Originally Posted by Anonymous
OMG this age crap is getting ridiculous. AAU basketball is far worse than lacrosse. Girls lacrosse has the same setup in terms of grade based and has for years. What is even considered a hold back in your eyes? Is a late spring/summer birthday going to prefirst a holdback? Or is it just if the kid repeats a grade sometime after he starts middle school? In 90% of the cases where a kid is older for his grade, it's because he went to prefirst. The older format of U-11 and U-13 had bigger age gaps than the current system. So it just sounds like your pissed because A. Little Johnny got spanked by Crabs or B. Little Johnny got cut from Crabs or C. All of the Above.

This is coming from a parent of three on age kids. This is the way the system is. If your child is a good player, they will be fine wherever they play. Wins and losses in these games mean absolutely nothing in terms of college coaches. They don't even pay attention to the scores. So what's your goal here? To have bragging rights because your son's team beat Crabs, or to have your son become a better player and play in college? Hopefully it's the latter which can be accomplished at many clubs.


It is about many things but given your text, you would miss the point. Let's just say, folks who manipulate the system for their own benefit (or in this case to make their little Johnny "bigger, better, stronger" or better than other kids in the appropriate grade) do not have the quality of true sportsmanship. AAU has strict age guidelines and the girls side of lacrosse does not have the same issues as boys. Girls have always been grade based. Boys have not been and one club in particular saw the change as an opportunity to manipulate the system. The kids who do not manipulate the system are put at a disadvantage in several ways