"So why is the holdback more prevent in Maryland than long island? Or is that just a misconception?"

The holdbacks are only a private school issue that has gotten out of hand here in Maryland. It is the norm in all MIAA schools along with so called second tier private schools. Public schools in Maryland do not have the holdback issue. Most kids playing lacrosse are not held back in Maryland. That is why it is such an issue. Somehow a large select group of parents think it is fine for their child to play down while the rest dont get this advantage. My understanding is that Long Island lacrosse is dominated by public schools which like most public schools, dont have the holdback issues. Maybe someone can enlighten us on this.