A huge question that's come up in the lacrosse world over the last summer is whether or not the LXM Pro Tour is going to survive for much longer, and whether or not it is a true competitor to the MLL.
For those of you who are new to lacrosse, or have just been living under a rock for the past year while playing lacrosse, the MLL (or Major League Lacrosse) is the professional field lacrosse league. It features greats like the Powell brothers, Paul Rabil, Nicky Polanco, and so on.
The LXM PRO Tour is a new project that is designed to throw lacrosse into the limelight and make it more mainstream. All LXM PRO events feature a professional game, which features talent like Chazz Woodson, Brandon Corp, Kyle Harrison, Steven Brooks, and Max and Xander Ritz; a clinic session, which usually goes before the professional game; and a concert by a mainstream band or artist. In some cases, a college game is thrown in there sometimes that includes local colleges and talent.
Overall, both leagues are competitive, and both bring a lot to the table, but I think that the MLL will eventually win out. Some would argue that the flashiness and the contemporary style of the LXM PRO Tour events would attract more people, and therefore more revenue, but I think that it can only go for so long before it eventually burns out. You can't have the same guys playing all the time and keep attracting audiences, because there are only so many large cities that will accept an event like this. Also, since there are only two teams, you can't really identify with a team because they aren't really from anywhere.
Another thing is that this whole thing is very expensive, and while it might be attracting a lot of attention in places like Baltimore and Philadelphia, the Texas and Georgia events might be a little iffy on the popularity front.
I haven't mentioned the NLL (National Lacrosse League) yet, which is the professional indoor league. A lot of the guys that play in the MLL in the summer play NLL lacrosse in the field offseason to keep their stick skills up and stay in shape. The last thing that league needs is something that takes great talent away from it.
All in all, I think that the LXM PRO Tour is good for now, but it should only act as a catalyst in boosting the popularity of lacrosse around the nation, and not become a permanent deal.
KEEP LAXIN!
Oh, and be sure to follow me on twitter @gtlaxx!!! (I tweet back!)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Decisions, decisions...
I know for me, a huge question that I'm constantly facing is: where do I want to play lacrosse in college? Lax is a huge part of my life, and I would hate for it to end when I leave for the next level.
If you're like most of the laxers out there, you want to shoot for the highest level: NCAA Division 1. This is the ultimate goal of pretty much everybody who has ever really gotten into lacrosse. Playing for one of those high level programs like Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Virginia, Duke (sadly...), Notre Dame (???), Cornell, etc. has always been a dream of mine. However, when I finally looked at the kind of talent that was going to those kinds of schools, and the amount of academic achievement that it would take to get me into one of the top lacrosse schools, I flinched.
I know that you should always try to shoot for the best that you can be, but sometimes you need a reality check. My Dad put it to me this way once: start with the people on your team. Are you the best? If so, what about your area? What about your section of the state you live in? The actual state? The region? The COUNTRY? Those kids that get to the regional/country level and can still say that they (honestly) top the charts are the ones that are going to end up playing for a Syracuse or a Hopkins. It finally struck me one day that I was not the best on my team, so all of the others had to be true as well. It frustrated the hell out of me, and now I'm on a training program to try and get to be one of the best. But that's beside the point.
The point is, if you're not good enough for one of those higher-level programs, DON'T FEEL BAD. There are THOUSANDS of kids who are in the same position as you. Some kids just don't have the natural athletic ability, size, speed, hand eye coordination, etc. to really be the best. If that's true for you, then Division 2 and 3 are completely viable options, and give you a chance to play a high level of NCAA lacrosse.
Another option, for those who want to maybe go to a school for academic reasons, and just play lacrosse for fun, is club. There are some cases in the MCLA in which the team has considered going Division 2 or 3, but because of the Title 9 restriction, they can't because they would have to spend the same amount of money on the women's program as well. Some MCLA programs such as BYU, Michigan, Chapman, and Oregon are truly dominant, and they play a very high level of lacrosse. I know that I personally am considering attending UC Santa Barbara, and a couple other California schools that haven't gone to the NCAA just because of Title 9.
