BOTC is opening our Fall 2015 through Summer 2016 thread covering the Boys 2024-4th Grade age group.

Would like to see all the teams, at this age, play each other more often. Did Wolfpack play anyone other than Taz?

2024 high voltage is legit also,saw them play some solid town teams yesterday at greenport and looked like they were in full control. there were many 2024 teams there and was happy we did not have to play them or the teams they faced. i was told high voltage is mostly if not all 3v kids. very strong bunch of 3v at 2024 level.

They are a pickup team with mostly TAZ and some pack and a about 10 3 vill

pretty sure the Pack and Taz kids your talking about actually are from 3 Village from what I was told and there are about 15 kids on that team from 3 Village. I asked one of the parents on the side lines yesterday when my son played them. Nice people. One crazy dad screaming his head off.

sachem has faced most if not all 2024 town teams either through tourneys or pal and hands down high voltage clearly is top town team around. They handled us very well and also 2 other town teams that were on top of 2024 food chain. keep working hard and will see next year.

Hardly a town team and sachem is one of the worst at this age.

The Sachem East team beat Empire Green yesterday. They were better than Sachem North team we faced.

Yes east at that age group is better than north by a long shot.

No reason for the 'pack to play any of these teams. Taz is the closest competition and they are still trying to catch them. They play up in 90% of their tournaments. The 2024 competition is just not there yet. Don't start throwing barbs at the comment, it's all true. Most of this team's competition for the foreseeable future will be from the 2023 division.

Honestly, any A team can play up and beat weak B teams. That's not really saying much. Most decent 2023 teams would destroy the pack.

That goes for any team playing up any year. Not just pack. A good team should beat another good team, if they are a year older.

Did Wolfpack lose any games this year to another 2024 Team?

Yes

One game in Maryland and they also beat the same team.

Ok but the answer to the question is yes. Blc isn't even the best team in Maryland for the age group.

Not totally accurate. BLC is best Maryland Team - never lost to a Maryland Team. Madlax is Best Virginia Team. Madlax was better than BLC this season. BLC lost to Wolfpack 6-4 in Pool and beat them 7-5 at Beachlax Championship

Fair enough but agree mad lax top team in the age group.

How any teams would you have your son try out for?

A bunch are at same time roughly so tough. Even if you are a returner on these teams, nothing guaranteed. As the rat race for youth sports increases, so does the pool trying out. Just trying to make it fun!

Other than top 2 teams there are plenty of spots. Wouldn't go nuts. Tryout for 1 or two that are convenient and have a good rep. Odds are he makes it given they will all be taking 23-24 kids. If he doesn't, the dust will settle and a bunch of teams will be adding through the fall. Wouldn't be surprised if there is another round of tryouts in September for most of the teams to fill rosters.

The playing field will be much more level next year. Alot of movement. In my opinion. Maybe LI teams will actually play each other more...

Remember you have something all these teams want. A check book.

the boys should try out for 2-3 teams If you can afford to. Their dream team, even if you think it might be a stretch, and then 1- 2 other. Tryouts are very import for other reasons besides making a team. It prepares a child for what to expect for future possibilities and opportunities. It's much like an interview. As an adult the more interviews you go to the more prepared and confident you get. So when you go for the big one you get the job. The is the very same idea. I can tell you right now that even if you are confident your child is going to remain on his current team you are doing him a disservice if you don't continue to push him and remove him from his comfort zone. These are the uncontrolled settings that will build the boys confidence and prep him so that one day he'll make the UA team ect.... The other thing is that you never know. People run their mouths on this site about what positions are up for grab when all they are really doing is making an "educated guess" (I use that rearm lightly) based on what they saw throughout the year or heard from a friend of a friend of a friend. Don't be so sure these top teams are such a lock. In the end what is the worst case... You got 4-6 days of clinics. One last thought... Nobody has the right to pressure you into not trying out for another team. Provided that someone is not offering free tuition or some sort of ridiculous deal you are obligated to no one. Rest assured that if 20 mini Rob Pannells,Paul Rabils, and Brian Spalina's came marching into their tryouts you would be tossed out like yesterday's trash. this is a business plain and simple. You are naive if you think there is loyalty.

Not only are the boys trying out for these teams, as a parent - we are looking at how they are running the tryout, the quality of the coaches that are hopefully identified, the other boys trying out. Even though we are paying for a tryout - you've got to view it as the club is trying out as well.

I totally agree, If you have the time and the money, why not take advantage of the opportunity to have your son fight for ground balls against other kids, do the math on most of these tryouts, its 15 -20 per hour to tryout . 91 gives u 6 hours for 16 dollars an hour. whats the downside. even if you have zero interest in playing for 91 or any other team for that matter. at the bare minimum, its practice for the team you actually want to play for

My son is a good player. I'm sure everyone thinks that... But what NASSAU teams do people recommend? I don't mind traveling but would prefer closer if possible.

where in Nassau? If Hofstra isn't too far you should check out Blue Fish. I know one of the coaches starting this up for 2024. Real good guy very determined to make this organization successful. Great coach. Good with younger players. Worth at least a look. Since its new it will probably be on the less expensive side. I believe Coach Tierny from Hofstra is involved as well. My only concern is where exactly will practices be held?? I would want clarification on that.

Igloo,, true blue ,are nassau teams. Now blue fish also. I would look into those teams. I heard very good things about igloo.

On any give day Madlax, the'pack and Bethesda can beat each other. There is no real #1 out of these 3 teams. They are the best 3 2024 teams around. The skill level is that much better than the rest of the field. These 3 teams will make sure they meet up at a couple of tournament's this coming season. BTW Bethesda and 'pack families had mutual respect for each other at Beach Lax, it was great to see. Very different than my daughters team. Parents are more vicious than the boys teams.

2024 coach. has he coached at other orgs? is he one of the coaches listed on site? Looking for a 2024 team and the Hofstra based team looks good, access to their bubble in winter looks good too. Thanks for any info, I also emailed.

Do we know who the 2024 Bluefish coach is going to be? If so has he ever coached youth lacrosse? Being a great college player or pro doesn't always translate to being a good youth coach.

Also, sounds like access to the bubble will be in addition to your tuition.

Still seems like it could be a solid Nassau based program that could end up doing what Legacy did for Suffolk. They have the resources and the practice space. It would be nice to know if they were going to have a dedicated coach that was going to start practing in the fall/winter

previous poster mentioned a 2024 guy at the bluefish, just wondering who it is. Powers is a big name and will get kids to come to the tryout. Hofstra as your home base and winter training even for additional fees is a good start for a club.

Is it true BM left Express and is taking over coaching for Legacy's 2024 Taz?

No, BM left Express Honeybadgers which is a 2023 team. He is going to Legacy to coach a 2023 team, not the 2024 Taz.

Thanks for clarifying. I thought that it sounded strange that they would replace Zummo with BM.

Sean Keenan former head coach at Smithtown West is coaching legacy TAZ 2024. That's a crazy resume for a 4 th grade team

Lucky team. Great coach.

it doesn't always translate to the younger kids. And I am speaking from recently having the HS Coach experience. It doesn't always work. Good Luck.

That goes without say for any coach at any level your right but he has coached at many levels over the years with his own boys and runs a lot of clincs for all ages, those kids will be fine. Great addition.

Has that been confirmed? Or just another pile of BS to get people at tryouts.

Confirmed but sure there is a stipulation in his contract that states that Keenan continues to coach the players to get the ball to X so owners son is showcased at all times.

Keenan will be great for that team.

He is one of the best coaches around. Should be great for the program

Are bluefish another 91 program?

Absolutely not!

Great thank you

Anytime..

Why in the world would Keenan want to coach a 2024 team?

What does that make, 5 or 6 coaches for the Taz now?

Tough to knock what they have been doing. Seemed to have a really strong summer and now add Keenan to take them to next level. Tryouts should have a ton of talent.

Hopefully Keenan doesn't back
down to the owner... But then again he makes a lot of $$ doing clinics at his place???

New to the lacrosse circuit in LI. Moved from westchester. Which are the best clubs at this age group?

Anybody have info on fl$'s program?

91 Wolfpack and Legacy Taz were the top 2 teams on LI this past season. After those tow teams the talent level evens out.

Igloo is a solid program. Lots of people talking about the Bluefish this year, They are new but have great backing. Do some research based on were you live and how far you want to travel. There are almost too many options at this age.

I don't believe they had a 2024 team last year.

Legacy looking for about 8 plus upgrades

fl$ did not have 2024

upgrades??? replacements are more like it. It is the players that decided to upgrade.

Ok Mr. Naive believe that/or tell yourself that. Total denial

The fact is that coach told the parents before the Pack game in Philly that the team was looking to make upgrades for the following season and that everyone shoul have a plan B. Of course there is a core of kids that isn't going anywhere but if your son didn't play vs the Pack in Philly considered yourself in the plan B category. I'm sure Legacy would take some of those kids back but why would you pay $2k for a team where your son wasn't going to play in the biggest games of the year? That is fhe reason there will be 8 plus openings.

The fact is that the pack and all organizations do the same that's why its travel lax my sons organization has done it as well and they aren't even close to Pack or TAZ that's the fact.

No doubt but the Pack will add 2-3 kids and the Taz will add 9-12.

How has your sons org "done it" as you say were there haven't even been tryouts yet? We are stil talking about 2024's correct?

I am talking about how in championship games the bench gets shortned, that goes for every team and sport.

Travel lacrosse is about winning in tournaments. Tight games are a tough lesson on kids this age who dont play. As the travel teams get younger and younger each year, the "lesson" on their young brains get tougher and tougher. Seeing a kid crying after their team WINS is tough to see, much less console. It is something that every parent must come to grips with. Do you want your kids to be on the bottom 1/3 of the team that does well? Or would you rather your son be on the top 1/3 of a mediocre team?

Is it about the practices or the games?

I will ask my son that before we sign up for tryouts, and go with what he says. Just because it is about the kid, right?

well said

Don't know where that hostility is coming from. Yes the coach said he is making "upgrades", but it's not uncommon for parents to also see if there may be other avenues better geared toward the individual goals their son has. Especially this year. In 4th grade programs get a lot more intense. This year is where the core team really starts to become established. If players are going to make the jump, often times its now because it become more and more difficult to penetrate those teams as the years progress.

I disagree with the comment, the talent level evens out.I watched all of the teams this year and do agree that the pack and taz were the two best teams. But I saw there were many boys that could play on either of those two teams. There are 3 to 4 kids on our own town team that could start on the pack.

What town and where did they play travel

Taz - East Islip

No neither EI nor Taz.
They Stay pritty much within the town teams and travel. winning some tournaments. Some of the boys will venture out a bit this year to play on some clubs. Point being, there is alot of talent.Please just don't think that the Pac have the best 18 kids on LI.

You have watched all the 2024 teams on LI? Is that even possible? Get off the thread, you're a tool

Who is the coach for express 2024?

Mike O'Reilly. He is also coaching the 2025 Express team

Did he coach this year? Does he have any assistants?

anyone know the Igloo assistants

He is a disloyal guy. left his 91 2020 team a couple of years ago and then took another Team to 91 last year but then left 91 again this year for a better deal I hear. You never know where he (and you) will end up.

Last years head coach and assistant also coaching 2026 with their sons

Sorry not sure what you mean. Barone coaching 2024 and his assistant is? Is it the same guy as last year?

Would like to know some of this stuff pre tryouts for these places. I think its a big deal, especially with the amount of $$$$ for these teams.

Looks like the assistant will be announced after the tryouts like last year. you that bothered do not spend the money.

Would like to know some of this stuff pre tryouts for these places. I think its a big deal, especially with the amount of $$$$ for these teams.[/quote]

Agreed. It should be mandatory that coaches & practice locations be posted. I understand times can change but, for that amount of money for travel teams...cmon.

No one wants to travel an hour for lacrosse practice twice a week!

Agreed. It should be mandatory that coaches & practice locations be posted. I understand times can change but, for that amount of money for travel teams...cmon.

