US Lacrosse Magazine July 2007

[Sonny]

if you want to see more parity in the MCLA,

SNIP

then join USL.

Huh?

[Danny Hogan]

But quit complaining.

They dropped coverage of an event that some on here (most of them USL members) have enjoyed following in their magazine for several years. Legit complaints.

To put it delicatley, USL's efficacy varies from region to region (on all levels of lacrosse)....I'll stop there.

[BigheadTodd]

if you want to see more parity in the MCLA,

SNIP

then join USL.

Huh?

Huh? indeed..??
Where was this from?

[Jana]

You didn't just complain about the lack of MCLA coverage, you also complained about the magazine's content spending too much time describing everything they do for kids.

For me, those descriptions explain exactly why I belong to USL. The organization is the infrastructure that is developing the skills of future players for the MCLA and WDIA. So I felt moved to write a rebuttal.

One of you wrote to Paul Krome, and he noted the lack of coverage, and owned up to it. That's more than you'd get from most publishers.

[mholtz]

if you want to see more parity in the MCLA,

SNIP

then join USL.

Huh?

Huh? indeed..??
Where was this from?

More high school players == more, better MCLA players == more parity in the MCLA (I think that's where this was headed).

[StrykerFSU]

I think this comes down to the old view of club vs. varsity. Ignoring whatever politics may or may not have had some hand in USL overlooking the MCLA championships, varsity programs and their respective championships have traditionally been where the lacrosse market is. Now I know that there are over 200 schools currently playing in the MCLA numbers like those don't necessarily control where the attention of the national lacrosse community is directed.

To use a baseball analogy: For every major league baseball team there are at least 3 minor league teams competing from A to AAA involving hundreds of more players than there are on Major League rosters. Why don't we see national coverage of minor leagues baseball championships, because the national attention is on what is happening in Fenway and not Pawtucket. And yes, the MCLA is the minor leagues in this case.

Yes, it would be great to read about our schools and friends (or ourselves) in the pages of Lacrosse Magazine but as Jana pointed out the USL budget can only be stretched so many ways and traditionally lacrosse fans care about varsity lacrosse more than any other level. I could complain that there is not enough coverage of Div 2 Virginia Independent High School leagues but I won't because I know that people nationally are more interested in what is happening in the MIAA.

I have been a member of USLacrosse since I was 12 years old and it was called The Lacrosse Foundation. I enjoy the magazine, have been to the Hall of Fame, and so far have not needed the insurance. I encourage everyone to be a member and then, if you are unhappy with the coverage of the MCLA contact them directly and register your complaint as a constituent.

[Danny Hogan]

bad analogy stryker, it would be more akin to a mag covering the triple A championships for 5 (8?) years and dropping their coverage suddenly due to politics.

[StrykerFSU]

Yeah, it's not a perfect analogy but I didn't want to comment on whatever politics may have been involved as I don't know what went on between the MCLA and USLacrosse to cause the split so I was viewing things in strictly dollars and cents.

My point was more that USLacrosse has to allocate their limited resources to areas that they deem to be the most worthy as dictated by the relative interests of their readership and in turn, the interests of advertisers. I know I sound like an USLacrosse apologist, perhaps an unpopular role on these boards, and maybe I am one but that is only because that organization does so much good for the growth of the game. Lacrosse Magazine has come a long way over the past 16 years that I have been reading it and is a real asset to the lacrosse community. Let's wait and see what appears in the August issue and then unhappy members can contact the organization directly.

[John Paul]

Just to clear one thing up...there is no bad blood, overtly at least, between the MCLA and US Lacrosse. We still have a spot on their Board of Directors, their Board of Governors and their Coaches Council. We still keep in contact. I think Paul Krome's apology is heartfelt.

I agree with Stryker. Join USL to support the game. As a member you have every right to let them know when you are dissatisfied.

