There is a HUGE difference in Teams up North as grade based. All the teams we played from NJ and NY were grade based. But they could have easily have been age based as all the players were at the proper age for tournaments. At least that was the teams we played from up North. The Long Island parents looked at me strange when I asked about how many holdbacks were on their team. Maryland has gone grade base for ALL club teams at the youth level this year and one of the BIG reasons is the HUGE amount of children held back at the many private schools in Maryland. If you think that isnt the reason than your head is in the sand. Once again Maryland should be in the "HALL OF SHAME" for youth athletics for this movement to accommodate these selected children of holdbacks...Letting your children play down at youth level goes well with all this character education at the private schools in Maryland that is all the rage now...