Most youth PAL clubs don't value the attack position and hide kids there. They let the middies go coast to coast. So ridiculous.
The technical term we use is "bury them on attack". It is a viable strategy with the little ones until their skills catch up. And they might even get a goal from a GB even if they can't catch or pass. It does happen.
It's a cop-out strategy for coaches who lack the patience to work with young children. They'll never learn to play the position if they're not thrown the ball.
No. The cop out is lazy parents who think practice is paid baby sitting and drop and go while their kid continues to flounder. Maybe the lazy parent could hang around and learn something then take little Johnny home and have a catch. Many kids 2nd grade and younger can't catch, they're young and they may not have developed the coordination for it. If a kid can't catch and throw somewhat reliably by 3rd-4th it is the parents fault for either a) not recognizing the kid doesn't want to play lacrosse or b) not helping their kid by spending some time with them.
No child is going to throw any other kid the ball if they don't think the kid can catch it. Complain all you want, change the rules to require passes, whatever. They won't do it and no coach can make them. The kids know and so does your son.
If Johnny can't catch, he's 8-9 years old and he's been involved in the sport for more than a season, IT'S YOUR FAULT parents. You never played lacrosse? No problem - get a baseball mitt and have a catch with that. Can't do that either? Wall ball works wonders. Coaches have you kid for maybe 3 hours a week max. What are you doing with the other 165 hours you have him? Or did he just move from the lacrosse babysitter to the Xbox babysitter?
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