BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Andy Forsberg Tournament Schedules

I'm new to the area and fortunate that my son made a travel team. I knew to BOC so go easy on me. I noticed there are comments about kids playing for different travel teams. To me that doesn't seem to matter much as long as the parents have it like that. Just seems to me that the kid is getting more experience in lax. The one thing that I'm confused about is teams having kids that come from other states to play in teams. Could anyone share some light on that subject. I was always told that Long Island has the best overall players and coaches. Glad to be on board. Thanks

As far as kids coming from other states to play for LI teams, I think there are a lot of former Long Islanders that want their children exposed to the best lax opportunities. They are willing to make the commitment to come to LI for practices and tournaments because their area does not offer the same quality of play, coaches, etc.

Maybe the kids from other places want to play with the best competition. The more likely cause is that the programs want to win and will go to any length to do so. Like when 91 Orange first used the stud from down south. He never practiced with the team but was able to play. If I were a parent I would've been pissed for 2 reasons, one was that the program had plenty of kids on the roster so what they were saying was that they did not have enough faith in their own players to WIN. Yes, they'd rather win than instead of letting the other 24 players on the roster get the experience they needed. It would make sense if they had a very small roster but it was just the opposite, they have a large roster in order to make as much money as possible. Why parents put up with this stuff is crazy.

I could see kids playing with the better competition which would make them better players by playing with the kids from Long Island cause I've seen my sons play get much better. I just think we should be giving kids that are on the bubble a chance to better their skills that live hear on Long Island. Is this common for Long Island or is it just a select few teams that have kids from out of state. Also I would like to say to these kids from Long Island thanks for taking my son in. Talent is really the best I've ever seen.

Would they get better by playing with the best or against the best competition?

Great point. I think playing with better players gets you better. Playing against the best competition is what you always want to do to be the best you can.

I suspect though you are under the impression that some players on the best teams are not the best players. Those players may or not get better. It all depends on how practices are run and if they truly see quality field time in tournaments.

Many times we all get wrapped up on the team rather than what's best for the player.

Looks like the teams that have out of state kids are only in it to try to win instead of trying to develop kids that are athletes. It's like trying to buy a championship as oppose to going out and start at the bottom and bring those kids to the top. How great can an organization really be if they have the best players around. I would think as a coach you would be more proud of your team if you taught them and watched them grow. Who wants to be on a team that only has the best kids. That wouldn't be fair to other kids that get left out. Is it really that important to win these tournaments or to teach these kids? What do they get if they win a tournament ?

They get a tee shirt. Take the best 20 kids, end of story. Does not matter where they live. And the parents are more worried about winning then kids!

They get to say they play on the best team. Wow. The big question is can your son make a difference on a team that doesn't have the best players? That's a true lax player. How do you judge your kids talent , and what he can really do.

A tee-shirt...

travel lacrosse for the most part is a loose conglomerate of some businesses and some altruistic organizations, there are no rules, no set rosters and a variety of different goals. The tournaments do not check rosters and there is no eligibility criteria it is just a bunch of organized and expensive play dates. Kids are having fun, uniforms are nice and you get to spend some great quality time with your kids. But, if you are looking for logic and answers you are not going to find them, there is no logic to it. so play with whom you think your kid would benefit the most, play on as many teams your kid is comfortable with and hope that they enjoy the ride.

If a friend of mine has a team my kids age and is in another state, he gives me a call and says does Johnny want to fly out here for a weekend and play with Billy, we can make a great weekend of it, is his team bringing in a ringer? or is it just an opportunity for some 12 year old to have some fun with an old friend and some new friends?

I think everybody is over thinking this and worrying too much about who won this tournament and who's team is better and we all need to concentrate on what's important - The kids having fun. (except SWR)

This all sounds good unless the team has more then 20 kids. Then someone is losing playing time because a friend comes in for the weekend to play and make it a vacation. Sounds like an excuse for something that happened already.. If it did, shame on the coaches and for the parents not saying anything to not let it happen.

didn't happen, it was a hypothetical but more to my point of everybody relax and if it doesn't bother the kids and they are having fun then it shouldn't bother us so much

It's always going to bother someone because they will lose playing time.

It happens also within the same organization. Witness Express bringing A players in to help their B team win the Forsberg tournament. I think when you boil all this down it is about being a top player on whatever team you are on. Because when you are not you get stepped on. Ego drives some to have their kid be the last player on a fancy A team when maybe he could be a powerhouse on some other team. This is all very expensive and I cannot imagine (and hope never to have to) flying out of state, getting a hotel for the weekend and then watching my kid not go on the field while other kids, not part of the regular team, play in his place.

When did that happen?..Not at the Forsberg tournament did it?

Yes, Express 2020 did it but still lost the final.

That's just wrong. Was the A playing in the same tournament as well?

Not 2019

It's a Shame that all of the BS takes away from why this Tournament was started. It is not about tee shirts not about winning. But about remembering a Good Man, maybe that is what Parents should walk away with

Remember these directors are mostly HS coaches and the like and have now discovered a whole new business that generates hundreds of thousand of dollars each year for them with all of this. We now have self proclaimed CEOs of travel programs for crying out loud! See fl$. Too often it is just about winning because that makes your program a big deal and that lets you charge more. There is no other explanation for what Express 2020 pulled at Forsberg. It is despicable.

Agreed, it a shame one of the organizers own coaches didn't subscribe to this

So through all of this we come to terms with the fact that teams are still going to take the best kids they can in order to be the best team in their age bracket. When you hear parents say that I have to go to this team because they have ties to this high school or that high school gets me sick. These organization control our boys and girls future. This is what we as parents allow to happen to our kids. We loose that fact that our kids need to get as much coaching from as many people that they can in order for them to learn all different aspects of the game. Then they go onto high school and college to continue playing a game that they love. Let's just enjoy watching the kids play and not be so concerned about what team did this and what team did that. You guys that are on the best teams don't have to beat your chest and think that you are all that because their are many kids from many different teams that could be on a team like that and think they are all that. Let's teach our kids about sportsman ship and fair play. I tell all to tell their kids to play hard, be careful and most of all have fun. Let's not let these organizations run our lives and take our money and let's remember what we are hear for. Ask yourself is it really worth it. Good luck to all the boys and girls out their. Have slot of fun and make new friends because these years go by fast so make the best of them. Stay healthy.

2019 nyc express had at least 1 ringer.

Big business? What these guys have done is incredible. Made a college fund for 3 kids, and any excess money has gone to numerous other charities. All the workers there are volunteer. It is not a big business, and it's pretty ignorant for you to say otherwise because you obviously don't know what goes on.

Read between the lines. Wasn't referring to the tournament, which is for a wonderful cause. Youth lacrosse in general, especially with some individual organizations HAS become a big business.

For any of you to keep handing over checks to a club that doesn't have set rosters is beyond comprehension . They are playing you ! It's not a team if you need free agents from a higher team to compete.

It's a business.

Stop confusing charity with business