LaxPower Back-Up Stick

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:36 pm

LaxMomNYC wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:15 pm Speed is overrated. I'll take poise, stick skills and vision over speed every time. I'm not saying coaches don't look for speed, they sure do, but they shouldn't.

I’m not sure if this is a serious post or not. Is this trying to raise unnecessary debate?

Watch any top club like YJ, MnD, SW who has an A team and a B team. On average, the difference in stick skills between the teams is relatively small. The difference in size and athleticism is massive.

Without speed or athleticism, you can’t defend at a high level, can’t get ground balls, can’t create space with your first step.

Be nice. It’s her first post. . Can’t wait to see the follow up.

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

I would imagine submitting and vetting transcripts would take some time. Just a hunch

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:30 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:44 pm Sorry, they didn't lose any 2025 commits to FSU. However, if they were to lose potential commits to FSU then that is a huge problem. It's bad enough they lost the 2025 commits to Clemson and who knows how many future commits to Clemson as well. Of all the top programs, it seems right now Syracuse could be the one to suffer most from the additions of these two Southern programs.

Don’t take this the wrong way, why do you think anyone is decommitting to Clemson in droves, and from Cuse directly.
I actually think what happened was unique to the circumstances, not universal appeal of a program ranked in the 30’s. No knock on their program, Cuse, or any other. I just don’t see it. Cuse will be fine. Always is.

I don’t like commenting on Clemson, but they aren’t going to be in the 30s anymore. Probably hit And stay Top 10 in two years. As long as they keep dumping money into the program and giving everyone free college tuition plus NILs, special kids will flock there. This comment has nothing to do with Cuse. Strictly about Clemson.

Well according to this page every TOP college is giving full rides and NIL. I think Clemson will do better, but I still don’t see every top kid turning away from NU, BC, MD, UNC, and FL even for Clemson only. Especially if academics are important. Time will tell

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

Define “move slower”
Our experience was they reached out on 9/1 like everyone else, and visit was same timeline (within 2 weeks).

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:47 pm

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:30 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:44 pm Sorry, they didn't lose any 2025 commits to FSU. However, if they were to lose potential commits to FSU then that is a huge problem. It's bad enough they lost the 2025 commits to Clemson and who knows how many future commits to Clemson as well. Of all the top programs, it seems right now Syracuse could be the one to suffer most from the additions of these two Southern programs.

Don’t take this the wrong way, why do you think anyone is decommitting to Clemson in droves, and from Cuse directly.
I actually think what happened was unique to the circumstances, not universal appeal of a program ranked in the 30’s. No knock on their program, Cuse, or any other. I just don’t see it. Cuse will be fine. Always is.

I don’t like commenting on Clemson, but they aren’t going to be in the 30s anymore. Probably hit And stay Top 10 in two years. As long as they keep dumping money into the program and giving everyone free college tuition plus NILs, special kids will flock there. This comment has nothing to do with Cuse. Strictly about Clemson.

Well according to this page every TOP college is giving full rides and NIL. I think Clemson will do better, but I still don’t see every top kid turning away from NU, BC, MD, UNC, and FL even for Clemson only. Especially if academics are important. Time will tell

I agree. I don’t think they are stealing from the ones you mentioned. But they are in the conversation.

SpartansRule wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:34 pm

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

Define “move slower”
Our experience was they reached out on 9/1 like everyone else, and visit was same timeline (within 2 weeks).

Ivies reach out aggressively on 9/1. If anything, they move faster than many since they are often recruiting from a shallower pool. With SATs now required, their talent pool is even smaller.

A fewer lower tier Ivies like Cornell, Columbia may move a little slower in offers hoping that some talented girls don't get top tier Ivy offers.

UO22 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:41 pm

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

I would imagine submitting and vetting transcripts would take some time. Just a hunch

Transcripts are submitted well before 9/1. They have already vetter the girls they are interested in.

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:48 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:37 pm I'd argue that you see Top 20 D1 college teams playing zone now more than ever before

True, but it is very different than the zone you see at the club level, with tons of audibles, check-with-mes, high pressure areas and dump areas. Many schemes require much more athleticism than a standard man defense. Watch film on Michigan and Denver and you will see how every girl in the scheme needs to be able to defend 1v1 in space.

If you want a perfect example of a program that prioritizes speed and athleticism, look no further than UNC. Especially from 2020-2022. Yes they had talent and skill but those UNC teams were full of players that could play multiple positions. Levy had several middies convert to defense.

She converted Elizabeth Hillman and Kerrigan Miller, who were prolific playmakers in HS into great 2 way Middies who clogged up the middle. Recruited Emily Nalls, who played Middie in HS and was recruited as such, converted her into a shut down 1v1 defender. Kayla Wood, Brooklyn Walker Welch who were never ranked highly as defenders, developed into shut down defenders. You know what all those players had in common? Great speed and athleticism. It translates if you can develop it and get buy in from the player.

This was stark whenever they played syracuse and it's zone and UNC absolutely demolished them. Zone is terrible against fast and skilled attackers. At the same time for man defense to work, you need great defenders. alot of programs don't have that. They try to compensate with Zone.

