Originally Posted by Anonymous
Ironically our friends to the north opened the door for this now almost universal grade based segmentation of youth club lacrosse. In 2012 there were ZERO grade based clubs in MD. Breakers, FCA, Hawks, Madlax, Looneys, Roughriders, Green Turtle.... even Crabs were age based -- u11, u13, u15 in youth and then grade in HS. And all local tournaments were age based. I think when rec teams started getting pounding by teams named Express 2019, Crush 2020 etc in what had been rec tournaments LaxSpash/Beachlax -- the seas of change were set in motion. That scourge of youth sports took over – the need to win at all costs and opportunity to make money. The next thing you know its dump the rec programs and organize by grade to take advantage of kids who were held back in kindergarten. More clubs, more tournaments, more money. Now we have Team 91 MD breaking new ground on how much money we can fleece parents for in youth lax in MD. My original point is that clubs in Maryland, DC and Va followed the format created in NY. It’s imperfect and unnecessary but for the most part keeps kids within an 18 month window. Of course there are some that push the limit but the “double hold-back” is a myth. There is a rule in the MIAA that you can’t turn 19 before school year and play a sport. Anyway you can’t blame teams for organizing by grade when that’s how tournaments and teams from other regions are formed. If clubs on LI feel the system is unfair/unsafe – let’s see some leadership organize your teams/tournaments by single year’s u11, u12, u13 etc and based on US Lax 9/1 cut-offs. Many including me would welcome the change. Until then you are just whining about a system you helped create.


100% spot on true and accurate and the best post in this entire forum...