No one wants to travel an hour for lacrosse practice twice a week![/quote]



COULD NOT AGREE WITH THIS MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most families here have more then 1 child in their family. Would be nice to help organise it all. Dream on I guess.

COULD NOT AGREE WITH THIS MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most families here have more then 1 child in their family. Would be nice to help organise it all. Dream on I guess. [/quote]

Which teams are you talking about? No secrets on practice locations. Express at st anthonys, igloo in Jericho, 91 pack in bayport, avengers tbd, outlaws in huntington, legacy in east islip, TLI in port jeff, true blue in Pequa, bluefish at hofstra,


ChiLAX. It's not that hard to figure out.

Which teams are you talking about? No secrets on practice locations. Express at st anthonys, igloo in Jericho, 91 pack in bayport, avengers tbd, outlaws in huntington, legacy in east islip, TLI in port jeff, true blue in Pequa, bluefish at hofstra,


ChiLAX. It's not that hard to figure out.
[/quote] do you have coaches and assistant coaches too. Some stats would be cool while your at it.

do you have coaches and assistant coaches too. Some stats would be cool while your at it. [/quote]

Nope. Don't care that much. He has his team

wait is this the guy that coached the Avengers? I don't need a whole drama. A simple yes or no. Idon't want to open the door to bashing just want to clarify.

Same guy. He will have 24 and 25 now It has been said.

Yes it is

Don't show your ignorance by insulting.Not healthy!!!
Your splitting hairs,OK,I have seen most of the 20424 teams. fact!Another fact, weather you like it or not.There are boys with some really good talent. and not all choose to play for the top. And YES, they would make it.

And he is fantastic with the kids. Really focuses on developing the kids.

He is not disloyal. He does what is best for the kids and the team. He did not leave his 2020 team, he chose not to coach- period. Some kids stayed with new coach, some went to other clubs, some moved up. Period- end of story. I would gather that if the kids/families follow him to different clubs, then he must be doing something right.

I don't dispute that. I just don't know how he will be able to give both teams the attention that they deserve and that we are paying for. What if there is conflicts with tourneys? What team is he choosing to coach and who will take over for the other team. That's where its even more important to know who are the assistant coaches. Hopefully they update their website and have this info available.

Unfortunately some ended up with no where to go and no team.

That's a reasonable concern. But I am sure that all steps will be taken to avoid conflicts. And this is something that is a great to ask before committing. Along with practice location and schedules.

What is his background / coaching experience?

Dad Coach...coached his older sons. Now other kids, runs clinics and camps. Not sure that he played lax or what his real job is.

Played D1 in college. More concerned with development at young ages than winning. He has a good connection with kids.

Agreed. He is a great coach/trainer. Works great with the younger kids

And make sure you don't mind a little salty language every once in a while.

Nassau team li bengals

Bengals in Bellmore/ Merrick/massapequa

Tom Mazeika head coach Bellmore jfk played at stony brook

Sorry bengals tom Mazeika
Assistant Chris Tempone assistant coach at ncc

Who is the coach for express 2024? [/quote]Mike O'Reilly. He is also coaching the 2025 Express team [/quote]


What is his background / coaching experience? [/quote]

Dad Coach...coached his older sons. Now other kids, runs clinics and camps. Not sure that he played lax or what his real job is.[/quote]

Played D1 in college. More concerned with development at young ages than winning. He has a good connection with kids. [/quote]

And make sure you don't mind a little salty language every once in a while. [/quote]


Son was on Crush (2nd line middie). Left because he didn't like the way JS treated the kids and the win at all costs mentality. Has no kid on either team - just likes coaching. Cares about the kids and they will definitely get better. As s a coach he is straight shooter and fair. Overall a great guy and great coach. But the other writer was correct - be prepared for some salty language - in a good way!

New to this - given all the clubs out there, what do you think the top 3 or 4 teams are? Not tourny wins etc necessarily, but coaches that can really coach? Make kids better over the course of the season? Kids will love the sport MORE at the end of the seaon, not be happy that its over.
Thank you.

Top Teams for what type of player? The answers will be different depending on your son and his playing ability.

If you want your kid to have passion for the game and learn to play the right way, he is the coach you want. Cares more about developing the kids than winning. For anyone to say disloyal, that's crazy. He's one of the few loyal coaches around and he's been around this scene for a while. Great coach

Teams are already set, no point in the tryouts. His kids don't need to show up. Same old story.

That is a valid concern. If his team is already formed, there may be just a few openings. I wouldn't rely on just this try out and you should have a plan b and c.

Not true. Everyone has to tryout and there will be multiple teams

wrong, wrong and wrong again

Well then at the end of this you tell us all how many of his current team even show up for tryouts (none, like last year) and if they don't all miraculously make the team.

This is what parents get upset over. Clubs, coaches etc should be upfront. Earlier in the thread or maybe the 2015 thread it is stated that the Avengers are moving over to Express with the coach and a few might stay. That doesn't leave a lot of openings for kids going to try out for the A team or team 1. Now, that is not to say other clubs are not keeping most of their team in tact as well. But the bottom line is, clubs need to be upfront about how many positions are truly open because parents pay a lot of money and spend time at these try outs. It's heart breaking to find out you took your kid to a try out and he didn't make it because they already had all their attack, but needed defensive players. Your kid is crushed, you are out 100 bucks, and still need to attend other try outs and only hope that the club needs the position your kid plays. This is where parents lose trust in the clubs. Just be open and honest. I think many will say, we are completely open, but that's not really true. If a kid is a stand out, they will bump another, but if a team comes from one club to another, and follows a coach, chances are the core team is set and all the positions aren't available. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, as loyalty and chemistry of playing over the years together seems to be valuable, but for the new kids trying out, the clubs should state what each team is really looking for. So if this teams core isn't already picked and set that woukd be shocking since they are following the coach. If any different is said, and the team is 75% in tact on the new club, parents are likely to be angered and not try out for the club in the future. Being up front is important and the right thing to do and families do appreciate the honesty and transparency so they can make the best decisions on where to spend their time and money at try outs.

And now you've got it! That is exactly what happened with this coach last year and will happen again this year. Why have competition and try to be the best when you can keep friends and family and others who drank the koolaid and be Average-er

Express 2024 will have 2 teams this year and nothing is set. tryouts are on Wed

Right, nothing is set....we get it, wink, wink. Bring your friends and tryout fee. Lmao.

If you make a b team, run for the hills, trust me!

Trust me, you have it backwards.

Express 2024

Our top 2024 team will be coached by the Head Varsity Coach of Kellenberg HS Mike Schwalje who has over 20 years of coaching been named Coach of the Year 5X and has already won a Catholic League Championship under his first 3 years at Kellenberg. He will have an outstanding staff which will include former UNC Goalie, Steven Rastivo who will provide outstanding goalie instruction for our players.

Coach Mike Oreilly will be also coaching a team for us in this age group and with his excellent training regimen your son will be in a great spot to develop his lacrosse skills for years to come.

Thank you for the information. Where will practices be held?

St Anyhonys and Kellenberg

Legacy tryouts tomorrow at 630 east Islip Marina.
Sean Keenan coaching Taz this year
Kyle Keenan Duke graduate coaching Storm

Will this be the case for the A team (Schwalje) and the B team (O'Malley)?

Impressive name. Question is how much time can he dedicate during varsity season. I know it didn't go well with 2025 91 who had varsity head coaches.

I was thinking the SAME think but it works in other Express teams..... How is he with young kids?
Great to give this info before tryouts though!

Yeah right, that is funny, very funny. Run to the b team, you and your boy might need to do that based on skill level, but no kid (or parent) really wants the b team.

still a majority of TAZ kids too

at least 5 kids are TAZ

Those Taz kids will all be playing on different teams come Sept. No need to play for a team that is not going to play you vs the Pack

Is Millon force having only 4th graders this year?

majority of taz kids will do what? Am I missing something?

Taz is coached by Keenan and Zummo this year. Storm is being coached by Kyle Keenan and had some god talent last year. I think they are going to be alright

You know O'Reillly is committed. Kids started playing in Sept last year and went all fall and winter right into the spring/summer season. The fact that MC went out and got a big name HS school coach is to assure himself of having 2x teams for that grade assuming they have a decent turnout at tryouts. It's hard to see any varsity coach commit any time (fall/winter) with a youth team until his season is over, and by that time it's usually too late.

Don't know about that. Kuttin taking a back seat? Hard to believe. Great business move but cant see Kuttin going for it.

It's a done deal.

legacy is very strong at young ages. It is the club of the future

Lol! That's a joke! That's saying-tryouts are today! Please come tryout!

Yeah, if you live way out east.

I wouldn't consider East Islip way out east

It is the club of the future???? Hahahahahahaha. Could be one of the best quotes on this site.

I was there they all pulled up in flying cars..

lmao! That was hilarious

Must of been 60 to 70 kids at legacy tryouts. A lot of talent. Should have 2 very good teams

we know Taz was great but what makes you think Storm will get any better? They had a real tough season this year.

i agree both 2024 legacy will be a force at their competition level. very strong return of players from both groups. Storm team competed very well last year especially near the end.

storm played very good teams multiple times over the summer, mostly all A teams. igloo-outlaws-express-tli-, these teams should have been playing taz.

Any word on who is coaching the Outlaws? The word is they are going to have two 2024 Teams this year.

Zawadalawski from Smithtown and whoever can bring over the most town kids.

That's a joke. Avengers was a B team & played the same team and they either won or it was great competition. Storm got crushed most games.

Agreed, Storm was not a very good travel team. They couldn't beat Express, who was awful, got crushed by RVC at Bash at the Beach and never came close to beating Igloo, Outlaws or Avengers.

So they were certainly below average, were there enough kids at tryouts to change that?

How where the numbers at yesterday's tryouts?

If they took the top 40 kids and they accepted it would be improved but who knows if they will accept.

I think that is the key- a lot of kids go to try outs, for practice, to try out to see if they stack up or surpass the talent- etc. When you find out your kid made a team, you really do not know who is on that team, unless you are part of an inner circle. You can have the best kids show up, but few actually sign on and that is frustrating, but it is what it is.

How was the talent looking at Express tryouts this week

Wondering if you make a team in these early tryouts clubs are making you pay immediately so you don't continue trying out for other teams ?

There was a good showing. Over 60 kids.

It was decent. About 50 kids. Good stick skills. Goalies looked good.

The Avenger kids looked above average. Surprised at the 60+ turnout.

Says the Avenger Dad..lol

Ha...that was for Titans Daddy

Don't they know the Avengers kids all get free passes this year for Express? Over 25 of those kids didn't have to really "tryout".

Yes, they want you to pay within a week. If you are trying out for clubs that are holding try outs near one another you have an advantage and can make a choice without feeling pressured.

Same as the Wolfpack Kids, same as the Taz kids, same as Outlaw kids, etc

That makes sense for Wolfpack and taz but wouldn't the next tier want open tryouts so they can add talent and take the next step

let's see if any get cut, and some probably should based on what I saw.

Thanks

except they are moving to a new organization AGAIN who is pretending there are spots available. At least this year they need to show up. Looks like Express is collecting more $ than 91 did for their fake tryouts last year.

Anytime!!!

So you are going to Express tryouts now? I though you were a Titans guy

Sorry to disappoint you, just a parent hopeful that my 2024 gets a fair shot after what I've read. And it is clear that not all of the kids were at the same level.

That is true, not all kids are at the same level but with express you have a fair shot to make either of the teams. You did not have that last year with pack and avengers. That's why you got stuck with the Titans

Nope, didn't get stuck. So I am just hopeful you are right so my son doesn't get left out like it seems happened to other people. He is not a D1 player yet (he's only 9) but he deserves a fair assessment. I'm sure you agree.

