Inside Lacrosse preseason All Americans

[mdk01]

After a first look my reaction was "Damn is attack loaded this year". O'Keefe 2nd team? Jeff Teat and Jackson Merrill 3rd team? Wow.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/arti...-preseason-men-s-di-media-all-americans/55822

 

[Legendary Irish]

The level of talent in D1 Lacrosse is off the charts. The game is really growing nationally and the skills of these players is ridiculous. Great to see

 

[Caliknight]

It really is. I watch teams like Robert Morris play and 10 years ago they would have been national championship contenders.

We are really seeing what happened 15-20 years ago. Lots of east coast college players started not just moving to different areas of the country, but they brought the game with them and used it as a profession. Now we are seeing the kids that grew up playing lacrosse with proper coaching their whole lives enter the college game, just as their east coast counterpart.

Lacrosse is at an all time level growing.

Something tells me we are going to have more than 2 guys on the All B1G post season team.

 

[Legendary Irish]

My son plays is the NEC and they beat RMU last year but that is a strong program and will be again this year.

Canadians and American Indians have put a lot of talent into the game is the US. They have great offensive skills from playing so much box. Now the American kids are playing a lot more box as more indoor facilities are being built.

A lot of kids are also going full time lax 12 months which is raising the level. The club level is also raised up a couple of notches so the competition in the summer is ridiculous. Really good future for the game.

 

[mdk01]

It really is. I watch teams like Robert Morris play and 10 years ago they would have been national championship contenders.

We are really seeing what happened 15-20 years ago. Lots of east coast college players started not just moving to different areas of the country, but they brought the game with them and used it as a profession. Now we are seeing the kids that grew up playing lacrosse with proper coaching their whole lives enter the college game, just as their east coast counterpart.

Lacrosse is at an all time level growing.

Something tells me we are going to have more than 2 guys on the All B1G post season team.

My niece works in Seattle and coaches a 12-13 girls club team. She played in HS. Said that coaches for both men's and women's clubs are around 99% East Coast transplants.

 

[mdk01]

My son plays is the NEC and they beat RMU last year but that is a strong program and will be again this year.

Canadians and American Indians have put a lot of talent into the game is the US. They have great offensive skills from playing so much box. Now the American kids are playing a lot more box as more indoor facilities are being built.

A lot of kids are also going full time lax 12 months which is raising the level. The club level is also raised up a couple of notches so the competition in the summer is ridiculous. Really good future for the game.

I'm actually a little concerned about 12 month players. I think there is a benefit to playing different sports, particularly at younger ages.

 

[Legendary Irish]

I'm actually a little concerned about 12 month players. I think there is a benefit to playing different sports, particularly at younger ages.

I am 100% with you. I played 3 sports. My kids played 3 sports until it got to a point where playing division 1 in college was a possibility and it becomes really hard to make it all fit. I wish it was like the old days where the season of the sport was it for that sport. I remember the crack in the system was fall baseball. Once baseball crossed over into fall sports it became common place for all sports to crossover and then kids started dropping out of the secondary sport. Multiple sport athletes are good for the sport that is primary to them. Football linemen who wrestle are better linemen because of it. Balance and leverage. Lacrosse players who play basketball are better Lacrosse players particularly defensive Lacrosse players. Change of direction and the start stop skills are the same plus the cardio coming out of basketball season into Lacrosse season is a big edge over kids who sit around in the winter.

I am old school and I know old school is a thing of the past

 

[Golfer2019]

Playing other sports benefits kids in the long run...

My older son played football (and basketball pre HS)

My younger son played basketball, was a PG, and that helped him with his vision and spacing...made him a better lacrosse player

Both my guys benefitted from playing other sports...

I'm not a big fan of specialization, but withnthat said, don't criticize anyone that does it...everyone has a choice...

 

[Caliknight]

I'm actually a little concerned about 12 month players. I think there is a benefit to playing different sports, particularly at younger ages.

I know the RU staff is putting a premium on kids that played other sports. They believe kids that play lax only have a harder time adjusting to the college game, especially how we want to play. They may take a little longer to develop but their upside is bigger.

 

[gef21]

I want my sons, and athletes, to play multiple sports but kids need to have their sticks in their hands 12 months out of the year. We try and have our athletes complete our wall ball routine every day.

 

[Caliknight]

Pat Spencer is a great example of this. He was the third attackman on his team as a senior in high school. Probably because he was playing football and basketball. He gets to college and those other sports help him to be the best player in the country.

From my experience basketball was very helpful for lacrosse. Both conceptually and physically.

 

[mdk01]

Pat Spencer is a great example of this. He was the third attackman on his team as a senior in high school. Probably because he was playing football and basketball. He gets to college and those other sports help him to be the best player in the country.

From my experience basketball was very helpful for lacrosse. Both conceptually and physically.

Hockey as well. And, IMHO, I believe wrestling helps FOGOs.

 

[rbled]

I encourage any young player, especially middies and defenseman, to play basketball rather than lax year round. No other sport teaches defensive body position better than hoops. I think this helps make you a better lax player way more than playing more lax.

 

[Caliknight]

Hockey as well. And, IMHO, I believe wrestling helps FOGOs.

Would agree. Specfically attackmen. Some of the best attackmen I know credit hockey. Michael Watson always told me that hockey helped him more than anything. Soft hands, ability to absorb hits around the crease, and the creativity to help get shots off.

 

[restartRU]

i'd prefer my sons play multiple sports but it hasn't really happened. I think my 12 year old field player would be better off playing soccer and/or basketball because they are great complimentary sports to lacrosse. But if playing competitive year round box and field lacrosse is the next best thing, i'll take it. there a ton of competitive lacrosse opportunities in North Jersey for ambitious middle schoolers.

 

[Caliknight]

With all of the stuff around lacrosse these days, between camps and club teams, not to mention the actual season, it seems you really have to make a concerted effort to play other sports.

 

[Golfer2019]

Pat Spencer is a great example of this. He was the third attackman on his team as a senior in high school. Probably because he was playing football and basketball. He gets to college and those other sports help him to be the best player in the country.

From my experience basketball was very helpful for lacrosse. Both conceptually and physically.

BINGO!

The best attackman make everyone around them better...you do that through vision, always having your head up and looking beyond the man that's guarding you....playing a step ahead...you watch Spencer play, he's looking around the field at all times...always looking for a better play...he learned that through hoops

Conversely on defense, having to move your feet, work on body positioning, balance...it's all there

While I agree hockey translates in many ways as well, the concepts, off ball movement and schemes in hoops play very well in lacrosse...

 

[RUMountie]

I'm actually a little concerned about 12 month players. I think there is a benefit to playing different sports, particularly at younger ages.

Like this a million times. It's fine for kids to keep a stick in their hands 12 months a year. But not playing other sports because of lacrosse is a very stupid thing to do for the long term development of young lacrosse players. Multi sport participation up through high school is best for player development and by extension lacrosse as a sport.