Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Lacrosse is and historically has been a rich kids sport. Wealthy parents have also historically held their kids back. Usually not for lacrosse, but for social reasons. You’ll notice the best schools in lacrosse are those well off districts and private schools. It’s the same reason there is a lack of diversity in the game. Until it becomes a blue collar game, which it won’t due to club lacrosse which is really the biggest cancer in the game, nothing changes.


Most people outside of prep schools never heard of prefirst/holdbacks. Frankly until about 7/8 years ago it wasnt a problem or issue. All youth was by age and then you had High School teams by grade. Even the best youth teams were U13AA and U15AA. Some of those youth teams in Balt were full of future D1 players.

What set off all this playing down issue was the onset of Early Recruiting and explosion of Club teams. 8/9th graders were being looked at and recruited. The call was out...Grade was needed for recruiters !! The prep school players and their parents had no trouble jumping right in there to get an advantage...... and the rest is history. Once ER left us, unfortunately the grade based didnt,

I know full well how this went as I had a none holdback private school son competing against these players.Lucky he was athletic and grew. I saw so many players go to wayside as they werent held back. It didnt take long for anyone to learn, Hold them back, and that is why you have so many more now than years ago.

A special thanks should go to Howard County Recreation Department. They should forever be in the Hall of Shame for youth sports. They started the grade based lacrosse league in MD while all over sports in their county were age based and still are. notIntelligent MYLA supported this grade based league. What stunads. Immediately Crabs went grade based along with others who started grade based clubs. MYLA went down in numbers and real A was gone. Years later I saw one of the guys in charge of lacrosse for Howard County had a heldback son competing out on the field against my son.. Didnt take much to put two and two together.

And now, you know the rest of the story !



LOL Stay Salty My Friend