Originally Posted by Anonymous

Pediatric studies show holdbacks are hurt in the long run-- but that is emotionally and mentally. Science proves those kids get dumbed down and underperform. Basically data shows most kids will adjust to their environment. For kids who skip a grade or are younger, they learn to accelerate and fit in. For holdbacks, they learn to do less well to fit in. BUT that is for academics, social adjustments, etc. For sports, they have physical advantages and kick [lacrosse] on younger kids through high school.

in other words, if you're willing to sacrifice your kid's well being in hopes of him playing lacrosse in college, that path is there.


While I generally agree with this, and would not hold my kid back even though he is, in the highly specialized world of lacrosse, a prime candidate, there are those who would cling to the writings of people such as Malcom Gladwell who observed that there is a disproportionate number of professional hockey players with January birthdays. The logic/reason offered is that those players were always at an advantage (ever so slight) by being the oldest in their division. Recall that hockey has a more structured age-based system with the cut off date of Jan 1.

Unless US Lacrosse wrestles back some influence from the clubs, lacrosse will continue to be a sport of holdbacks because that is what works for getting recruited to college College coaches would much rather have an older, more physically mature recruit. Remember, those coaches need to have winning programs or they get fired. And with no financially rewarding professional league, college is the apex of the sport.

Sadly the rise of the NLF, and eventual fall of WSYL (yes, I know NLF clubs participate but they are clearly on a path to create their own 'championship'), USLacrosse.org becomes less and less relevant.

USLacrosse has one card to play and that is the insurance policy which covers all these clubs and players. When Bollinger Insurance decides that having a 24 month age spread on the same field is not a good idea things will change. Until then,

"if you are not playing down, you are playing up"