My Problem With In-Town Leagues

Our town is one of the many that has struggled with the issue of how to provide a good youth lacrosse experience to players of wildly different abilities. On the one hand we want everyone who wants to play lacrosse to have an opportunity at meaningful and enjoyable playing time. On the other hand, we want our best players to be able to play at a high level as often as they can. And for better or for worse, we have a healthy number of players in our town who are candidates for big-time lacrosse.

Our basic alternatives are to have: (1) every player be on a travel team; (2) every player be on an in-town team; or (3) players be on some combination of both. We have been trying this year to have every player on an in-town team and leave it up to the player whether he wants to be on a travel team as well. How the best players respond to playing in-town games has been an ongoing problem.

We made leagues with two grades each, so grades 7 and 8 play together and grades 5 and 6 play together. We divided up the teams such they are roughly equal. That means that on each team there are 4-5 guys who are really strong players who also happen to be at least a year and often two years older than some of the weaker players. The good older players routinely have to make the decision of what to do when facing a younger, weaker player. The nicer guys try to make an effective play without completely wiping out the younger one. Some of the less nice guys let their inner-bully take the lead. Neither alternative is really good for anyone.

That the relatively good players figure out that they should match up against each other comes with a price. The strong players have to make a decision of how hard to play against someone who is normally a friend and teammate from the travel team. When two strong players get into a disagreement over a play, that moment can carry over into school the next day and subsequent practices. Right now, some of our better players are at loggerheads over a cheap shot that one took during an in-town game. Without condoning the dirty play, it would be better for everyone if the perpetrator and victim had a year or so to cool off instead of having to see one other a few times a week. One player commented to another parent that the in-town games simply "aren't worth the bruises."

Just based upon what I have seen, I think that it would be better if the players could direct their intensity outwards rather than inwards. If the players can play with full effort all the time and not worry about hurt bodies or feelings, that is probably ideal.