Ok, enough about Taz and Wolfpack, lets talk about the other teams. Outlaws, Igloo, Team Long Island, Millon, True Blue... How are these teams and the coaches? First year my son is trying out

Igloo is always very good. They have a great staff, probably one of the strongest staffs on the club circuit. Team Long Island is returning most of their staff which was good as well. The Outlaws have the same coaching staff for the one team and new staff coming in for B team whose strong as well. I have a friend who played for them and they are great teachers/coaches.

Try igloo, good team, coach is a hands on teacher. Tryouts are next week. 8 hours of lacrosse over 2 days. For only $100 bucks! Best bargain since tryouts used to be free.

A friend of my son that played on Igloo. The kid and family enjoyed but they felt they kept too large of a team. Playing time was cut down. We played them they were one of the better B teams out there.

But for Igloo they are the A team and get treated that way. And I don't think they carried a crazy number of kids.

Treated like an A team meaning nice bags. They struggled last year. Not a bash just a fact. They lost to TLI and you don't hear anybody say TLI has a great coach. Does TLI have better talent or coach? Do your homework on how teams progressed during the year. tli beat avengers and igloo, seems to be something cooking there.

23 is too many

All of the teams you mentioned beat each other. TLI has a 150 lb attackman and the best goalie in the age group. It's not the coaching.

From my knowledge Igloo will be cutting down the number of players as they hit 6th grade and older. The boys get stronger and can last longer in the heat of the summer. So I believe they are making the rosters smaller this year. So that playing time isn't a factor.

Anyone know who is coaching Bluefish 2024?

Outlaws had some strong kids, so did Igloo, not sure about Millon, think they had a mixed team last year. Heard TLI had some good kids as well.
A and B, you guys are ridiculous. These kids are 9 years old!!! Most of them are still learning and growing, YES we all know Taz and Wolfpack are great, but the smaller slower kids WILL catch up! Trust me!!!
Lets have these crazy conversations in 4-5 years. Get a hold of yourselves and stop bashing young kids and use this forum for what it is for. You Dads are the same guys SCREAMING on the sidelines at your kids like lunatics dreaming about scholarships...
And no this isn't coming from a Dad whose kid didn't make a Team, he played where he belonged last year, just someone who realizes these kids are 9.

Galasso for 23/24...not sure if that is two teams or one.

Levittown Tomahawk Coaches.

LOL, it's not the coaching, line of the year. So, just take a bunch of talented kids, throw them out there with any coach and they will perform incredibly. The coaches play a HUGE role.

Stay FAR away from Levittown coaches, nothing but trouble and especially if a hand full of there kids follow there parents are a DISCRACE to the game and have zero respect for other teams and even there own given the way they act..RUN away....

Igloo 2024 has GREAT coaching. They had smaller kids and less of them when I watched them beat TLI in a Championship at St. Paul's to end the year. Coach figured out how to neutralize TLIs offensive advantage, quickly turned the team around from the semi final and beat them in a tight game after being beaten in pool play. I think that demonstrates something. No intent to knock anyone, but it is absolutely clear that high level coaching is what we should all be looking for.

Exactly!

I've heard this from a lot of lacrosse parents around the Island. They teach "dirty" lacrosse and have no respect for anything.

Didn't they start an all out fight at one of the last tourneys of the season?

Yup, you stop the 12 year old you stop TLI

Are they still going to stick with that Zummo and Keenan story? I would want that guarantee in writing.

Zummo won't be there to much, he coaches the 2020 team and it's a big recruiting year for that age group.

Interesting that you say that. My boy was at their tryout last year to test the waters, but we declined and are not with TLI. But at the open runs we met the parents, very nice people, and they have a very likable kid. I recall they carry around his birth certificate because of people like you. Kid is legit age, but some people accuse the parents of faking the cert. You can't win.

They had more then a few very very good players on Igloo last year. If they stay they will only get better. Solid program I think.

So 8th grade is a big recruiting year now? Big? Really? Maybe for Crush kids.

2020 big recruiting year, now I have heard it all. no wonder we all pay so much at such a young age.

my 8th grader is more worried about his science and math class than being recruited... good luck buddy I hope you don't pass these expectations on to your son, because you and him are in for a major let down. Oh and my advice is get him in an early SAT prep course, they have them for 8th graders now.

Zummo is defecting so he won't be there at all from what I hear.

Where is he going?

Sean Keenan handling 2024
Tom Zummo handling 2020
Great coaching for each team

These boys are very lucky in 4 th grade to get a coach like Sean Keenan. He has coached at the highest HS level, developed and coached many HS All Americans No offense to Zummo, but the team will be in pretty good hands. Pretty sure Rob Pannell who played for Keenan since he was in 4 th grade turned out okay.

This post is a little overboard, and sounds like a sales pitch. Yes, Keenen was a Varsity coach and coached some of the best players that Suffolk has seen. But even with that he never won a county title. Most of these travel teams have established Varsity coaches and college coaches, on staff, this is nothing new.

Who has a better resume in 2024 age group?

Aiello has the best coaching resume for 2024's. I would think most would agree.

Lol your kidding right. The guy didn't even play lax not that it matters but when comparing there is none. Also he coaches high school with Zummo again who do think runs the show there or knows more about lax. Now if your trying to say he has a better resume the Keenan your sadly mistaking actually pretty funny.

Keenan's resume will stack against anyone at any level. If you have done any of his clinics you know the guy can coach and motivate kids . Legacy has a solid staff at most levels and they all translate it to the kids very well

the landscape of strong teams will change year to year with boys crossing programs. My motto at this age, id like him to play for an organized program where he plays and develops. winning is nice and good to strive for but not what I'm paying 3g for. For him to win and not play does him no good.

The guy is a fantastic coach no doubt but until he gets the Taz to beat the Pack all the resume talk really doesn't mean anything.

That has nothing to do with anything, that's like saying until he beats Keenan in an actual game of lax he would be a better coach. cmon please say something intelligent. This has nothing to do with which club they coach, your asking about a "coaches resume" and when u compare them to Keenan is better by a landslide, on paper alone and of course in real life experience on the field as well.

Congratulations. You win the dumbest comment of that day!

Say it slowly....FOURTH...GRADE....LACROSSE. After you do that read how ridiculous your comment sounds

Have kids in 3 different lax age groups and it seems by all accounts the 2024 is the wackiest. Is it just me?

I actually think the craziness peaks in 4th-6th grade. Starts to dial down and by 8th grade becomes less about which club/team.

I am talking about the parents specifically of 2024s. Have been through 4th-6th with other sons. This group is a little more "excitable".

JC the co head coach of Adelphi is coaching this age for TRue Blue. He is taking 2 teams this year as usual with 2023 being the other. His 2017 team that he is leaving has double digit division 1 recruits.

Beware of joe cat!!!! all he knows how to do is curse at your kids and the referee !

Joe Cat is a top coach that knows the game inside out.

take a writing class.

From what I hear TAZ still looking for a couple defenseman, a goalie and a couple middies. Great opportunity tryouts tomorrow

So if you want to talk just resumes JS tops them all. He has won in Youth, NCAA, and MLL..

JS? Who is that at 2024?

Sounds like pretty much every 4th grade team's needs

No need to hang the guy, he just made a mistake.
JS coaches 2023 and 2020 and most recently added 2025 youth.

He's not coaching 2025. He'll be there a couple of times and then the other coach will take over. His daughter is on the team so he has an interest for now. Once she moves over to the Girls game, why would he stay? He coaches NCAA girls lacrosse, once his girl moves over, so will he. Great coach, but will put his energy elsewhere.

He announced that he was coaching 2025 on twitter. He is pretty driven- don't think he'd put his name out there unless he was fully behind it.

From his words at the 2025 tryout... The 91 2025 team will be the next Extreme, Crush, Bandits...

He's coaching a 2025 girls team too and a friend of mine from Rocky Point said his daughter is going to play girls lax next year. The writing on the wall tells me that he's not going to follow through with this team. He most likely put his name down as coach just so that all of the kids from 2025 orange don't go elsewhere due to the horrible experience they had last year. 2025 is going to be the red headed stepchild for the foreseeable future.

Agree. Not happy about it. But I agree

are these positions that are available the ones that include the weekly practices that only a handful of kids are Invited to? Or are these the filler position that aren't good enough to play in certain key games but are good enough to take my $2500.

Filler positions for the check

Big turnout at Igloo tryouts today. Lots it talented kids are not going to make the cut. 4 hour tryouts are insane though.

I thought it was great compared to the other tryout we did. Yes 4 hours but the kids learned some stuff and got better.

You ever hear of lacrosse camp? You want your boy to get a full evaluation? Well this is it.

It was well worth every penny.

Most those talented kids will opt for Express & Taz.
Majority of these kids are at those tryouts as well. Igloo sounds good but it's too new.

He's coaching so his daughter gets played. She will play both girls & boys a few years. If your son isn't good he won't see the field at all. Do you want that from a team in THIRD grade?

How many kids were at Igloo? Do they know who their assistant coaches are? Barrone seems to be spread pretty thin

60 kids. Some real good talent. Lots of Manhasset kids, who were also at Express tryouts. Barrone ran the show. Should be a competitive age group this year. Have to assume the Pack play up all year again.

I wonder how many of those 60 kids actually want Igloo? Or are using the 100$ for 8 hours of practice? Is 4th the grade when kids can start using long poles in tournys?
I was not there but heard was well run and alot of different helmets -

Wow that legacy Taz team is going to be special. Those kids were awesome. My kid is going to have to work harder to get to that level. Trying to be a realist.

The majority of the kids I've seen at tryouts - Igloo, Lagacy, Express did not have much talent. Maybe a dozen good kid & those are the ones that should be playing club at this age but what is up with kids trying out for club teams in 4th grade who can't catch & throw? Why is wrong with their parents putting them in club? Put them in clinics for a year THEN maybe tryout. And if they don't like going to the clinics they should not be playing club lacrosse. So messed up!

Still a far 2nd place team in the 2024 Bracket

100% correct. He plays 12 kids 90% of the time on both of his other teams. But his daughter can't play both. Girls lax is more travel than boys. She'll have to pick one and I heard its next summer. This thing with JS coaching that team is a complete bait and switch. I feel bad for anyone that falls for it.

The poster was making a comment on how good 8/9 year olds play the game and pack dad has to take a shot at kids. Comical. No dog so I'll bite, didn't they play an OT one goal game late in the season?

It was both of there last games. Championship game it was 6 to 5, very good game, could have gone either way. There is no gap in a one goal game could have gone either way.

What a complete loser comment. Go look in the mirror. The guy is complimenting a group of kids and you come in guns out. Another failed HS player attempting glory through his 9 year old.

Sad.

You have to think 12-15 returning kids are locks to come back leaving only about 10 open spots to upgrade. It was well run tryout and there were tons of different helmets. A few of the kids even tried out with long poles.

no

You mean 11 year old

best coaching there is, yes, I want that!

You guys are speaking as if Rooney wouldn't be a draw by himself. People would be silly to doubt how good he is. And if you only get one year, you have to take it, the next year is always a crap shoot anyway.

[quote=Anonymous]The poster was making a comment on how good 8/9 year olds play the game and pack dad has to take a shot at kids. Comical. No dog so I'll bite, didn't they play an OT one goal game late in the season?[/quote
Taz and Wolfpack have played 5 or 6 times and only 1 game was close, but that game was the last one between the two teams, so the gap is closing

the gap is far from closing. The game before the one you are speaking of was 14-0 WP. Any team could beat any team on any given day. You need to look at statistics and statistically speaking, wins vs losses, WP has won 100% of the time. WP is 8/9 -0 over the past 2 years.

With all due respect, he's the equivalent of most coaches on other teams. He's definite not the draw. No one would be excited to get on that team if he were coaching. Don't misunderstand me, he a quality coach and very qualified, but what A team coach isn't? JS is listed as a coach now on 4 different teams, plus PAL, plus Lizards, plus Stony Brook. How much time is he going to honestly spend with 3rd graders? And how many of them will his screaming make cry? Buyer beware on this one people!

Wait until this year!!! Keenan will have this team running and gunning like a well oiled machine. Remember talk is cheap.

