Why aren't lacrosse coaches smarter? The apparent love affair coaches have with held back kids who are turning 16 while in 9th grade really upsets a lot of people on this thread, and I can understand that reasoning. I agree it is spineless to hold a kid back so he can be 16 running a field with 14 year olds for an advantage, unless the kid literally flunked out of 9th grade or struggled. Back in the day you repeated 9th grade if you were a crappy student, and now we can't even say "repeat" but have to style it as "reclassified" because the families doing it have self esteem issues with it.
If you are going to go all in and start recruiting 9th graders, why not look to the best 14 year olds? If a kid you like and want in your NCAA program someday does not develop enough, then redshirt him when he gets to UNC, UVa, etc. I have come to a conclusion that if UNC and others prefer this route, their programs will slip. I'd rather take a huge risk on a 14 year old who is competing well and has promise over a 16 year old sissy any day on our 2017 club team right now.
