I’ve been enjoying some time off lately, but wanted to chime in on the Empire State Games team before the conversation becomes a rant. Most are keeping it civil, thank you. We can have a lively debate without killing the coaches and players who are going to represent the Hudson Valley.
Now … welcome to the big time.
Lacrosse is no longer just a fringe sport in this region, and many of the complaints that have been lodged are the same issues that were brought up when AAU basketball was exploding. There was a time when scholastic basketball was a big part of the Empire State Games, which usually coincided with a live recruiting period. All of the best players showed up for tryouts. All of the coaches supported the effort. All of the colleges were on hand to watch.
It doesn’t work like that anymore.
There is competition now for the best players, who are more likely to stick with AAU commitments knowing the path to college includes a full slate of more prestigious regional and national summer tournaments. And the options are endless. It really doesn’t take more than a couple of phone calls for anyone with a reputation on the court to hook up with a decent AAU program.
How many good summer lacrosse programs are there now?
I haven’t sat down to count them all, but every good high school team is aligned with somebody. It’s an industry, and parents are more than willing to spend money regardless of the economy to improve their child’s status in between the lines.
Here’s the upside of that situation, at least the majority of the summer lacrosse programs I’m familiar with are run by professional educators. The biggest knock on AAU basketball is that it almost completely removes the high school coach from the recruiting process.
In a perfect world, the Hudson Valley would be represented by all of the best eligible players, but those days are gone. Honestly, can you blame a kid who’s already committed to a major college program for staying home? I used to cover the Empire State Games way back when and the games against Long Island were fierce, to say the least.
There’s no doubt it was a special experience, but it’s no longer unique.
A number of kids who are still under the radar will now get some exposure, which is where most of the bickering starts. Northern Westchester still cranks out more lacrosse stars than any other part of the area, but there are good players all over the map now. It makes narrowing the field even more difficult.
Are there politics involved? Yes. Are talented kids overlooked? Yes.
Welcome to the rest of your life, boys and girls.
I’ll say this in defense of Dave McNally and the others who have been singled out by individuals who believe there is some kind of hidden agenda, these guys really want to win. They aren’t going to play favorites and fill the roster with kids who have connections while ignoring kids who give the Hudson Valley a chance to medal.
I’m sure a number of very talented individuals were left behind – it happens.
We can politely question their decisions, but the relatively new landscape has to be acknowledged. The process of getting everybody on board for the Empire State Games is more than complicated. I’ll even step out and say the pool of talent is as shallow as it’s ever been despite the growth of the game. And that’s why so many people feel slighted, when the roster is not filled with unquestioned talent, we have a larger number of athletes left on the sidelines who are capable of matching up with those in uniform.
Honestly, those who are left behind will not suffer if they stay home and play with the standouts who elected to skip tryouts.
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Mike Dougherty has been covering sports in the Lower Hudson Valley for the last 20 years. After writing extensively about local high school and college athletics for The Journal News and LoHud.com, he spent a decade on the Knicks beat. Mike has also filed stories from the Final Four, NBA Finals, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and World Series. He graduated from Slippery Rock University after spending two years at Kennedy Catholic in Somers and now lives in Brewster.