Taz plays everyone. Tax shortened bench in 1 game and it was basically even.

I decided to take my son to a few different tryouts to see what was out there. I must admit all the clubs tryouts we attended were well run, a positive experience for my son and at worst an expensive 2 night clinic each time. As a parent, I stood back about 20 yards from the fence and watched the children and the parents. My one observation, about 1/3 of all the parents gave the boys a positive word or two when they came off the field, a smile, hug, high five or fist bump. Good luck to all the boys and parents as they make their club selections. We are going Legacy, it made sense to us.

Has Legacy even post who they are taking yet? But I like the rest of your post.

If we make one of their teams, obviously. Sorry about that.

Enjoy the Storm....

Larry, why was the comment about the DELETED tryouts tonight removed?

We give everyone the benefit of the doubt UNLESS they do not answer questions as to what comes to us from our sources. We do not promote these types of clubs. It is our responsibility to promote wholesome and upfront clubs.

I went to a tryout last night at suny farmingdale and at the end. The coach took all the 9 year olds from last year and played against all the new kids. Old team 10. New kids zero. What a waste of 20 mins for the new kids. Then the coach basically admitted team is picked but the B team will be great

And this surprises you? Not sure why you would have expected different with that org. Btw, this will be the third year in a row with a new B team starting from scratch. Buyer beware.

He's a JS protege. He collects the best hold backs on the grede level then yells and screams at them till they're too scared to make a mistake. The parents then tell everyone that they are better than all but two of the 2023 A teams, but get crushed by most of them. Be glad. That club's second teams are generally excellent without all of the coach's egos and temper getting in the way

i will say that up until that point it was 2.5 hours of good drills and positive energy

We'll see how that B team nets out...Not sure how committed the coach really is

What club?

last night their was 1/2 the amount of kids at the tryout that were there last week.

outside of the 22 locks to make A how many kids were there?

Hahahaha. You are all whiney little women. Once again a bunch of Dads who sons couldn't cut it. You all complain about the same stuff at whatever club tryout your kid cant hang with. this is your son is not ready to play at this level. Grab a stick and go out and practice with your kid.

the idea is to see how much fight the new kids have in them. Do they get discouraged or do they keep trying to make something happen in a bad situation. Might not be best for 9 year olds, but as they get older, expect to see that kid of thing if your son wants to get on the elite teams in any organization.

We are from out of town and attended a couple of tryouts yesterday. All I can say is that the kids were really nice to my son even though he did not know any of them. It was great to see such talented kids.

i agree with that comment above, however, in this situation, not the best way for any kid of any ability to shine, in a 15 -20 minute scrimmage when the ball is 100% in the other end and you have a group of kids playing an established proven winning team. you could take the best attack man from any team and if the ball is never in that end, he has zero opportunity . dont misunderstand me, each and every kid was given ample opportunity to show their stuff throughout the tryout process, which was very very well run. Coaches did a phenomenal job!!!!

Could not agree more - we only did one (igloo) but the kids were all super nice and the clinic/tryout was great. I am sure my kid is bubble, but because of the nice tryout, he really wants it. I played college lax, and was shocked at how good some 4th graders are. Lacrosse has come a long way. Year round sport now , hope these little guys can sustain. Saw one Dad berate his son pretty good at the snack break...was tough to see.

Enjoy the ride, it goes quick!

thx dad of an 11yr old 4th grader

11 yr old 4th grader? Go away you little jealous man. Weak

in all fairness, there were more than a few kids at the tryouts as good as the A players that will not make that A team, but then again, there were a few existing players that were pretty awesome. these kids really move the ball well, and know how to move when they dont have the ball. I guess that is why they win so much

hahaha someone hit a nerve. As expected your vicariously living through you hold back kid. Go back to the water cooler to tell all your coworkers how little johnny is such a lax superstar and his age will be our little secret.

Hit a nerve? Must suck not stacking up across the board in your life. Don't worry there's more tryout's next year.

If your kid is not on Taz or Igloo what are the next best programs/coaches for a good player based in Nassau . Please no bashing of clubs just want honest feedback.

Why is this club name mentioned on other BOTC threads without editing? Is it an issue with this 2024 age group for that club? I noticed you quickly edited the name of the team, not even the club name.

Did you try Bluefish- the new program. Might be worth starting with them from the beginning.

i would take a hard look at ICON, serious answer- tryouts this weekend at adelphi- unbiased, my son does not play for them

If you are in Nassau - I would consider True Blue (don't have a son on the team but familiar with the program)...decent price and with a good coach, thought commitment and competitiveness of the team may not be as much as some of the other clubs over the course of a year...not sure about Bluefish given a 1st year club and concerns over quality/style of their coaching staff

Any igloo calls gone out?

Express is worth a look.

Express, Icon, Bluefish, Sharks, true Blue. They are all Nassau. For Icon & Bluefish it'll be their first year for this grade. I think the only club that will want to prac full year in Nassau in this age bracket is Express. They have tryouts tonight at Mitchell. It's 4th grade, all of these teams will be fine. It depends on the level of intensity you are looking for.

11 year old, 10 year old... Either way you're a d-bag.

my son is entering 6th rade @ 11yrs. cheater

No kid on "that team" will be 10 until December. Fact

Yes igloo call have gone out

You are a bunch of sorry [lacrosse] old men whose glory days are over and trying to live through your kids. The fact that you go back and forth with stupid [lacrosse] comments over 9 year old boys is just so pathetic. What happened to just playing for the love of the game? Why are you all concerned about being the best? Are you all really pondering how to get your child a D1 scholarship? Newsflash.... the probability of that happening is extremely low and think about the sacrifice of having your child hate you because all you do is jam it down their throat. Ask yourself this....do you ever ask your child if they had fun? Or do you tell them that you LOVE to just to watch them play? I bet the answer to these questions are NO.

Your comments are spot on, but being involved with sports my entire life,the people you are describing are a small percentage. Thank god. Most parents are supportive and care about their kids being in a good situation.

Two of the best posts on this forum.

Ever since my friend told me about this forum I have stopped watching Netflix. Love it.

Yes

This board is the furthest thing from wholesome. To allow people to bash coaches, parents, programs, then censor when some posts about a specific program seems a bit odd. There is some valuable information on this forum in between the Jerry Springer episodes which are permitted and in some instances encouraged. Whatever the issue there is between the folks that run this forum and the organization in question is their issue, but please stop with the "wholesome" comments. It doesnt pass the sniff test....

First time ever posting here-you guys are funny-you only think about the age of the kids as it refers to sports. What about a child with learning disabilities. Maybe a child that had to repeat a year due to developmental delays-don't think that happens? Not every child who is slightly older is in the grade due to parental influence based on sports advantage. keep that in mind when bashing a child/parent because their child is 1/2 year or 10 months older. In reality, especially for boys, being the oldest in the grade is a not such a bad thing for maturity, socialization, and can result in better academics, which is really what will help most get into better schools and function better later on in the "real world". Reality is, that few will get scholarships for sports. We are talking about 4th graders here. It ain't all about sports.

I have much empathy for the child that struggles. I held one son back because he only made the cut off by days and he is still immature to compared to his peers on grade level, never mind age wise. That said, I never expected that he would be given preferential treatment because I held him back when it came to sports. When he played hockey he played his age, but when he played town soccer he played grade. If he tried out for travel soccer, he'd play age again. Kids like my son are not the worry, but rather the exception to holdbacks. He is not a dominant force, but if he was, I would never expect that he be given an advantage because he might be bigger or stronger than his younger grade peers. The issue is, there had to be some rules set because if you excuse kids with late start to school, then you need to excuse those that hold back for athletic reason later. It becomes a free for all and is quite unregulated. I'm all for developmental programs to be grade based, but once you enter the competitive field of travel lax or any sport- there should be a level playing field at the start, minus genes. The bigger stronger kid with such DNA is who he is, but he can't be called out as he is a proper age as all the kids.

There is an official cutoff date. It's 9/1. It's as arbitrary as the dates picked for soccer or hockey. Vast majority of holdbacks would meet the age cutoff anyway. Now for all you fall birthdays playing on grade you're technically playing up by lax standards.

You need grade based as recruiting kicks in around 8th grade. Should go age based until then.

so 2024 Express try out are complete, when will these results be posted?

Hockey is the way to do it. Period. Jan 1 2020 you play for the YEAR 2020. 12/31/2019 you play for the YEAR 2019. Clean and simple.

For those that left back their preschool kids for other reasons then sports , it makes it easy. In hockey, when asked what year you are, you say your birth year. Not your grade level. Easy.

BOTC at this point is propaganda plain and simple. They allow posts bashing one particular club but when someone writes something complimentary they delete the post or doctor it so it doesn't look anything like the original comment. I'm sure this will be deleted as well.

E-mails should be out by mid afternoon

Any Igloo calls go out at this age?

If you think a 2 minute snack time berate by a Dad to his son was tough to see, the pack may not be for you as a parent. The way JA screams and degrades kids is borderline child abuse. Don't take my word for it, watch the games. Coaches should be role models for these kids and JA is far from it.

Agreed, but the Pack parents love it

Untrue. The boys love this guy. Berate? Child abuse? You are a fool who obviously has a son that is not ready to play at a high level. Do us all a favor and go home and bake cookies with your boy. That sounds like more your level weak daddy. So pathetic and soft. Don't worry little Johnny will get a participation trophy in the end and no one will raise their voices so you don't get upset. Embarrassing

Are we talking about 4th grade kids and lacrosse here. People you need a reality check. Odds are your kid wont be playing the game of lacrosse because he loves it. He will be playing because you do. At this age it should be about retention of players. Make them fall in love with the game so when there are pitfalls they wont want to stop playing but persevere. There will be so many changes in your kids from now and until they play in High school you would only wish you had this time back. They are little kids let them be little and enjoy the game for what it is, A GAME. Not the big money making monster it has become. Sports are an avenue for growth in an individual in so many great ways but the way parents are making it out to be its become a nightmare. They are creating the farthest thing from a team atmosphere. Its a shame whats going on with the parents, not the kids.

Thank you for the reality check, and this is not sarcastic. I think many of us are on BOTC because our kid loves lacrosse and we want the best for our child but with tryout results coming out, it is very easy to succumb to the madness.

Because they are winning i guess. Who knows if his days are numbered. Time will tell with JA as things will catch up and what goes around comes around. What is amazing to me is the parents on that team allow their kids to be treated the way they do because of fear of being cut and thats a fact.

Pack rosters announced...I wonder if anyone new was added. It's only 20 kids so assuming the same team

Is lacrosse the be all and end all for you and your kids? Its time to evaluate what your doing to your kids. I understand teaching them ownership and responsibility and all the higher up moral fibers of ethics are important and sports are a great avenue for this. We all have different perceptions of it but right from wrong and the basic building blocks for child development don't start with lacrosse. If someone is treating your child poorly and you allow for this because you want your kid to play on a particular team really speaks to what our society has become. I do understand that there are those with their own agenda and will spread lies and rumors about individuals to tarnish that persons reputation but the way parents are treating 4th grade lacrosse seems crazy. If your kids good he will get noticed and picked up down the road. Teach your child to be fundamentally sound at all the basics, Lefty righty catching throwing shooting and groundballs. Enjoy their successes and failures because you will never have these moments back. Good luck and I know its hard to look past the proverbial carrot on a stick before your face of being on the best team. They are just kids.

Easy there Marv Marinovich. These kids don't have a choice, of course they are going to pretend to like JA. How would it go if they gave him lip? The yelling would be less? It's well known that kids on the pack live in fear. Frequent porti potti trips before games is not a coincidence. It makes me laugh that you think successful teams have to be handled only like the pack. Plenty of good teams out there win, learn/love the game and most importantly; the kids have fun. Based on your comments, I'm betting your kid hates you and you don't even know it yet.

