...So far injuries have been in all three--

heel problems, a broken finger a concusion and who knows whats next...

Let your kids play what they want as much as THEY want, as long as their grades (which are the only thing that counts) are straight As.

Who are you targeting your stupid post towards. No one at home for you to talk down to? They all leave you already? Have a Coors and some Mac n cheese and relax while you watch Springer.

Seems like the level headed posts are the ones who see the silliness in year round gladiator training for kids. As for the proponents their posts speak for themselves!

Just an observation.

Your observation is distorted. In my posts above, I'm not advocating for year round, all lax all the time for young kids or any other kid. Not sure where you see that. What I am saying is that no amount of football played will ever help your son or anyone else's son improve his off hand. Especially, when that kid is in his HS years. Further, there is a disconnect between lacrosse and other sports. Please show me where college basketball and football coaches are encouraging/demanding one of their recruits to play lacrosse in the spring to get better at basketball or football. You can't, because it never happens. Why? Because no amount of lacrosse played, will help you improve your free throw percentage. However, practicing 500 free throws a day in the off-season will. it's called muscle memory. Why is this so hard to understand? Again, for the reading comprehension challenged among you, I'm not talking about little kids here, only college bound men. The over use injuries refer to young kids. I agree these kids should play multiple sports as long as they want to and as long as the potential benefit out weighs the risks. Especially with a second sport like football. Silliness? I don't think so. Ok, now you can post your demeaning child like response.

Well said!! Play as many sports as you can growing up and then stick with one you love especially when you are college bound in that sport great example muscle memory shooting a basket and face offs to name a few.. No basketball coach says great you are playing lax all summer and can't make the summer league games or tournaments in basketball no way that happens in h.s.

The best oveall well rounded players are natural athletes that are at the top of every team they play on. Different coaching techniques, footwork, drills and exercise make a more well rounded player and better thinkers and leaders. If nothing else, limited contact sports (not football) helps keep the fitness up for lax season. Look at most any D1 players bio and most all played 2 sports in HS with many playing 3

Funny how spent so much time thinking and typing your post only to ruin it by adding language like "for the reading comprehension challenged among you" and "post your demeaning child like response". It may be the reason no one chooses to thoroughly read your post or care enough to understand them. Too bad for you.

That's right!!

Good luck to all those trying out for YJ.

Does the following happen in your town? "For profit" lacrosse clubs use the fields at my local high school without paying a dime to the school district.

Absolutely, all the time and it's very frustrating, If they even have one kid from our town on the team that's a lot, at least if they had a majority it wouldn't be as annoying. No permits to practice there but you can bet if any of the kids get hurt at that field they will try to bring a lawsuit against the school district.... It's a joke.