17 years old in the 9th grade. Repeat that a few times and let it sink in. There are Seniors in HS in MD that are 17 years old. If you can't compete - just repeat a grade or two then you look like a stud.
When you are playing in HS that's one thing - when you are in a grade based tournament and are 17 in the 9th grade grow some balls and play up.
Gonna PG a year too - right?
That's embarrassing. There are kids who start college before turning 18. Any 2000 birth year who just finished 9th grade should be playing with the 10th graders. Even a kid with a Dec 31, 2000 birthday.
Lax should have a birthday cutoff that provides some slack for different states but stops this kind of nonsense. August 1 would seem to work. But it might take a successful lawsuit by a player seriously injured by a much older player to make it happen.
I like the Aug. 1 cut off because it should keep it grade based for high school and beyond for most of the country.