2024 parents are overly "excited" about their sons' lacrosse careers compared to the other age groups. Saw some parents posting highlight videos of their kids on the internet.

could this be the attempts to sway decisions. There were 18 out of 20 children that returned to tryout for this "horrendous" coach as you say. Even if you take the 3 - 4 wacky parents out of the mix and the coaches kids, that still leaves you with 10 sane parents that would not stand for this so called abuse. I think this is a pathetic attempt to bash a coach that is completely committed, practiced 4x's more than the guaranteed practices, and wasn't more concerned with the almighty dollar. It takes a certain type insecure weasel to spue lies like this. The kind that might be concerned about the loss of good players on a particular team. Or the kind that may have had a child that couldn't keep up. Either way it might be time to take a step back and consider wether it is really worth it to bash a guy completely undeserving.

TRUE BLUE NEWS!!



ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. ALL PLAYERS ARE INVITED TO SHOW UP AND REGISTER ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AT THE TRYOUTS. ALL PLAYERS THAT WALK UP TO REGISTER WILL BE ABLE TO PAY WITH CHECK OR CASH. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THERE.



TRUE BLUE LACROSSE

Is True Blue even going to field a 2024 team this year? Any word on who's coaching if do?

Joe cat will coach he coaches every team!!!!

Friend of mine has made the express2024 team and asked me about it. I have a older son that plays travel, so came to this board? Any intel on coaching, etc?
Thanks

Who is the coach? Heard there are 2 teams.

Both team 1 & 2 will be good teams. Great coaching.

Any idea who the coaches are?

Better be great coaching. Not that many kids to choose from.

Kellenberg coach is the A team coach Mike O'Reilly is the B team coach

express had 65 kids at try outs. that seems like a good amount to choose from for two teams if you ask me. did they post it who made it or emails only ?

Reilly brought his own team. How much time is schwalie going to be able to spend here?

Yeah, but half of those kids also tried out for Legacy, Igloo, 91, etc so there is really no need for 2x Express teams.

They split up the teams this year but I agree about Schwalie, you know his focus is on Kellenberg

There were over 70 kids at tryouts. For 4th grade that's a decent turnout.
Both are great at developing kids. Teams have not been announced.

The best kids who came over will all want to go to the A team, right?

Seems crazy to me that the kids/families would go from B team to B team. You would move to get an A team experience. It is not going to be very good lax at the bottom of this roster.

Express results out

It's 4th grade. Some people choose to stay with a coach if they know that coach works well for their child. Both will be great teams.

Very few great B teams unfortunately, if your looking for that, gotta go A!

And remember that kids get better playing with the best/better kids. Not necessary to play up, but you have to have challenges. So have your kid play at or above his level whenever you can.

Good teams, yes. Not so sure about great.

Where? I don't see it on their website.

Who will be coaching the Legacy 2024 teams? Team Taz? team Storm?

Storm is Kyle Keenan and Taz is his father Sean

Express sends emails to the kids that made itr

Express B will be just as strong as A, easily

Oh really. That kind stinks for kids that don't make it. Parent keep waiting and waiting and hear nothing?

Btw Legacy results are posted on their site

Express always did emails...2024 went out last night...if anyone passes more will go out on Monday

Easily? Are they splitting the baby? That only gets you two half babies that can not survive. Not sure why that would happen.

They are both b teams

Had my son out for his first tryout for the 2024 Outlaws yesterday after all the coaching and staff moves they made. Some real talent showed up. These are going to be great teams.

I don't understand why you would come on here and make that statement. What is the point? So silly and useless. Just to stir the pot?

Time will tell

Seems nuts to me, if your kid is an A player, he doesn't get equally skilled team mates. That could be very frustrating. If he is a B player he will only keep up at the bottom of the roster. Good luck! I guess crazier things have worked before.

What do you mean? My son tried out for Express, Legacy and Outlaws. Simply stating the Outlaws tryouts looked like some talented kids at the 2024 group not stiring up anything. Why so defensive? Something I should know about the Outlaws?

Express doing B1 and B2 because Reilly brought a mostly full team for avengers that is sticking together.

Express B1 and B2. Why would they do that ?

It just seems dumb. Sooner or later, the better players will either leave for an A team or get left behind. Why not try to be better. Sorry, but just like blondes, A teams have more fun!

If anyone at bluefish tryouts yesterday can let us know if they also said 2024 team emails going out this week.

True he brought kids over but the team split up between both Express teams.x

The Bluefish said results wound be posted after the next tryout

How do you know that there is B1 and B2 and no A. Are you a coach or a parent?

Avengers were a B team last year. Express was a C+. If they are making two balanced teams don't see how either improves much.

Has to be a parent, this is just not logical for a coach to say. Even teams would make this just expensive PAL. Maybe each kid gets a trophy too along with the bill!

For you all new to express (avenger parents pay close attention), your team will add players, there will be many guest appearances, your coaches will come and go. With two teams, channy has plenty of flexibility to move pieces around as he wants. This is all a dress rehearsal to get an A team together by end of the summer. Expect movement between teams and new faces along the way. Also, don't expect schwalie there very often, especially in the spring/summer.

Yikes!

It's the only way Channy knows how to do it.

well we will see, lots of hating going on on here...why ?

Your comments are nonsense.....you have no idea what you are talking about.

O'Reilly will not do that- the kids he takes are his kids. He won't screw them over.

Really. Go hop on the boards for some other age groups and ask whether that happens.

I guess he could move to another organization next year

It's all good with Express. Channy got his way with 2x B teams. He went from 1x awful 2024 team last year to 2x decent teams this year and was able to double his cash for the program. It's a Win Win for Channy.

As for the teams we will see how they end up but right now but they are both B teams. Sure one might be B1 but at the end of the day neither will be able to close the gap between Pack and Taz. We also know Igloo and Outlaws upgraded too.

And the great lacrosse money grab continues!!!

Or his good/better kids can go find an A team before it is too late. Oh wait, it is too late. That stinks for the best of them.

Some of them already moved

You have no idea what you are talking about. Your son probably didn't make either team, so you are bitter. This board should really have the facts and not comments of disgruntled crazy parents.

If this board only had facts there would no activity on this site. Lol

agree, grown men? come on guys...maybe some postive stuff about programs and coaches but to criticize 4th grade teams? My first year in travel, I wanted to get the kid involved because he loves playing and is decent. You guys on here add stress to the experience, and why ? This board should be a avenue to network info, but remember they are kids!!

People it's travel lacrosse. Families make decisions that best suit their kids & families. Coaches/directors make decisions to hopfully develop the kids & programs. A kid can get better between now and spring and changes can happen. Welcome to the real world! If you don't like it, go back to PAL or work harder!

it would be no fun if there were only facts on the board.

what happened to the top Taz line that was deflecting to WP?

The top line was never leaving. Just one. He left and has been replaced. All good.

Do you know which team the taz player went to?

Suprised WP had room for 3 if only one was top line player.

I did not right the first post, but believe me he knows what he his talking about , if Fat Albert walked up to MC and said I am a middie and wrote him a check he will have a uniform that day. Every practice you will see a new helmet. He will sit your kid the whole tournament and sleep like a baby. He only cares about a handful of kids the top dogs. And you are not a top kid and don't do is extra clinics you will move down the ladder.

Good thing he's not coaching the teams then. I think you should invest some time in a writing class, instead of this board.

Legacy storm kept 38 kids that is a joke! You guys are ridiculous that is a huge money grab should be ashamed.

No they did not where r u getting your information from

Tell that to his 2020 team.

I think that B teams like that get a lot of "no thanks", so they pick extras.

As far as I know the worst thing he did was to move on and not coach the team for the upcoming season. Is that a crime in your book?

They have posted the numbers of kids that made the team. They took 20 kids. Get your info straight before you make outlandish remarks.

No, not a crime, but "his kids are his kids" didn't work in the past. Some kids got left behind. That is an unfortunate truth.

Once he stepped down, his kids went in different directions and were no longer "his kids". As a coach, when playing for him, he takes care of his players. And I believe that if he were asked for help by anyone of his former kids, he would still do what he could. He is not for all, but he has worked with tons of kids over the years and has made a difference.

his kid got moved to crush and Byrnes coached the cyclones. that's not leaving your kids behind.

Whatever you say. Many see it differently.

Well, how many kids on the express "a" team (not oreilly) are returners? That is the only answer to this question....

And how many "b" are coming with him. Then please stop - its 4th grade...

Did Igloo end up making a lot of changes or did they stay pretty consistent?

This little piggy went to Team 1, this little piggy went to Team 2, this little piggy went to another team and that poor little piggy has none.

I believe igloo has last tryout tonight for those that were not around the days of tryouts. I assume they will have upgraded like everyone else. In case people are new to this .... people change every year from every team. Some teams get better. Some get worse. Some continue treading water.
Hopefully every kid finds a place to play and HAS FUN.

If the Avengers were a B team?Then who were the A teams?

Tier 1 (WP and Taz.) Tier 2 (Igloo, TLI, and Avengers.) tier 3 everyone else( Storm, Sharks, Millon, Express, etc)

This year we will have to see if anyone raises or falls.

Few Taz players made the WP team and opted to go. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision but if my son was given the opportunity I would have done the same. Don't get me wrong Taz is a great team with a talented bunch of boys but its comparing apples to oranges.

There were a couple more kids that were going to move from Taz to WP but Legacy, in a smart move, offered to pay the kids tuition.

4th grade...LOSERS

For skill and player development. Which team has better coaches this season? Not which team will win. serious question

Smart move? Haha you're a clown

Skills and player development are instrumentally better when playing with better players. Fact. For this grade I want someone who has a enthusiasm for the game , and passes it on to his group. This will get them better! I want my son to be pumped to go to practice. Not feel like he has to go because of a grumpy coach.
They are children. 9 and 10 year olds. Get better , and have fun doing so. Fun is what this is all about right?

Fun is 4 letter word this is all about the 2500 scholarship our boys are going to get to play lacrosse in college. Who is this guy? (Joking for all you serious folk out there)

OMG Avengers were terrible last year.

These teams are all so different from 1 year to the next. If anyone believes that the same group stays together, talented or not, all the way through from 4th grade, they live in a cave. This is 4th grade!!! Kids move in and out of town..new talented kids show up and some quit. People need to get a grip when they refer to a previous year as being bad. Guess what...if that's truly the case, I am sure that the club will not just sign up the same players all over again...once again, it's 4th grade.

Won Forsberg A division , made the finals at Pro Player and Express Clash and went undefeated at JDRF. How is that terrible?

Nice job clarifying that for whoever the tool is that started their comment with an OMG. Are we letting 6 yr old girls post on here.

They were not terrible, they were Average-er

j

He's back....ha

Saw Avengers play 2x in season. Those kids did develop A LOT. Coach must be decent. Heard good things about him.

They didn't play anyone that had talent

Why so negative all the time??? They even played up in Hershey. The score board was tough on some games but they really played well in most of the games. Their coach cares more about developing then winning. He cares more that the child shoots left when he's suppose to (he may miss), but better than switching hands and getting the goal with his right. These kids will be so much better off! Stop with the shooting down of 9 year olds. I feel bad for your son.

This is what parents on Teams say when they don't win. Everyone wants to win, especially the boys! That is why they play the games, and that is why they keep score.

RVC Future's beat Express,Storm and Sharks 2x.where would they fall??

And that is the response of a parent who never made it in sports and who's child unfortunately won't make it either. A win in 3rd/4th grade is not a win in HS or college. The true winners will be developed properly and will succeed in the end. Good luck to little Johnny who can't shoot lefty in 2 years, but daddy gets to cheer & boast about his 9 year old who wins a game in 4th grade. LOOSER!

A good town team

Hows the coaching for LI Sharks? my son is fairly new to the travel scene and by no means is a A team candidate. But he loves the sport and wants to learn more.

Did Express, Storm or Sharks beat any club teams last year?

Being completely honest here. The coach is a hot head that goes off on the kids for tbe littlest mistakes. I would do your research before you spend tbe money on them.zh

How about LI Hitmen?