[USF-Laxcoach]

while i was also surprised to see an omission of MCLA champs coverage, i think a few are overlooking the fact that yes, NCAA will obviously receive considerably more coverage, but there is a push to extend the game to new youth players and non-traditional areas, and i feel that also means a focus on the girls/womens games. look at the numbers, just between the MCLA and WDIA with the number of teams and the number of players per team.

or take Florida alone... count the number of boys HS teams, IA clubs, and competitive rec clubs, and bounce that off the number of girls programs. in tampa alone, there are 17+ boys programs - multiply that by 3 since each program has JV and MS programs. most also have youth and little pee-wee programs for the really young kids. girls programs? ... 8. thats it. having a decent article on womens club lacrosse can do a lot to recruit more girls players. boost girls/womens programs, and the boys/men will go with them.

the reality with Title IX is that most mens programs will never see varsity unless the women go first. isn't increased coverage of the womens game something to be focused on, rather than minimal coverage (albeit prompted by a reader) in august?

WDIA programs pay a fee to USL. and the site is currently inaccessible on my end, but i believe i remember a stipulation saying that each team member participating in the playoffs must be USL members. Jana or Coach Cribbin would know... either way, WDIA TEAMS put money into USL, not just as individuals. i think they deserve a little something ini return on their investment and aligning with USL.

[agentogden]

and as promised US Lacrosse did a fantastic article about the MCLA tournament. Some real thought and research went into those 56 words.

Soon. Bring the gauze.

out.
AO

[seulax10]

and as promised US Lacrosse did a fantastic article about the MCLA tournament. Some real thought and research went into those 56 words.

Hah, I agree. When Paul Krome replied to my email, he made it sound like (or maybe I just hoped that) the MCLA had at least an entire page. I flipped through the magazine about three times trying to find the rest of that article, only to come up short.

[Kevin OBrien]

while i was also surprised to see an omission of MCLA champs coverage, i think a few are overlooking the fact that yes, NCAA will obviously receive considerably more coverage, but there is a push to extend the game to new youth players and non-traditional areas, and i feel that also means a focus on the girls/womens games. look at the numbers, just between the MCLA and WDIA with the number of teams and the number of players per team.

or take Florida alone... count the number of boys HS teams, IA clubs, and competitive rec clubs, and bounce that off the number of girls programs. in tampa alone, there are 17+ boys programs - multiply that by 3 since each program has JV and MS programs. most also have youth and little pee-wee programs for the really young kids. girls programs? ... 8. thats it. having a decent article on womens club lacrosse can do a lot to recruit more girls players. boost girls/womens programs, and the boys/men will go with them.

the reality with Title IX is that most mens programs will never see varsity unless the women go first. isn't increased coverage of the womens game something to be focused on, rather than minimal coverage (albeit prompted by a reader) in august?

WDIA programs pay a fee to USL. and the site is currently inaccessible on my end, but i believe i remember a stipulation saying that each team member participating in the playoffs must be USL members. Jana or Coach Cribbin would know... either way, WDIA TEAMS put money into USL, not just as individuals. i think they deserve a little something ini return on their investment and aligning with USL.

I really don't see how increasing coverage of the women's game is supposed to promote women's lacrosse. If you subscribe to Lacrosse Magazine, you're a member of the USL, and in all likelyhood already a player or involved with the sport (or at least a fan) in some way. Even if that were their motive, they didn't increase coverage of the women's programs, they just dropped us. The fact remains that they've covered the MCLA every year except for the year after there was a disconnect. Back when I played at USC my sophmore year they did a writeup of every team in every conference in the same issue with the NCAA programs (check out 1999's preaseason issue). Giving the MCLA a little blurb to me seems like sour apples and goes against the whole point of USL, or at least what it's supposed to be.

[Sonny]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone submit a story for publication?

All of the CollegeLAX feature and game recap articles (plus fantastic photos) surrounding the '07 MCLA tournament in Dallas were offered to both Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse following the event.

Neither publication took me up on the offer.

[GrizLens]

Rumor has it, there are a couple of MCLA articles coming soon in IL.