US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2026 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

Is this an accurate stat?

Cool story , so they will be at NAL ? or like last year where they never show at a real tournament with cheating older team ?

Are the 26 Crabs really that old?

Which age is that? Or do you mean grade?

Yes

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

It is a funny post but far from accurate; every team playing in the Elite HOCO League has holdbacks; Crabs and Hawks just seem to have the best ones. And for that all the parents cry foul! Unfortunately holdbacks are part of the lacrosse landscape and are promoted at the HS Level. If you don't believe that ask any HS coach in the MIAA; they encourage it. Crabs are much improved with their new additions but everyone is beatable and they to will lose their fair share of games just like every team playing at this elite level.

Awesome. Where did those new additions come from?

I have no idea whether it is accurate, but I don't know how somebody would have access to the birthdates of every player on the team, which would be necessary to know the average age. But I would love to know. My son is a thirteen year old who has played against the Crabs several times in the past year and (sometimes) held his own.

So, question to PP - how do you know all the kids' birthdays?

Just amazing. In the last 24 months the 26 Crabs go from being literally the worst team in HoCo elite to one of the best teams in the country. Just amazing coaching and development. I’m going to get my kid to really work on his game this year in the hopes of making the team next year!

This is the truth right here. They were the worst, not winning a game. Reclass 2025 and walla!!!

Some teams work to develop their players and don't do much recruiting to pull players from other teams.

Some teams do both - they have a core group of kids who have played together for years, and every year a few come and go.

Others build a team by recruiting high-skill players away from other teams. Here's looking at you, 2026 Crabs.

Hey! My 9th grade 2025 son MIGHT do a PG year one day so I should feel good about him playing for an 8th grade 2026 team this year, right? That’s not bold faced cheating, right? Everyone else is doing it, right??

What age? That is muddy waters here. Remember the slow kids

Is this actually happening?

Looney's mostly.

Yes

Isn’t there a BOTC forum for Crabs talk? If not can we make one? Can we talk about something else? This Crabs holdback is getting so old.

It’s not just the crabs. holdbacks are only holdbacks if the kid gets held back. A kid in 9th grade playing for a 8th grade team is not a hold back, it is cheating.

Sorry Crabby holdback dad. When you skew the system to gain an advantage many other children dont have, it will get a response not to your liking. Grade based lacrosse as in all sports, helps define what is wrong in youth sports, and goes completely against everything that is good in youth sports. Not cheating as the rules are grade based, but what a way to teach your kid values as a young student, play down.

Can't make this too complicated for Crabs 2026 kids and parents. They'll be back in a 3rd year of 8th grade trying to figure out how a forum works.

And people say all these terrible things about how it doesnt work. IT DOES !

Turns very good players into superstars.

Turns good players into above average players

Turns below average players into average at best players ( Sorry no sense to holdback)

Why you are a fool not to hold your child back if you want him to play D1.

Why no mention how Team91 Maryland lost to Team91 Carolina on Saturday?

Example?

The Hardshells.
The Crabs even have a team that specifically doesn't hold back.
But it is their B team...and gets destroyed.

The same Team Crabs 2026 beat 15-2; yep Team 91 is much improved.

Ma'am what team does your son play for that has Zero holdbacks?

Which teams are doing what you allege?

👆 thank you to those club teams that could not retain these new additions #differencemakers

Not it's above board.
Most lax holdbacks are re-doing a school year because they are slow, you know, mentally.

Not allegations. Facts. They know who they are. Tourney directors should demand proof of grade for every player. It’s the only way to enforce if club directors, coaches and parents keep turning a blind eye to this.

Unless you can provide facts you are a nothing more than a true yellow belly.

Post your cell number and I’ll call you with details

Post your cell number and I’ll call you with details.

Madlax played whole teams in their tounament last week in Maryland. They waited until the last minute to tell the teams that their 25 B team would be playing but don't worry bc they aren't that great. Except they played them on one day only, Sunday, and the 25's dominated teams physically. It was embarrassing for Madlax.

How do tournament directors allow this???

Here's something to change the subject. Anyone see this complaint by Radar Sports Management, LLC against multiple lacrosse organizations?

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AKKs4NqQUxPAe%5Fc&cid=173A1B0956946B13&id=173A1B0956946B13%21102804&parId=173A1B0956946B13%2189478&o=OneUp

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ye Olde Collapsed Brackets due to tournament directors not selling out full fields (4 or more teams per year).

Our 2026 team played in a "squishy age limit" tournament and not only did they collapse the 2026s into a "2026-2025" bracket but the rules of the tourney were "majority of your players defines the age group for this event" so when we played one unnamed 2025 team, it was actually roughly half 2024s. Playing our 2026s. It had every look of a JV vs Varsity scrimmage.

It was Madlax's tournament. It was a take it or leave it situation. You had players at up to a 3 year age difference. The oldest high school sports eligible 25's are born in September, 2005 and the youngest 2026's are born August 2008. Madlax also double rosters players like crazy outside of HoCo where they were caught playing almost an entire team in the class level below their roster. Given the scores of the tournament, it wouldn't surprise me if a bunch of their A team players were on the field.