More on the extraordinary girls’ lacrosse Class of 2012 — and Team 180
My story on Team 180, the state’s top girls’ lacrosse club program, and its Class of 2012 collegiate commitments on early national letter of intent signing day is in the Wednesday paper.
I’m enough of a traditionalist that I’ve been ambivalent about the proliferation of club programs in all sports — boys and girls — at the youth and high school level, especially when it dilutes the concept of young people playing the sports for sheer enjoyment. Often I’ve noticed the trend is to force gifted young players into specialization and encourage obsession, sometimes at the cost of “normal” high school experiences.
But after talking with the four Club 180 girls pictured in the group shot in the Wednesday paper, and with coach Sam Bartron, I’m comfortable in saying her program seems to have found a balance, in part because it’s designed to be a complement and not a replacement for the state’s high school programs.
I wasn’t able to go into much detail about the leaders of this Class of 2012 in the story, so here’s additional material on each of the four. Read more…