At private HS in MD and elsewhere, you will find overage kids. I have not seen it at youth, and we routinely play teams feeding the MD MIAA A (HS privates) teams.
Fun to complain about, hide behind, but what's the solution? I agree with a poster in another thread--USLacrosse could stop it by simply refusing to insure tournaments/teams/players that do not follow its age guidelines. Make organizers, coaches and players all sign affidavits certifying ages. Easy implementation at youth, harder at HS level.
Sadly, it will likely take serious injuries, and follow on lawsuits, to cause real change. Likely too late for 2019 son...
Originally Posted by Anonymous
almost every crazed lax parent with an axe to grind and looking for the next Duke JHU Harvard offer for their prescious.
they'll also have their kid repeat a year (transfer to another school) in grade school and then their kid will be another year older than everyone when they enter HS as freshman.(just look at the recent 2017 commits).
lastly, they'll do a year of PG and be 21 yrs old by fresman year in college. red shirt another year and they'll be an AARP member at graduation.
it is a great system and MD (as well as some LIers) have mastered it
take a look at the rosters of theses clubs (especially MD) and you'll see.
I think you are right in saying that insurance is a great way to remedy the concern of over age players.
Also, kicking a team out of a tourney and forfeiting the games with overage players would be a deterrant as well.
Imagine the uproar if a travel team heads out for a weekend, incurs the costs of travel and hotels, etc, and is then forced to go home because one or several players are too old. You can bet that the organization would self regulate better so as to not answer to the parents that were furiouss abour a wasted trip.
simply put, at the youth level, it is not in the spirit of good sportsmanship to play against other players that are not the same age. it is also a blatant disregard of safety. all for an extra advantage either in wins or in looks from coaches...it's shamefull and disingenious.
This NEVER happens in Youth Hockey, which is governed by USA Hockey. This organization goes by birth year and there is no bending the rules. If US Lacrosse followed the same guidelines there wouldnt be an issues.
