LaxPower Back-Up Stick

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 4:12 pm

fordmaddoxford wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 2:40 pm

pcowlax wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 1:15 pm As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

pcowlax wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 6:52 pm

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 4:12 pm

fordmaddoxford wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 2:40 pm

pcowlax wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 1:15 pm As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

pcowlax wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 11:47 am

justanotherperson wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 9:02 am Agreed. Both King and Greens Farms Academy are producing decent D3 / D2 players but not necessarily high level D1 players. King has done a good job and won the FAA this year and GFA has been a perennial contender, GCDS literally just established their lacrosse in the last few years and has done so with good coaching, a lot of money and beautiful facilities so I think there is always the inital gravitation towards the new shiny thing in town, I suspect they will continue to be good like GFA and King but without constant production of sending players to high level programs, they will come back to the norm and be a good decent day school program, like a 'WIck-lite, type program. Of note, they have 2 commits listed (Wesleyan 24, ND 25) with no commits prior to that except a 23 Kenyon player.

It’s funny because Wick used to be Wick-lite. They were an FAA/Fairchester program (certainly at the top of those leagues) that annually played a few West-1 teams and usually got smoked. About 15-20 years ago a very concerted change of focus at the school occurred and sports went crazy, with lax (and squash) being the biggest examples but football going to another level as well. Will be interesting to see if GCDS follows a similar path. St. Luke’s is another King/GFA type local school.

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 4:12 pm

fordmaddoxford wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 2:40 pm

pcowlax wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 1:15 pm As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

pcowlax wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 6:52 pm

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 4:12 pm

fordmaddoxford wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 2:40 pm

pcowlax wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 1:15 pm As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 10:16 am

pcowlax wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 6:52 pm

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 4:12 pm

fordmaddoxford wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 2:40 pm

pcowlax wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 1:15 pm As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

Daniel Hand HS Enrollment (Boys):
- 2018-19: 557
- 2019-20: 542
- 2020-21: 535
- 2021-22: 470
- 2022-23: 432
- 2023-24: 404

Kismet wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 1:32 pm Brackets are out at CIAC

LL - 17 teams; 1 play-in
LL - - 22 teams - 6 play-ins
M - 16 teams no play-ins
S - 13 teams no play-ins

Daniel Hand (7-9) is the 1 seed in M

pcowlax wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 2:29 pm

Kismet wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 1:32 pm Brackets are out at CIAC

LL - 17 teams; 1 play-in
LL - - 22 teams - 6 play-ins
M - 16 teams no play-ins
S - 13 teams no play-ins

Daniel Hand (7-9) is the 1 seed in M

I think you would be hard pressed to find a coach in the M tourney who isn’t glad they are #1, except I guess Barlow who prefer they were 2

Greg29 wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 4:39 pm Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Kismet wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 4:49 pm

Greg29 wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 4:39 pm Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Really Ellington, Masuk/North Haven and Brookfiled/ RHAM? - Running clock both games IMHO

Barlow gets Berlin, Foran and East Lyme.

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Fri May 24, 2024 11:52 am Have to think it's Prep in LL. They are just playing better right now than any of the FCIAC teams. Maybe not hands above - but they're playing better. And as if in rebuttal to a point upon which I have harped since fire became manageable and wheels got strapped to wagons...I believe that the vast majority of their impact players are from Fairfield. Am I not correct on this?

Kismet wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 4:49 pm

Greg29 wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 4:39 pm Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Really? Ellington, Masuk/North Haven and Brookfiled/ RHAM? - Running clock both games IMHO

Barlow gets Berlin, Foran and East Lyme.

Kismet wrote: ↑Fri May 24, 2024 12:11 pm

BlueWarrior wrote: ↑Fri May 24, 2024 11:52 am Have to think it's Prep in LL. They are just playing better right now than any of the FCIAC teams. Maybe not hands above - but they're playing better. And as if in rebuttal to a point upon which I have harped since fire became manageable and wheels got strapped to wagons...I believe that the vast majority of their impact players are from Fairfield. Am I not correct on this?

At this point ANY of the Top 5 LL teams could win it - Prep, Darien, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Staples. Greenwich and Wiilton a notch below those..but on a good day you never know.

Prep likely has kids from towns all over Fairfield County including Fairfield proper and all the big boys plus Trumbull and Shelton.

The bracket is pretty balanced, so the champion is going to have to play multiple top programs in a row.

justanotherperson wrote: ↑Fri May 24, 2024 1:55 pm You do have a valid argument. It will never happen but like other states, maybe a "parochial" division needs to be formed with

-Prep
-St Joes
-East Catholic
-ND West Haven
-St Pauls
-Northwest Catholic
-ND Fairfield
-Xavier
-St Bernard
-Holy Cross
-Immaculate

Add in Canterbury and St Lukes from NEW2 as well as Marianapolis and you got yourself and interesting division

*apologies if I missed some or wronfully included any.