Dedicated young coached that practice a lot. You will get your money's worth

There is no shot your kid is on the WP or Taz so you are in the same boat as everyone else. All the kids right now are playing for 3rd

Of course he can shoot lefty, he's left handed! Winning is something that can and is learned through a lifetime of - Winning. Suddenly winners aren't developing? Tell that to the elite teams, somehow they manage to win and develop too. Imagine that, LOSER (and learn to spell).

He may be a screamer, which in all fairness is pretty rampant in youth boys lacrosse but he doesn't curse and it's not borderline child abuse (i know that sounds like a really low bar but unfortunately there are coaches that do this). He is dedicated to his team and not an absentee money grab figure head. Your son will have regular practices at consistent locations, there will not be a ridiculous number of players on the team, he will enter the team in more tournaments if the players are interested to do so, he will not lie to you, and if your son is motivated and a hard worker, he can be supportive and your child can learn a lot. Probably better off on a team like sharks than a b team in a larger organization and definitely better than a c team anywhere.

Thank you. This is the kind of stuff I like reading here!

We played Rock (which is basically Futures) at Jimmy mcgrath and they were very talented for a town only team! They beat us pretty good lol

Just do your research. He's know to explode on 7-8 year old kids.

Yes, do your research because this and everything else on botc is an individual's perspective. "Explode" is a relative term. Go see for yourself, you know your child best.

Thanks Bay Shore Daddy

Futures is a good town team but The Rock is not Futures. The Rock is kids from Rockville Centre & has kids that also do club teams. Rockville Centre has 3 very solid PAL teams. A lot of good players will come out of Rockville Centre. Some are on Futures and some are not.

What are some good fall tournaments for 2024?

Blatant fall jam is always good. Lost of travel teams will do Halloween Havoc or the Pumpkin Classic

Pumpkin Classic is brand new, how would you know that "lost" of travel teams will play in it?

Bulldog Fall Classic at Yale is good.

How do the Outlaws stack up against other Suffolk clubs? Not much written here about them. Are they considered a good program? How are their coaches?

They are at a level of a decent town team and usually that is what most of the team is. 2024 coach has very good credentials and believe team is made up of his northport kids . Watched a lot of tournament lax last year and did not see them play any of the top team teams and don't think it would have been close .

Don't listen to this fool. Besides pack and taz they are with everyone else. Avengers, express, igloo, TLI

Exactly. Besides Pack and Taz every other club team is at about the level of a good town team. The difference being you will pay $2K to play for the club team and couple of hundred dollars to play for the town team.
With so many clubs vying for players and a new one popping up almost every week the clubs are not what they used to be.
15 years ago the handful of club teams were elite teams with only the best players and everyone else played for town teams.
Now there are so many clubs that the vast majority are no better than the good town teams.
parents today think it is a status symbol to be on a club team so they keep shelling out whatever the cost to say their kid plays for a club. It's sad. we're making people rich who figured out a way to market a dream to naïve parents.

Not all town teams are cheap. Our town is $1500 without fall & winter practices.

Wow, someone is making some cash off your town team. Everything should and can be done for half of that cost including indoor training, tourney fees, uniforms, etc.

I'm not sure I agree with that. I think very few town teams have the same level of coaching, practices and tournaments. I also think you're stretching when you say the clubs above are same level as a good town team. Did any of them lose to a town team last year? I doubt it.

This. exactly. There are 2 quality club teams for 2024 on Long Island. That's it. The rest are just money grabs. Keep your money & play localy in your town. Your kid will be much happier!

Yes..yes. We ALL get it. It's the Pack, Taz then the MLL and D1 college programs. What would the rest of us ever do without the pack/taz parents to impart their wisdom upon us.

I think the majority of parents on here just want to keep the stick in the kids hand and not fall behind the 8ball so to speak. While the Pack and Taz are both top tier teams, I believe kids can get something out of playing and being coached throughout the year. This is actually our first year playing travel, so thats at least what I expect. Is it a crazy amount of money ? Yes, but Im hoping for all the years activities it will be well spent. As said before, kids and coaches change programs left and right, so winning programs will change from year to year. This is a crazy cycle this travel lax has brought us all into, but hopefully we can build a strong healthy lax foundation for our boys. What we can do as parents is enforce good sportsmanship and morals along the way. That means not being too critical of 9 year old boys, and letting them still have fun at this stage. Are you all willing to give that to them at least ? I know I am.

Well said. Nice to see positive posts like this.

A lot of valid points about town lax vs. club lax. Many clubs are probably watered down a bit since 15 years ago. The cost is expensive but is it worth it? The added drills, practices and tourneys should help a player develop a lot quicker. They will also build up a camaraderie with teammates. The downside of not joining a club is that I think town coaches will favor club kids more simply because they'll think they're more dedicated to the game and that the town kid will leave the sport in a year or so anyway.

I never said that. I merely said that they are the elite 2024 teams at this time. I have been around this sport for a long time. Played in HS but not college and both my boys played for good D2 programs but were not superstars. Many of those current "elite" players on Pack and Taz wont even start on their varsity team because they will be passed by other boys who haven't even picked up a stick yet or they will get burned out and just stop playing. Everything changes between 12 and 15 years old when they hit puberty. Don't burn your kids out. Let them be kids and have fun. I just hate what I see this sport becoming. It is going the way of baseball and soccer as a big money youth sport with everyone buying into the hype and chasing a pipedream.

New season. Here come the 'pack haters!

It cracks me up to see the word "elite" being used to describe 3rd grade lacrosse...

4th grade

Given the under achievement of you and your boys I'm not sure you should be giving the rest of us advice. Also, do you have a kid in this age group or are you just trolling around?

My mistake - that changes everything!

3rd grade or 4th grade it still is funny to call them elite.
They may be the best teams for their age in the area currently but that does not make them elite. and no 3rd or 4th grade player is elite. Come back and see what you have in 10 years.

Under achievement? LOL....I guess you were an all-American stud weren't you? LOL I feel sorry for your son, he will never live up to your expectations.

I never thought of lacrosse as a means to an end for my boys but it did help them get into some good academic schools and they are both doing very well for themselves now.
And no, I do not have a son in the age group but I do have a nephew in the age group and I am still involved with the sport.

Taz / Pack ...... Pack / Taz. Let's see how many of those kids are still playing in 10 years and enjoying it. We played them once, and the amount of yelling directed at 9 year olds was insane. I know of kids on teams that can make them (easily) but choose not to go the route at win at all costs. Enjoy.

Easily? Sure you do. Jealousy shining through. Haha go have a catch with your son.

When do teams start practicing?

I really hope that this is a 9 year old responding back. You should be embarrassed of yourself. So childish and obnoxious.

Nobody "hates" the pack...dope. The kids are awesome! We're all just a little tired of the SOME of the "pack daddies" and "Taddies" Instead of just being happy with their kids development they feel the need to tear other kids and teams down.

Igloo will start next week. I am sure WP (2 adays until school started) and Taz have already started.

Express starts next weekend too

Its not the WP parents my friend. Its the same #$%@ stirrer from day one that pretends to be part of the team. WP parents are not the big mouths, people who tried to be part of the team and didn't get the nod are the big mouths. Dad or in my opinion Mom is the stirrer that has everyone fooled

whats the deal with express? a/b team or team 1/2 or names? from what i hear they are both pretty even with talented kids

Should be pretty even. The crazies on this site will say they are both B teams because they are not the WP or Taz. It's safe to say both teams will be better then last years Express team.

That is a pretty low bar.

There are many kids on LI who can make Pac and Taz. I know of a few on our town team alone. The smart parents will allow there child to experience and commit to other sports at this age. Do you know how many times I have seen Taz and Pac helmets playing for other club teams??Can anyone say burn-out.
Let them be able to love the sport when they are 18.

The handful of good players from Avengers made the Express A team. The rest are on Express B. There is definitely an Express A and B team this year.

You are forgetting a bunch of good players also ended up staying with the B team. Kids that would have made the A team but decided to stay with the coach.

To say Express is going form awful last year to an A team this year because of a handful of players moved over is a bit of a stretch. We will find out this fall how good both teams are.

Did all of the Avengers move to Express?

hate to break this to you guy but 100% of the boys on Wolfpack play at least one but most play 2-3 additional sports including football, basketball, wrestling, ice hockey and soccer. The coach is a huge advocate of it and preaches the importance of it constantly. Most of them play these other sports together as well. Look, committing at this level is certainly not for everyone. Some feel it is a huge sacrifice. You are certainly entitled to your opinions. I do however know 20 sets of parents that feel differently and 20 boys that love every minute of it. Who are you to judge.

Thor and Hulk stayed behind.

I can not believe that anyone in their right mind would choose the B Team over the A! Even if it doesn't work out, what do you have to lose? But I suppose it is possible and I wish I could understand the logic. Is the suggestion that the A Team coach is not good? Otherwise, don't kids in a Team game improve the most with better players around them? Why hold your son back?

Be realistic with yourself, if your kid is not on the top 2 middie lines, one of the top 4/5 attack or defense but made the A team anyway he is better off at this age playing the B team and starting in all his games and playing more in tournaments against other players gaining confidence and IQ of the game. This will make him a better player and give him a better shot next year of moving up and being an asset to the team. It may take a couple of years . To many people want to say there kid is on an A team but really aren't contributing or getting enough playing time because there is a big gap between him and the top tier kids. Just my opinion and experience.

It's really 2 B teams.

Not all, but most

My bet is that we find out they are Average-er.

Perhaps they had a great experience with the coaches and teammates and the parents realize that being on an "A" team in 4th grade doesn't mean anything in the long road.

If he "would've" made the A team, he should be playing on the A team. Makes no sense to hold a kid back if he "would've" made th better team in my opinion. I guess getting a free pass was a good thing?

B...A...come on, based on what ? a couple of drills in 2 days of crammed try outs ? Come on guys, lighten up. If the Dad wants to put his kid on the "B" team because he likes the way the coach coaches, so be it. I applaud the Dad to follow his instincts to do whats best and more comfortable for his son, while still enjoying to play the game. There are a few guys on here that obviously are living through their sons lives. Any grown adult man who criticizes other 9 year old kids to get a laugh is a pure loser inside and out. Come on guys, while this is a competitive sport at all levels, these are 9 year old kids. Lets show them how to act like a good sportsman at this stage. I hope we are on the same page with this. These guys will have plenty of time for the cut throat Lax world

You are assuming the A team will be better when both will actually be good

Both will be mediocre.

And that is fine as long as the kids are having fun and getting better.

It is clearly fun to get better and you do that by playing with and against better players and also by WINNING! Winning rewards and reinforces good habits and hard work. Don't tell your sons to settle! Do them that favor. You will regret it if you don't.

[/quote]
And that is fine as long as the kids are having fun and getting better. [/quote]

You are making too much sense. NO room for that in this forum!! Some of these parents will learn the hard way and ruin it for their kids. Remember when we were young? Our passion for certain sports changed as we grew up.
My son plays for three different sports now. Right now, he loves playing them all. As much as I enjoy watching him play, I won't push him so hard that he starts to hate going.
If you choose to live vicariously through your son, don't worry. If YOUR dream doesn't work out for HIM, he can always work for my son someday!

And that is fine as long as the kids are having fun and getting better. [/quote]

You are making too much sense. NO room for that in this forum!! Some of these parents will learn the hard way and ruin it for their kids. Remember when we were young? Our passion for certain sports changed as we grew up.
My son plays for three different sports now. Right now, he loves playing them all. As much as I enjoy watching him play, I won't push him so hard that he starts to hate going.
If you choose to live vicariously through your son, don't worry. If YOUR dream doesn't work out for HIM, he can always work for my son someday!
[/quote]

Kids have to pursue their dreams and work for them. The answer is in facing challenges and achieving success. We call these types winners. No settling for less than his own expectations and no participation trophies for my son. And one thing I'm sure of is he won't be working for your son because what you describe is the kind of boy who follows, mine leads.