So i think at the HS level, some kind of hybrid of both will be the most effective. Change it up.

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:47 pm

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:30 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:44 pm Sorry, they didn't lose any 2025 commits to FSU. However, if they were to lose potential commits to FSU then that is a huge problem. It's bad enough they lost the 2025 commits to Clemson and who knows how many future commits to Clemson as well. Of all the top programs, it seems right now Syracuse could be the one to suffer most from the additions of these two Southern programs.

Don’t take this the wrong way, why do you think anyone is decommitting to Clemson in droves, and from Cuse directly.
I actually think what happened was unique to the circumstances, not universal appeal of a program ranked in the 30’s. No knock on their program, Cuse, or any other. I just don’t see it. Cuse will be fine. Always is.

I don’t like commenting on Clemson, but they aren’t going to be in the 30s anymore. Probably hit And stay Top 10 in two years. As long as they keep dumping money into the program and giving everyone free college tuition plus NILs, special kids will flock there. This comment has nothing to do with Cuse. Strictly about Clemson.

Well according to this page every TOP college is giving full rides and NIL. I think Clemson will do better, but I still don’t see every top kid turning away from NU, BC, MD, UNC, and FL even for Clemson only. Especially if academics are important. Time will tell

I agree. I don’t think they are stealing from the ones you mentioned. But they are in the conversation.

Clemson has taken girls away from Maryland (see 2023 class), Syracuse (see AS and AE), they've taken Emma P away from UNC, and now they're in the mix for girls that would normally be bound for other programs, based on what the club coaches are saying. FSU looks to be cutting corners, so I'm not sure they'll be another Clemson. If Cuse starts losing recruits to FSU, then that's a huge issue.

Face it - most teenage girls are thinking more about "what can be, unburdened by what has been." Most could not care less about trophy cases.... otherwise Syracuse wouldn't have had so many top classes in the last 26 years.

On the “speed” issue, eight or 10 years ago when the NCAA finals were at PPL Park in Chester, one of the years the D3 finals was played right before the D1 finals. I watched both games. While the stick skills, etc. of the D1 players were better than those of the D3 teams, there was a night and day difference in the speed of the players. It’s an overstatement to say that you can’t play at the top levels of D1 without very good or better speed, but not much of one.

LiveLaxLove wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 5:26 pm

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:47 pm

Relax77 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:35 pm

McLax9777 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:30 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:44 pm Sorry, they didn't lose any 2025 commits to FSU. However, if they were to lose potential commits to FSU then that is a huge problem. It's bad enough they lost the 2025 commits to Clemson and who knows how many future commits to Clemson as well. Of all the top programs, it seems right now Syracuse could be the one to suffer most from the additions of these two Southern programs.

Don’t take this the wrong way, why do you think anyone is decommitting to Clemson in droves, and from Cuse directly.
I actually think what happened was unique to the circumstances, not universal appeal of a program ranked in the 30’s. No knock on their program, Cuse, or any other. I just don’t see it. Cuse will be fine. Always is.

I don’t like commenting on Clemson, but they aren’t going to be in the 30s anymore. Probably hit And stay Top 10 in two years. As long as they keep dumping money into the program and giving everyone free college tuition plus NILs, special kids will flock there. This comment has nothing to do with Cuse. Strictly about Clemson.

Well according to this page every TOP college is giving full rides and NIL. I think Clemson will do better, but I still don’t see every top kid turning away from NU, BC, MD, UNC, and FL even for Clemson only. Especially if academics are important. Time will tell

I agree. I don’t think they are stealing from the ones you mentioned. But they are in the conversation.

Clemson has taken girls away from Maryland (see 2023 class), Syracuse (see AS and AE), they've taken Emma P away from UNC, and now they're in the mix for girls that would normally be bound for other programs, based on what the club coaches are saying. FSU looks to be cutting corners, so I'm not sure they'll be another Clemson. If Cuse starts losing recruits to FSU, then that's a huge issue.

Face it - most teenage girls are thinking more about "what can be, unburdened by what has been." Most could not care less about trophy cases.... otherwise Syracuse wouldn't have had so many top classes in the last 26 years.

You could say this about a lot of top schools, kids transfer, kids decommit, this is not new or unique. Again, time will tell.

njbill wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 5:41 pm On the “speed” issue, eight or 10 years ago when the NCAA finals were at PPL Park in Chester, one of the years the D3 finals was played right before the D1 finals. I watched both games. While the stick skills, etc. of the D1 players were better than those of the D3 teams, there was a night and day difference in the speed of the players. It’s an overstatement to say that you can’t play at the top levels of D1 without very good or better speed, but not much of one.

Defensive players and midfielders generally need to be faster than attackers who need to be fast enough, but not players who are consistently winning wind sprints. Best collegiate on ball defenders recently have been Meghan ball and Emma trenchard. Both can absolutely fly.
Best midfielders have been players like ally mastroianni, Marie McCool, Taylor Cummings, ally Kennedy. All can really run. Best attackers? Kayla Treanor, Charlotte north, Sam apuzzo. Fast enough but not burners. Izzy scane is an exception. Jamie Ortega also not so fast. But fast enough.