Another question is the issue of playing time. I know that I would rather contribute to a team from the very get-go, and be a team leader in my third and fourth year, rather than ride the pine for the first two years and only get to play for my junior and senior year. Playing at a lower level program and being a starter is a lot more fun than playing at a Syracuse or Hopkins and not contributing seriously for two years.
The bottom line is, make the choice that's right for you, and don't just make it about lacrosse. Make it about where you really want to go to college, and have the best experience.
And most of all, KEEP LAXIN.
If you're like most of the laxers out there, you want to shoot for the highest level: NCAA Division 1. This is the ultimate goal of pretty much everybody who has ever really gotten into lacrosse. Playing for one of those high level programs like Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Virginia, Duke (sadly...), Notre Dame (???), Cornell, etc. has always been a dream of mine. However, when I finally looked at the kind of talent that was going to those kinds of schools, and the amount of academic achievement that it would take to get me into one of the top lacrosse schools, I flinched.
I know that you should always try to shoot for the best that you can be, but sometimes you need a reality check. My Dad put it to me this way once: start with the people on your team. Are you the best? If so, what about your area? What about your section of the state you live in? The actual state? The region? The COUNTRY? Those kids that get to the regional/country level and can still say that they (honestly) top the charts are the ones that are going to end up playing for a Syracuse or a Hopkins. It finally struck me one day that I was not the best on my team, so all of the others had to be true as well. It frustrated the hell out of me, and now I'm on a training program to try and get to be one of the best. But that's beside the point.
The point is, if you're not good enough for one of those higher-level programs, DON'T FEEL BAD. There are THOUSANDS of kids who are in the same position as you. Some kids just don't have the natural athletic ability, size, speed, hand eye coordination, etc. to really be the best. If that's true for you, then Division 2 and 3 are completely viable options, and give you a chance to play a high level of NCAA lacrosse.
Another option, for those who want to maybe go to a school for academic reasons, and just play lacrosse for fun, is club. There are some cases in the MCLA in which the team has considered going Division 2 or 3, but because of the Title 9 restriction, they can't because they would have to spend the same amount of money on the women's program as well. Some MCLA programs such as BYU, Michigan, Chapman, and Oregon are truly dominant, and they play a very high level of lacrosse. I know that I personally am considering attending UC Santa Barbara, and a couple other California schools that haven't gone to the NCAA just because of Title 9.
Another question is the issue of playing time. I know that I would rather contribute to a team from the very get-go, and be a team leader in my third and fourth year, rather than ride the pine for the first two years and only get to play for my junior and senior year. Playing at a lower level program and being a starter is a lot more fun than playing at a Syracuse or Hopkins and not contributing seriously for two years.
The bottom line is, make the choice that's right for you, and don't just make it about lacrosse. Make it about where you really want to go to college, and have the best experience.
And most of all, KEEP LAXIN.
Travel teams/club teams
Sorry guys! School has been a little overwhelming over the past couple weeks, so I haven't been able to blog, but I'M BACK!
We all know that your club team can make or break your recruiting. Yeah, your school team matters because the colleges want to see that you're a team captain and that you mesh well with a team oriented game plan, but your school team doesn't usually go to recruiting camps and tournaments. That's where a good club team can come in.
The most dominant club team in probably the entire nation is the Baltimore Crabs. They constantly dominate the recruiting circuit and have a consistent base of insane talent.
On the West Coast, the club circuit has picked up a lot in the past couple years. The NorCal Lacrosse club has consistently put out great national contenders at the US Lacrosse U-15 and U-13 National Championships. The Starz program, which includes both boys and girls club teams that are based throughout southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon are constantly coming up with great talent. The West Coast Starz team that is fielded from this network is always a contender on the national level, and the USA Starz is also a great program that allows for high level lacrosse players to go and play in other countries, such as Japan and England.
Overall, your club teams have a huge impact on where you end up college-wise, if you want to play lacrosse at the next level. So get off your butt and go hit the wall, and get laxin!!
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