OT - Connecticut Lacrosse

[UofCT]

Is there a reason why UConn doesn't have a D1 Lacrosse Program yet? Title 9? I'm relatively new to the sport but it's crazy how many good High School programs there are in Connecticut. I just looked up the HS top 25 and CT has 4 programs, New Canaan (3rd) , Brunswick (14), Taft (16), and Darien (18). I'm sure Staples, Ridgefield, Greenwich, Wilton, aren't too far behind.

Seems like we would dominate this sport too if we went D1.

 

[Stainmaster]

My guess is that even if we had a program, kids from those schools would continue to go to Ivies/Little Ivies/service academies/established blue-blood lacrosse programs instead.

 

[rw005]

I'd welcome it.

 

[djct1999]

The Under Armour rankings has Darien 5th and New Canaan 6th nationally. The two played this past weekend in front a few 1o00 people and Darien won 10-7. 6 of the top 10 teams from the state play in the FCIAC. I would say on avg, 3-5 kids in those towns go to major D1 programs a year.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is absolutely a financial issue due to Title IX ramifications. The additional scholarships (including the requisite additional women's scholarships) are beyond what we can currently handle given our conference situation.

 

[shizzle787]

It's too expensive.

 

[huskymedic]

Is there a reason why UConn doesn't have a D1 Lacrosse Program yet? Title 9? I'm relatively new to the sport but it's crazy how many good High School programs there are in Connecticut. I just looked up the HS top 25 and CT has 4 programs, New Canaan (3rd) , Brunswick (14), Taft (16), and Darien (18). I'm sure Staples, Ridgefield, Greenwich, Wilton, aren't too far behind.

Seems like we would dominate this sport too if we went D1.

OT- UConn Lacrosse --- Same Answers - 4 years later??

But this thread may amuse you and keep you busy for a bit: Source: UConn lacrosse to DI in 2018

 

[Waquoit]

Because Lacrosse is horrible?

 

[champs99and04]

Because Lacrosse is horrible?

Says somebody who I doubt has ever played it.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

When little league in historic baseball hotbeds like Shelton are losing kids to Lacrosse and High Schools like North Haven are playing it somebody should be taking notice.

 

[BarkingDog]

I agree with the notion that with the right hire, and it's possible that it already has been made, the school could be successful at the highest level. Like a young Jim Calhoun said, "it's doable."
Thanks huskymedic for digging up that thread.Last fall I asked the same coach of my kids club team, who sends kids from his program to play college lax, about UConn moving up, and he gave the same answer. 2018. I'll ask again this summer.
Perhaps moving realities of budgets and conference realignment have altered plans. Maybe there was never any real plans. Again, I'm only relating what one person said in a private conversation. I'm not pretending to be an insider.
Lacrosse is an amazing sport. I was at a sold out Reese stadium Saturday to watch Yale comeback from a 8-4 deficit with 11 minutes to go to score five unanswered and win the game 9-8. One of the best live sporting events I have been at.
Skill, athleticism, team play, physical play, players making unbelievable individual play, strategy, matchups ... Seriously, if you take the time to understand the game at all it is easy to become a fan.
Today I spent 9 hours in the cold rain volunteering at the town's youth lacrosse club Lax Fest. 45 teams, thousands of people from all over Connecticut and Massachusetts. My kid had a goal, a couple assists, won half a dozen ground balls, had two or three clears as his team went 2-2. A beautiful day for Lacrosse!
Not to mention the UConn men won its first round playoff game on Saturday over New Hampshire, 11-10.

 

[Northbound]

I played at argueably the premier program in CT before moving to upstate NY and finishing HS there and then chose to play lacrosse in college versus football - why get my head beat in for 4 or 5 years and be an average size guy at 230 when I could be one of the bigger dudes on the lacrosse field. I even coached college for a year. I share this only to provide a reference point for my opinion.

Sadly, lacrosse is just blah for me now. Its a tough watch - my old teammates look at me like I've lost my mind.