You are making too much sense. NO room for that in this forum!! Some of these parents will learn the hard way and ruin it for their kids. Remember when we were young? Our passion for certain sports changed as we grew up.
My son plays for three different sports now. Right now, he loves playing them all. As much as I enjoy watching him play, I won't push him so hard that he starts to hate going.
If you choose to live vicariously through your son, don't worry. If YOUR dream doesn't work out for HIM, he can always work for my son someday!
[/quote]

Kids have to pursue their dreams and work for them. The answer is in facing challenges and achieving success. We call these types winners. No settling for less than his own expectations and no participation trophies for my son. And one thing I'm sure of is he won't be working for your son because what you describe is the kind of boy who follows, mine leads. [/quote]

Really? Is that what you took from it? Sad
I never said that my son WOULDN'T be successful at lacrosse. If he is, great! I encourage him and my other kids to try their best at everything they do. Encourage but not as if his success in life depends on lacrosse. What I do know is that he is a leader and an A+ student and will be successful at whatever he puts his mind to but you wouldn't know that because you're too busy yelling at you kid. Try not to scream at him too much from the sideline. It's embarrassing him.
Based on what you wrote, you want your kid to pursue YOUR dream. Too bad he will never reach your goals. How many professional athletes have come from your high school's HISTORY? 3? 6? 10? none? How many Craig Biggios or Jumbo Elliotts did you know? Like I stated, he can come work for my son after he done crushing your dreams.

You are making too much sense. NO room for that in this forum!! Some of these parents will learn the hard way and ruin it for their kids. Remember when we were young? Our passion for certain sports changed as we grew up.
My son plays for three different sports now. Right now, he loves playing them all. As much as I enjoy watching him play, I won't push him so hard that he starts to hate going.
If you choose to live vicariously through your son, don't worry. If YOUR dream doesn't work out for HIM, he can always work for my son someday!
[/quote]

Kids have to pursue their dreams and work for them. The answer is in facing challenges and achieving success. We call these types winners. No settling for less than his own expectations and no participation trophies for my son. And one thing I'm sure of is he won't be working for your son because what you describe is the kind of boy who follows, mine leads. [/quote]

Most 9 year old's dreams are more of the "I want to be Aaron Rogers" type than the "I hope I can get a D1 scholarship so my cheap loser dad doesn't have to write a check to Suffolk CC for me"

Discount double check

Kids have to pursue their dreams and work for them. The answer is in facing challenges and achieving success. We call these types winners. No settling for less than his own expectations and no participation trophies for my son. And one thing I'm sure of is he won't be working for your son because what you describe is the kind of boy who follows, mine leads. [/quote]

Really? Is that what you took from it? Sad
I never said that my son WOULDN'T be successful at lacrosse. If he is, great! I encourage him and my other kids to try their best at everything they do. Encourage but not as if his success in life depends on lacrosse. What I do know is that he is a leader and an A+ student and will be successful at whatever he puts his mind to but you wouldn't know that because you're too busy yelling at you kid. Try not to scream at him too much from the sideline. It's embarrassing him.
Based on what you wrote, you want your kid to pursue YOUR dream. Too bad he will never reach your goals. How many professional athletes have come from your high school's HISTORY? 3? 6? 10? none? How many Craig Biggios or Jumbo Elliotts did you know? Like I stated, he can come work for my son after he done crushing your dreams. [/quote]

Too funny how aggressive you are here but you advocate for such a passive approach, just remember that being a winner is a learned trait.

Really? Is that what you took from it? Sad
I never said that my son WOULDN'T be successful at lacrosse. If he is, great! I encourage him and my other kids to try their best at everything they do. Encourage but not as if his success in life depends on lacrosse. What I do know is that he is a leader and an A+ student and will be successful at whatever he puts his mind to but you wouldn't know that because you're too busy yelling at you kid. Try not to scream at him too much from the sideline. It's embarrassing him.
Based on what you wrote, you want your kid to pursue YOUR dream. Too bad he will never reach your goals. How many professional athletes have come from your high school's HISTORY? 3? 6? 10? none? How many Craig Biggios or Jumbo Elliotts did you know? Like I stated, he can come work for my son after he done crushing your dreams. [/quote]

Too funny how aggressive you are here but you advocate for such a passive approach, just remember that being a winner is a learned trait. [/quote]

Passive approach? No. Realistic approach? Yes. Winner? What would you know about winning? Hopefully, you will learn from this and lower your kid's lacrosse expectations. You can thank me the next time I pull up to your Drive-Thru window.

Not judging. Just an observation.It must be quite difficult, with the WP's extreme practice schedule, the other sports, and oh ya, school... I do agree that there is something to be said about commitment.I would also never judge a parent for wanting there children to improve, learn and have fun with any sport.Again,Just observing that besides the WP's schedule of games and practices I do see there helmets playing for other teams.To me, that seems to be a bit to much for 8 and 9yr olds.

Try again Mrs/MR Everybody gets a trophy, I don't set any expectations other than asking for his best efforts. And shame on us, we understand that life is competition and as his parents enjoy his SUCCESS (and the occasional failure). Most importantly he enjoys WINNING and best of all he loves his A Team and warm hugs

You're suffering from CSW (Charlie Sheen Winning). It explains a lot. Seek help. I pray your son doesn't from the same affliction when he gets older.

So what team is your son on buddy? We know he is not on WP or Taz so who is he doing all this winning with? Looking forward to your response, which I doubt we will get.

Are you that Obnoxious Dad on the sidelines that EVERYBODY hates? You poor son. smh.....WINNING

Winning is a contagious disease. What team is not even a point of discussion but it is clearly an A team.

Ultimately what I think is guided by the greats including Coach John Wooden who authored a lecture and a book about the Pyramid of Success. The Pyramid of Success consists of philosophical building blocks for winning at basketball and at life. At the top of the Pyramid of Success was "Competitive Greatness" which Wooden defined as "Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day."

Words to live by in my home. No yelling required.

You do realize that Wooden's book was aimed at adults, not 9 year old children, right?

You remind me of a movie I saw once..."The Great Santini".

Let me get this straight. You are not a WP or Taz dad but your 2024 is clearly on an A team. So we know it's not Express because you didn't get asked to be part of the Avengers last year after the Titans disbanded. Outlaws, TLI Empire, E3 , etc are all B teams so you can't be there. Got it, your that annoying Igloo dad that paid 3 grand last year and believed you were part of an A team. Oh well, think again. They are still a B team even with a few of their adds this year. Not to hard to figure you out.

You got it Eisenstein. Whatever makes you feel better.

The real thing I want to ask, Lord, is that all these boys make the first team in that great game of life. If they make mistakes, Lord, blow the whistle because you’re the great referee. Call time out and bring them to center court for another jump ball. Don’t let them go out of bounds, Lord. If they bust a play, make ’em run wind-sprints and figure eights but stay with ’em, Lord. Coach ’em all the way to the championship of life. A-men.” “A-men,” the team echoed in relief.”
― Pat Conroy, The Great Santini

and 10yr olds on the WP

A Team or no Team, that's my opinion, I'm with this guy, it's just better.

Sad thing is that this age group is a weak one in general. Similar to 2022. Top teams are behind Maryland teams already and that gap will only grow.

So you, actually your kid went from the Titans (C Team) to Igloo (B- team) and all of a sudden you are with the A team. Sorry to burst your bubble but you are still B. Better teach your kid if he wants to be a "winner" he needs to make to Pack, or even the Taz because Igloo is as you would say....Average. Your poor must hate you.

Is Igloo avoiding fall ball again this year? For 3 grand you think they wound throw you a fall tourney.

A team or no team you said. So thousands of kids ,who love the sport, who at 9 aren't A caliber yet, shouldn't play. They should play x box. You better hope one day, someone a little quicker or a little better dosent come along and replace your A team son. Sometimes the best 9 year olds are only average 14 year olds. A statement like that makes you sound so ignorant.

I have 3 boys that play travel. From 2019 to 2024. Biggest idiot comments consistently right here. It's unreal. Think that maybe he parents here have 2024 kids as their oldest. You all do realize at 12 or 13 puberty hits and everything changes. It's insane the change in ability in those years. And size. And aggression.
My boys have a choice every year - play or don't play. I don't care. Lacrosse happens to be their passion, so they play.
Enjoy these younger years while you can. Idiotic comments on 2024 are almost comical.
First and last post here.

Not discussing caliber or level of play, just don't ever want my boy on the second team in any organization. If my son gets beat then we go find another organization. Always play A, it is just better

Igloo parent here, fortunately we have one team that is going to play at a high level and will get all of the organizations attention makes it an excellent value. Plus how they handle the details and the time we get make it worth every penny. Don't be a hater, the boys will be able to let their play do the talking. Not all you loudmouths.

Great program, great coach. To bad you have one crazy former Titans dad roaming the sidelines. Also, time will tell what level they play at. Hard to tell that now.

I wonder if coach wooden , wrote that concerning 9 year old kids.

I hear he coached the A Team!

I'm glad wasn't a tool. Quotes from coach wooden lol. 9 yrs old. I was eating fruit loops, playing with my friends. Like a real kid, not some robot. I was a good athlete, having fun. I'm 48 yrs old now, I have a great family and a great career. I'm happy my dad was a normal guy, not some obsessed wacko. John wooden lol.

Maximum effort is its own reward. Winning is fun. Go ahead and say that's abnormal. If that makes you feel better about breeding a non competitive little boy, Bravo! My son will stick with the path laid out by the greats, not by you.

This guy has some serious issues. I bet his kid is ashamed of him.

You're insane!!! What the [lacrosse] is wrong with you? Putting all that pressure on a 9 yr old! The kid's going to HATE you for what you're doing to him. Embarrassing. Were you not hugged enough as a child? I know one thing for sure, you sucked at sports!! Didn't your father read to you the John Wooden book? Lol. Loser

Wow.. Pretty clear now. You were a zero in high school are now a fat loser who wants more for his son so puts crazy pressure on him. He's probably not that good or barely hanging on,which makes it worse for him and you.

you know nothing about me and I don't need to share my athletic successes with you to support three fundamental facts.

A Teams or their equivalents are where everyone deep down inside wants their kids, in sports and life.
Winning beats losing every time. EVERY TIME.
A commitment to excellence is a critical element of success

"Great men are true men, the men in whom nature has succeeded. They are not extraordinary - they are in the true order. It is the other species of men who are not what they ought to be."

Henri Fredric Amiel

You sound like a robot. Do you recite winston churchill quotes to your son before dinner. The point is , my son is a great student and very good in sports. Yet he is both of those things, with normal parents. He is a kid, who enjoys being a kid. I'd rather my kid lose a 9 year old lacrosse game and be a kid having fun, then win being a cyborg.

To bad Igloo doesn't do any fall tourneys. Would love to witness this jokers act from the sideline. I'm sure he would be easy to spot.

Igoo doesn't do fa tourneys? Why? It's excellent practice & gets the boys excited. It doesn't reflect the whole team because most Normal people will realize it's the fall and a lot of kids will be missing due to other commitments but it is excellent practice. So any quoting team wins is ridicilious.

"The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." Sir Winston Churchill

This nut job is not an igloo parent.

because you have none!

And you are an - Olympic medalist? Nobel laureate? Step up and tell us, actually don't bother, I'll continue to rely upon other high achievers to set an example for my boy. In addition to myself of course.

How can igloo justify 3k with no fall tourneys?? Express practicing more and playing in 3 fall tournaments.

You will all never know. See you on the sidelines.

Wishing all the kids a winning and safe season.

Man the more you write on thise thread, the more you sound like a tool. Go find a friend or robot to hang with. Go find some ghandi quotes in the library. Ill be enjoying watching football with my boys.

Even Ghandi understood sports "full effort is full victory" Ghandi

Maybe you should be PLAYING football with your boys?

Enjoy the nachos!

Played this morning. My 9 yr old had a touchdown, was a beast on d line as well. Then had pizza with his friends, now jet game. Ok there geek. Go write a poem with your R2 D2 kid. Go look up some more quotes. Lol I think you were stuffed in one too many lockers as a kid.

