holdbacks, not on age is cheating and sad in youth sports. accept it and move on. Is it sad? Yes. Is it "gaming the system?" Probably.
Is it cheating? No. The rules for HoCo clearly state it is a grade-based league. Get over it.
Agree, while it is completely gaming the system, unfair to many players and goes against just about everything youth sports stands for...it isnt against the rules as the Howard County Recreation Department wrote them up. Howard Country Recreation should have a special place in Maryland lacrosse Hall of Shame.
Too many people signing up for club at early age as a replacement for Rec. By the time your kid is ready to play club, he should be ready to play with other kids from the community in his grade, whether they are private or public, and whether they are a year older or younger. Club is preparing kids that want to play in HS as their primary sport and is not for everyone. Club is not set up to serve the recreational needs of the community. I haven't heard many complaints about extra year kids having an advantage at more time to take the SAT's, so let's be honest with what this is all about. You don't see too many former college athlete parents complaining about the state of affairs, which should tell you all you really need to know.
Club at the High School level is grade and should be...always has been ..No one complained. Youth sports no matter Club or Rec should be by age. always has been by age until MIAA influenced Howard County rec decided to start a grade base league a few years ago. Age based system worked for the Harrison, Rabil, etc prior to grade based change.
You want to tie Club HS in with Club Youth..Doesnt work . Youth is Youth and HS is HS. The total out of control recruiting of young players was quashed within a year of the out of control grade based teams starting. Recruiting signing and actual talk is 11th grade now. 10th and maybe 9th are important. Which is HS. Youth has nothing to do with " happy college athletic parents" . You are an apologist for a youth system that rewards holding your child back at an early age.
You should do an anonymous petition.
The First and Second Year , I actually wrote many times to different people in Howard County Recreation Department telling them what would happen with their new grade based league. Wrote it would encourage holdbacks and why was grade base a priority to HOCO. Told them a simple U10,U11, U12, etc would be better for YOUTh sports and align with all their other HOCO leagues. Got back from several useless people many excuses. Later found out that two had boys in a MIAA schools. Wonder if that had anything to do with it.
No matter how you spin it. Youth sports prior to HS should be by age.
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