I do think that UCONN could become competitive relatively quickly. You don't need to keep the very best kids home because there's a lot of talent in state and lots of talent close (NY, MA, NJ and main line Philly) the profileration of HS talent is pretty impressive and so there's plenty of talent to go around.

Really important to get a good coach with a good personal story that played at a lacrosse power - look at SUNY Albany - made a big move and became part of the conversation nationally (I know about the Thompsons) that started with getting Maar who played at Hopkins and is from Yorktown to be the Coach after serving as an Asst at Delaware and Maryland.

I'd never go watch, but would like to see a meaningful UCONN lacrosse program.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Because Lacrosse is horrible?

Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country and is really hurting other sports by pulling kids away. I've never played or am even a fan of lacrosse but helped establish a major youth tourney in Tahoe and we went from 60 teams the first year to 92 the second to a complete sellout of 120 teams this year and it sold out 5 months in advance. If we had enough fields I think we could get to 200 teams pretty easily. The sport is absolutely exploding and the demographics are phenomenal. We draw around 4000 people to the are for a minimum of 3 nights at roughly a $225 average daily rate. Count me in as a lacrosse fan!!!

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I played at argueably the premier program in CT before moving to upstate NY and finishing HS there and then chose to play lacrosse in college versus football - why get my head beat in for 4 or 5 years and be an average size guy at 230 when I could be one of the bigger dudes on the lacrosse field. I even coached college for a year. I share this only to provide a reference point for my opinion.

Sadly, lacrosse is just blah for me now. Its a tough watch - my old teammates look at me like I've lost my mind.

I do think that UCONN could become competitive relatively quickly. You don't need to keep the very best kids home because there's a lot of talent in state and lots of talent close (NY, MA, NJ and main line Philly) the profileration of HS talent is pretty impressive and so there's plenty of talent to go around.

Really important to get a good coach with a good personal story that played at a lacrosse power - look at SUNY Albany - made a big move and became part of the conversation nationally (I know about the Thompsons) that started with getting Maar who played at Hopkins and is from Yorktown to be the Coach after serving as an Asst at Delaware and Maryland.

I'd never go watch, but would like to see a meaningful UCONN lacrosse program.

Agree with this. Fun sport to play, really rough sport to watch.

 

[djct1999]

Agree with this. Fun sport to play, really rough sport to watch.

Have you had to watch youth baseball? If you find lacrosse boring to watch I suggest stopping by a lower Fairfield county oval on a Saturday. My 6 year old son started playing this spring and I have never been more impressed with a youth program in my life. Every Sat they have 80 first graders doing drills for an hour. No games, no contact..... Simply drills. They do this until the third grade. I admit I know very little about the game but seeing my son and his friends pick up a stick has me hooked. And after a few practices you would be amazed at how good some of these kids are.

 

[mauconnfan]

Have you had to watch youth baseball? If you find lacrosse boring to watch I suggest stopping by a lower Fairfield county oval on a Saturday. My 6 year old son started playing this spring and I have never been more impressed with a youth program in my life. Every Sat they have 80 first graders doing drills for an hour. No games, no contact..... Simply drills. They do this until the third grade. I admit I know very little about the game but seeing my son and his friends pick up a stick has me hooked. And after a few practices you would be amazed at how good some of these kids are.

If your kids start early in a lacrosse area I am sure anyone would be hooked. Having tried to watch it as one of my buddies sons is playing a high level prep in NH, I have now grasped a few things and the strategies but have little to no interest to ever see a game when I don't have to. But that's just me, I can see if it's your kid from a town which has youth programs it could be ok.

 

[djct1999]

If your kids start early in a lacrosse area I am sure anyone would be hooked. Having tried to watch it as one of my buddies sons is playing a high level prep in NH, I have now grasped a few things and the strategies but have little to no interest to ever see a game when I don't have to. But that's just me, I can see if it's your kid from a town which has youth programs it could be ok.

I get that. I guess the point is that for both boys and girls, the youth talent that is in state, this region would surely catapult UConn to the upper echelon of college lacrosse relatively quickly.

