Spring season has drawn to a close. For collegians, this means cross training and some kind of internship (woof), but for high school and middle school athletes, summer is all about tournaments. College coaches recruit from tournaments: they’re too busy in season to worry about building a team, but as soon as the last whistle blows and their athletes are out for the summer, coaches focus on the future. The problem is that there is a tournament almost every weekend–many conflict, and some attract more coaches than others. Here is a good guideline for which tournaments you want to be at. 
June:
– 8-9: Lax Inception
– 28: Lax for the Cure
– 30- July 7: Vail Shootout On the 40th anniversary of the Vail Shootout, I have to plug for this tournament. Everyone who plays is crazy about it. Age brackets start at U8 and go to infinity (so it seems). This is a great atmosphere, and worth the trip.
July
– 12-14: Club National Championships. You bet a lot of coaches will be at this one.
– 19-21: All-Star Express. This tournament is fun–it’s always a favorite for younger players.
– 21-23: Capitol Cup This tournament has a great reputation, and attracts teams from across the country.
Feel free to comment if you want to plug for a tournament. Good luck in club season.