On Long Island, birthdays after 9/1 and before 12/31 are considered holdbacks, since they could/should be playing in the grade above, although that is a call that each parent must make at time of Kindergarten. Not sure if MD considers them holdbacks, but by definition, they are. The parents chooses (they have the option) to "hold them back".
Based on that and your comments above, the average MD "competitive" team is 70% holdbacks ("4 to 5 on age players"), and teams in "elite divisions, the numbers will skew even older."
So the MD teams that the LI teams play, have 2 - 3 on age players, who in all likelihood never see the field, against LI teams. Therefore, MD teams (that play LI teams) are 100% holdback teams. Said another way, they are 2023-age teams, playing down against 2024 LI on-age teams.
Thank you for confirming... that's exactly what I have known all along. There are no 2024-age players playing in the 2024 grade, in MD lacrosse. That's crazy-town. It makes absolutely no sense. It's amazing what profit and greed can do to a kids game. I wish you MD non-holdback parents, the best. You and your kids don't deserve this, and this is not what's best for the sport. Good luck.
I'm afraid only 5 states start their birth date standards after 10/1 and in 4 of those 5 states it is up to the local agency. So to say a kid is holdback when they are born after 9/1 just doesn't hold up in 45 out of 50 states and even in those 5 states there are localities with start dates before 1/1.
NY and those other 4 states currently have legislation pending to move the date to 9/1. As for the kids not deserving it, you'll have to go on every forum with the same losing argument. You'll also need to go to every NCAA school currently loaded with kids from other states besides NY and tell them they stink too.