 

[SubbaBub]

Lacrosse is an expensive sport and until about 20 years ago it was limited mostly to prep schools and affluent public schools in CT. It was a pipeline for Ivy bound kids. CT is behind upstate NY and LI in terms of recruiting grounds but it is right there.

There has been an explosion of youth programs since so maybe one day it will happen.

 

[Northbound]

Have you had to watch youth baseball? If you find lacrosse boring to watch I suggest stopping by a lower Fairfield county oval on a Saturday. My 6 year old son started playing this spring and I have never been more impressed with a youth program in my life. Every Sat they have 80 first graders doing drills for an hour. No games, no contact..... Simply drills. They do this until the third grade. I admit I know very little about the game but seeing my son and his friends pick up a stick has me hooked. And after a few practices you would be amazed at how good some of these kids are.

It's been like that in parts of Fairfield County for decades.

I think your sentiment is fairly typical but changes when the son/daughter no longer participates at whatever level that may be. Do people stay with the sport (viewing) post a personal involvement? Would you ever make lacrosse appointment viewing or go watch a game that he wasn't involved in?

The lacrosse network is pretty robust. It's been written about in numerous business magazines. It used to be stronger before the expansion of the sport. You used to know all the guys in some way (played with them, friends of friends, etc.) that played at all the top tier Division I and Division III programs (believe it or not there wasn't a ton of separation between those levels at one time) and that was a bit of a club that helped create after college conversations.

 

[SubbaBub]

Played in HS and had a D3 cup of coffee. Have been to the NCAA tournament and know a couple guys with a ring.

I rarely watch it any more. The game just lacks any kind of flow. Maybe the athletes are too good for the game.

Then again maybe I'm just too old. Back then players had a certain commitment to a game that most people didn't get.

Playing was always more fun that watching.

 

[djct1999]

It's been like that in parts of Fairfield County for decades.

I think your sentiment is fairly typical but changes when the son/daughter no longer participates at whatever level that may be. Do people stay with the sport (viewing) post a personal involvement? Would you ever make lacrosse appointment viewing or go watch a game that he wasn't involved in?

The lacrosse network is pretty robust. It's been written about in numerous business magazines. It used to be stronger before the expansion of the sport. You used to know all the guys in some way (played with them, friends of friends, etc.) that played at all the top tier Division I and Division III programs (believe it or not there wasn't a ton of separation between those levels at one time) and that was a bit of a club that helped create after college conversations.

I definitely see the correlation between my interest and my son's involvement. In terms of viewership, and again maybe its correlated, but yes I would tune in to a Syracuse-Albany lacrosse game on ESPNU way before I'd tune in to a Syracuse-Albany hoops game. Again, in terms of further content and if UConn had a team, I would certainly tune into SNY or any network UConn Lax was playing on. The same in hockey. But if UConn baseball is on, I could care less outside of the final outcome which I can google later.

 

[polycom]

UConn's currently has a club lacrosse team that is very good. The thing is their coach has made an intentional choice to not take the program D1. This has been told me to my by multiple players from the team.

 

[Northbound]

UConn's currently has a club lacrosse team that is very good. The thing is their coach has made an intentional choice to not take the program D1. This has been told me to my by multiple players from the team.

A club coach has very little influence in determining if a program moves from a club status to Division I. College club lacrosse and D1 lacrosse are two entirely different worlds - not remotely similar. Club guys always think they are on par with D1 players/programs and that is comical.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn's currently has a club lacrosse team that is very good. The thing is their coach has made an intentional choice to not take the program D1. This has been told me to my by multiple players from the team.

Easy "choice/decision" when you don't have scholarship/funding support to do so?

 

[polycom]

A club coach has very little influence in determining if a program moves from a club status to Division I. College club lacrosse and D1 lacrosse are two entirely different worlds - not remotely similar. Club guys always think they are on par with D1 players/programs and that is comical.

Not D1 in terms of talent...D1 in terms of interest. UConn is large enough and lacrosse is popular enough to have a D1 team. Anyone with a brain knows that club sports aren't even the same sport as D1.