This guy can't be for real. He's just getting off on messing with everyone's head.
But.... If he really is crazy, we will someday read about his son plunging a participation trophy threw his chest!!!

Sure, that's it, a beast, right, on the B team. But did the Team win? I suspect they did not or you would have told us the score, but that's ok, they all got a ribbon.

No fall tourney is lame. It's not like they are a new team like last year. They have to be one of the only big clubs not playing this fall.

Amen. I have an older athlete as well and so much changes. Some, not all, top athletes stay at the top while many, many others peak later for many reasons-puberty, maturity, specialization, interest level, etc.

Dude, you didn't play! Are you wearing your HS jersey from that 6-4 season thinking how you should still be playing? Lol.... Loser.

Legacy doing 3 tourneys also

When you coach, the term we is used. Do you get it loser.

Our team won, robot boy. Every kid had fun and played too.

. And you save $1200 w/Express

No intelligent parent would have their kid play football.

Oh but he is...we still love to call him Titans Daddy though

No intelligent person would write such a stupid statement.

Just wait-- you didn't get the email from Expresss telling you what you owe for all those extra tournaments. If it says on the website you get 5 tournaments included in your tuition -- and you play in 10 tournaments-- you are not getting 5 free tournaments. And you don't have to believe me. You'll find out soon enough

Not you. Talking about the stupid football statement.

Fine with me. More than happy to kick in extra for more tourneys. I might end up paying 3k but for 10 tourneys vs the 5 igloo does in the summer.

Whatever you say chief. Ignore the brain injury studies.

You must be in a cave somewhere. Nobody smart allows their kid to play football. Many nfl players agree as do the most respected hospitals

http://espn.go.com/pdf/2015/0128/otlBUfootballstudy.pdf

Food for thought from Trevor Tierney
Princeton All-American Goalie
2x NCAA Champion
2x US National Team Member
FIL Champion
MLL Champion
Assist Co - 2015 NCAA Champion Denver Pioneers



THE "BEST TEAM" MAY NOT BE WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR KIDS

“And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” - Batman Begins

Don’t get me wrong here. I love all of the players, parents and families that I get to work with in sports. I would not want to be doing anything else with my life! But lately, I have been bewildered by a phenomena that seems to be growing in youth athletics. There is a constant search amongst parents and players to be on the “best team” that wins the most games and tournaments. It is no longer enough for our children to play on a local youth or high school team and enjoy the experience of playing sports. Furthermore, it is no longer even enough for our children to play on a good club travel team that plays well together, is competitive with other great teams from around the country and has top-notch coaching. Rather, there is a “grass is greener” mentality amongst parents and young athletes who are on the constant lookout for the absolute greatest team to be a part of.

There are a lot of factors driving all of this. It is partly due to the parent’s misconception that the better their child’s team, the better their chances for recruitment and success down the road (by the way, college coaches do not even know the scores of the high school games that they are scouting—they only notice who is 6’4”, 225 and runs like a gazelle in the Serengeti). I believe that this mentality runs deeper than that though and we have simply lost touch of what sports are all about. You know when you watch the people on a reality show like Honey Boo Boo or Swamp People and you say, “man…those people are nuts!”? Well, I hate to tell you, that is all of us in sports right now! We are those crazy people. And for the past few years, this perception of making sure our children win all the time and at all costs has become utterly mind-boggling. Every single game in sports, one team wins and one team loses. That’s just the way it works. It is completely narcissistic for us to think that we ourselves (or our child) should never lose. What fun would sports be if we knew that we were going to win every time anyway?

Every great athlete and coach that I know has had their fair share of ups and downs. Even though my claim to lacrosse fame is that I won two NCAA National Championships, a MLL Championship and a FIL World Championship with Team USA, I also got my butt kicked a whole lot along the way! My youth teams were disgraceful, my high school team had some serious rough patches, I can’t even count how many goals Syracuse scored on me at Princeton over the years and I was on the only USA team that lost in the World Championships since 1978 for goodness sake! Even Michael Jordan (who I apologize for even mentioning in the same paragraph as my athletic career) admitted in a commercial, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” The point is, that no matter what an athlete does in their career, they will have some wins and they will have some losses. Trying to control that is not going to change anything. Furthermore, there is actually something about the pursuit of always winning that is detrimental to our children’s development as athletes and as people.

As I have pondered this mindset that we are witnessing in youth sports for the past few years, I knew something was wrong. I just didn’t know how to explain it, other than sounding like a grumpy old curmudgeon. The fact is though, there is scientific evidence that shows that we should actually want our children to lose! Again, as I have written time and again, I am not saying that athletes should not care about trying to win and just act like it does not matter. And I am certainly not an advocate for the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality. Our young athletes should care deeply about trying to win and be their best. And when they go into competition and want nothing more than to win that game, it will be absolutely fantastic for them when they lose! Before you think I have been hit in the head with too many lacrosse balls (which is completely factual), let me explain further.

In the past month, I have been fortunate enough to study under one of our country’s leading researchers on human resilience at Harvard, Dr. Shelly Carson. As soon as I sat in our first lecture, the lightbulb flashed on! I started to realize that when we want our child to play on the most dominant team, we are completely missing the boat on how sports build resilience for young men and women. This is not just me blabbing about it either. There is decades of research being compiled by people much smarter than me (surprising I know) that explains how we all develop resilience and how this leads to overall happiness, well-being and success. And isn’t that what we really want for our children?

I am starting to understand how sports are actually the perfect set up for resilience training as losses are very stressful and a challenging adversity for young athletes to face. From this perspective, you realize that no one is going to die, get seriously injured, get cancer, lose a family member, get dumped by their girlfriend (and if so, good riddance I say), lose their home, get thrown in jail, fail out of school, or face anything truly tragic from losing a game. And while I might be sounding trite here, the sad fact is that all of us will face one or several of these things at some point in our life. Nobody’s existence on this earth is perfect. We all encounter some serious adversity whether we like it or not. With that being the case, don’t we want our kids to learn how to deal with it in a skillful manner?

In the field of psychology, resiliency has been defined by Luthar (2000) as, “the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change . . . a positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity,” (as cited in Carson lecture, 2014). So, not only do the skills of resiliency allow people to overcome and recover from tragic experiences in their lives, but resilient people also flourish, grow and experience tremendous well-being and success in their lives. And that is exactly what we want for our children. I will take that over any win, any tournament championship and any trophy. The best aspect of athletics, in my mind, is that it teaches us resiliency, the ability to endure, overcome and find greatness in our lives. As coaches and parents, all we have to do is be positive and supportive of our children no matter if they win or lose. We just have to be there for them as they learn to get back up and keep moving on with their heads held high. That is how our youth can learn to deal with life on life’s terms and develop as strong individuals. What a great gift that is to bring our children and I cannot think of a more powerful way to do it than through athletics!

There are a lot of ways in which resiliency can be taught through sports, which I will go into some more detail down the road. For right now, I will pass along that one of the most effective ways in handling a stressor is utilizing "problem-focused coping", which means taking an active approach towards finding a solution. With just this one psychological skill alone, we can shift our perspective in how we approach athletics. As I tell my players and parents on our Denver Elite lacrosse teams, instead of finding a better team to play on, find a way to make your team better. This is how you can truly learn to win something of lasting value through the sports.

Nope, never have been with Igloo, but the uni's look good.
Peace, love and participation trophies for all.
Love, Ghandi

Sure they did.

Very well said! I've always believed what you say here. Hopfully some of the nut jobs out there actually read & absorb what you say. THANK YOU!

Ranking young athletes?? Why and for whom?
After playing 14 seasons in the NBA and coaching three NBA teams, John Lucas now works with kids ranging from fourth grade to the pro level and runs camps throughout the United States. To him, ranking young kids makes no sense.
"If you're the best fourth-grader in the world, you know what that means?" Lucas said. "You get to go to the fifth grade. And guess what happens in the fifth or sixth grade. You may not grow.”
Enjoy the journey - don’t be in a hurry to get ahead of the natural process - young kids don’t need to be put on pedestals based on current talent. If they are good enough when they are high school, they will be found.

Wait a second, everybody knows the kids learn more in practice but the games are more fun. You think its good to do 5 fall tournaments? And how can you do that many and avoid getting beat up by the Pack or Taz... You guys are nuts, fall lacrosse is like pre season baseball.

10 tournaments for 4th graders? You're spending $3k so you can win as 9 year olds only to burn them out by 15. Crazy. You may say "my kid loves it" and they might. But if you offered them ice cream for dinner every night they'd be happy until one day they decide I'm done with ice cream. Good Luck

First of all, everything gets beyond twisted here. Express is playing in THREE fall tourneys, NOT FIVE. And a good amount of practices are setup. They will not be burnt out on their schedule. And yes, they probably will be beat by the PAC & Taz but they will play other teams as well. Practice and games combined will only make them get better and have fun. Which is what the game is about.

I am old and still like Ice cream.

2022 Express play five fall tourneys!

Igloo doesn't charge for extra games they setup at their fields, they pay the refs they hire, they line the fields, nothing else is asked of us financially. See your all missing the point. All you see is 3K, and that makes you blind to the fact that you will spend more with Legacy, 91, and Express. Once you do their winter indoor practices, and buy all their stuff, and oh yeah go to all the extra tournaments you will spend more then 4K... check your receipts. All in all Igloo is the best value, and if you can't see that, then your not comparing apple and apples. Thanks but no thanks; I take the transparency I get with Igloo.

Nope,

The game at the travel level is really about winning. It hasn't been about fun since you signed them up and paid cash for that first coaches clinic.

And three tourneys sounds like you are trying to keep up with the Pack, and those guys are nuts.

Hey, my kid plays for the other guys, and it absolutely costs 3 to 4 K. So stop kidding yourselves people.

Apples to,apples express will be 3k but you will get a lot more than igloo. Also no comparison for winter training. There is no better facility than st anthonys.

But Express is going to have two B, I mean A Teams. And St.A's is the Catholic School B Team too!

Huge believer in being around the ball as much as possible. Fall/Winter good time to do it. . I would rather him be at a 90 minute practice with 50+ touches then at a all day tourny where it will be less. Dramatically. They can let that guide there way to a successful spring.

What your not getting is an A team. Bottom line. So pull those socks up to where the Drill sergeant wants them, line those bags up in # order and go out there and lose 11-2. Yeah great program. More ego and control than Lacrosse. Left the program because I pay for lacrosse not and OCD program.

2021 Express was over 5k
2022 Express was OVER 4k.
was Told tuiton was $2400
Extra shooting clinics, $60
Extra tourneys $100
And MC makes you feel like your son will be slighted if you miss.
Practices on Sundays this fall. Several kids play football and travel soccer, MC doesnt care.
Oh, and dont worry if you dont have cash, his iPhone has a credit card swipe attachment for your convenience!

that is one of the most ridiculous comments. That's like saying if you get the best Jordan's money can buy you will play like you're in the NBA. It doesn't matter if you're practicing on a dirt elementary field or Klockner Stadium. If you don't have committed coaches that are capable of bringing out the best from their players and a talented team that pushes their teammates you aren't going to get very far.

Right, and all 3 teams have committed coaches so it's time to move on. The boys on all 3 teams will get better this year and that is really what it is about.

Isn't this a 2024 thread? The base price for 2024 is under $2K. Maybe with everything additional it'll be $3K. Stop ranting about 2021 & 2022. At that age they do do a lot more and they should and it should cost more. If a child in 2024 wants more he has the option to take on more clinics. And that under $2K price includes a helmet. 91 is so much more money, has less tournaments, less practice & a "discount" for the helmet. Express is fairly priced compared to the other clubs. Plus the coaches are great. I know I signed my son up because of the coaches not the name "Express" 1 or 2.

But who will get better faster? This is a business where measurement occurs at all times ultimately presenting itself as wins and losses. Even with the worst coaching they will improve, but if your son is an A level player, you might want to take the training wheels off.