If I’m a college coach, speed is maybe one of 4 or 5 things I’m looking for in an attacker. For a defender or midfielder, it’s top 3. And lack of speed is a big minus.

njbill wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 5:41 pm On the “speed” issue, eight or 10 years ago when the NCAA finals were at PPL Park in Chester, one of the years the D3 finals was played right before the D1 finals. I watched both games. While the stick skills, etc. of the D1 players were better than those of the D3 teams, there was a night and day difference in the speed of the players. It’s an overstatement to say that you can’t play at the top levels of D1 without very good or better speed, but not much of one.

Defensive players and midfielders generally need to be faster than attackers who need to be fast enough, but not players who are consistently winning wind sprints. Best collegiate on ball defenders recently have been Meghan ball and Emma trenchard. Both can absolutely fly.
Best midfielders have been players like ally mastroianni, Marie McCool, Taylor Cummings, ally Kennedy. All can really run. Best attackers? Kayla Treanor, Charlotte north, Sam apuzzo. Fast enough but not burners. Izzy scane is an exception. Jamie Ortega also not so fast. But fast enough.

If I’m a college coach, speed is maybe one of 4 or 5 things I’m looking for in an attacker. For a defender or midfielder, it’s top 3. And lack of speed is a big minus.

I should have been more specific - I didn't say speed isn't important or necessary, just overrated. Everyone is reasonably fast to get to that level, and a few are uniquely fast. There are so many qualities that go into a winning team - unselfishness, vision, stick skills, tenacity, IQ, deception, quickness, teamwork, and yes speed. But it's just one of many qualities that matter. But I don't know if there's ever been a college coach on the sidelines of a high level club game that wasn't wowed by the one kid that blows by everybody. And in a recruiting world where those coaches don't get to see some girls play in great detail, it's not surprising that they often defer to speed. And yes, thank you for being nice on my first post.

Agree that attackers don’t necessarily need to have great straight ahead (40 yard) speed, but they need to be very quick and slippery in the 8. Otherwise, a defender can blanket them without much difficulty, even if they have the best shooting skills in the world. Even an off ball attacker needs to have enough quickness, combined with savvy, to know when and be able to cut to get open.

My observation from the D3/D1 games a number of years ago was based primarily on midfield speed.

njbill wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 6:36 pm Agree that attackers don’t necessarily need to have great straight ahead (40 yard) speed, but they need to be very quick and slippery in the 8. Otherwise, a defender can blanket them without much difficulty, even if they have the best shooting skills in the world. Even an off ball attacker needs to have enough quickness, combined with savvy, to know when and be able to cut to get open.

My observation from the D3/D1 games a number of years ago was based primarily on midfield speed.

OK, so I just went back and watched Alexa's highlight reel. I don't get it. All shots. A few assists. Nothing on ride. I'm not disagreeing with you. Adding a layer.

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:49 pm

SpartansRule wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:34 pm

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

Define “move slower”
Our experience was they reached out on 9/1 like everyone else, and visit was same timeline (within 2 weeks).

Ivies reach out aggressively on 9/1. If anything, they move faster than many since they are often recruiting from a shallower pool. With SATs now required, their talent pool is even smaller.

A fewer lower tier Ivies like Cornell, Columbia may move a little slower in offers hoping that some talented girls don't get top tier Ivy offers.

So is it safe to say if she has not heard from them yet, time to move on?

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 7:40 pm

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:49 pm

SpartansRule wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 4:34 pm

Lamaatemyhw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:31 pm Anyone have any insight if the Ivies tend to more slower in recruiting girls?

Define “move slower”
Our experience was they reached out on 9/1 like everyone else, and visit was same timeline (within 2 weeks).

Ivies reach out aggressively on 9/1. If anything, they move faster than many since they are often recruiting from a shallower pool. With SATs now required, their talent pool is even smaller.

A fewer lower tier Ivies like Cornell, Columbia may move a little slower in offers hoping that some talented girls don't get top tier Ivy offers.

So is it safe to say if she has not heard from them yet, time to move on?

Not necessarily! You may not be the initial tier choice, but most of the time, Ivy schools that don't over offer can't get all primary targets and move to secondary targets.

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:37 pm I'd argue that you see Top 20 D1 college teams playing zone now more than ever before

Some college coaches will tell you they are looking for players that understand zones, as they are often more complex than man defense. Oddly, there are some girls that never get it and suck at zones. Those teams don’t want those girls.

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:48 pm

laxguy516 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:37 pm I'd argue that you see Top 20 D1 college teams playing zone now more than ever before

True, but it is very different than the zone you see at the club level, with tons of audibles, check-with-mes, high pressure areas and dump areas. Many schemes require much more athleticism than a standard man defense. Watch film on Michigan and Denver and you will see how every girl in the scheme needs to be able to defend 1v1 in space.

Michigan doesn’t really run a zone defense.