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Not Crabs, son not reclassed...Just a dad who has a son who can adapt to competition..and my son is undersized. We don't sit home and rationalize why kids are bigger and make excuses. My son worked in the gym, on the field and in the classroom to get where he is. Cry all you want, rationalize all you want. You are only setting your son up for failure when he gets older

Ok Rambo. You sound like a moron. Just because someone doesn't share your viewpoint doesn't mean they are crying. Actually, having your son rationalize situations is a good thing. That actually helps prepare him as he gets older, as he runs into situations a lot more complicated and relevant than 8th grade lacrosse.

Spoken like a true internet tuff guy.

Well I do tell my son to suck it up and just get better and deal with it. We have talked about it several times. My fav. words to him are life is not fair. But when asked a question I am a man and I will give a answer like a man. And Reclass kids should be pointed out. I you cut in line at a store I will call you out. Its not illegal just a D!!k move. So if you reclass your kid you should be called out as a D!!k. Me and my son will work with it and move on but we are not sheep you just let the punks cut in line with out calling them out.

If you cut in line LOL

I feel badly for your son...why point out a kid? What value does that add? You sound like a jealous idiot. Move on and good luck to your son. If he is a good enough athlete it will all work out for him.

Really so why call out the cheater and his parents. Just sit back and take the raping. I guess pointing out injustices is a bad thing to you. And if reclassifying is cool with everyone they should not be upset with being called out.

AGE MATTERS, particularly when talking about 14 versus 16 year old boys.

It matters if you are not an elite player.

Love crazy parents. Had a tournament this week and the crazy parents were almost as good of a show as the Lacrosse game. This board is the same. LOL. Keep your kids grades up as there is no money in Lacrosse. But please keep complaining as it is entertaining.

To finish your thought: ...so you should reclass, and try to look better among younger and less developed children.

No, if you are a truly good player, you can compete with older players. Perhaps there is another sport your son can play? I see hockey mentioned as an on-age sport. Go enjoy or stop complaining and have your son work to improve and compete. This is the real world

So I get the suck it up this is the real world talk. But I also think people should never let themselves be walked on or screwed over by others gaming a system. And I also agree if your son is a top 10% for a D1 class he will shine no matter if the age is off by 18 months. But I think the real fight is for the last 30% of each class for D1. Those are the kids who are getting crapped on the most. The none reclass kids who should be earning those last 3 spots at UVA or JHU are losing out to a swarm of reclass kids stealing their spots. Yes this is where you say suck it up its the real world. But also in the real world the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So us parents of kids in the last 30% group will try to squeak and get some grease. So also a life lesson. Also my son knows nothing of my squeaking and I do tell him as you all tell me this is the real world suck it up and get better. But someone has to keep saying something.

As someone who did a college sport, and not as an avid poster here, I have two problems with club lacrosse:
1. I honestly can't remember a time as a youth or a high schooler where I did something to be noticed. If you are competing the only important thing is to contribute all you can to winning. I was at a tournament last weekend where I doubt I observed a player, parent or club coach who could have cared less about a team winning. Only getting noticed. One club that lost most of their games over the weekend is quick early this week to tweet about being up to four kids committed as of another one yesterday. That's a pretty pathetic way to define being a winner.
2. Didn't look like any kids were having fun. Just looked to me like a job fair on muddy adjacent fields. I am so pissed all there is for kids like my son is playing for looks and hoping to get looks, etc. When that happens it is winning and when that doesn't happen it is depressing and losing to the kids.

Lacrosse is a terrible sport for youths and high schoolers. The 1% playing in college will probably have less fun when they get there, and the 99% who don't play college aren't being given an experience they will look back on with a lot of positives except for having teammates as friends while they did play.

I love that this argument is being made on a board discussing the Crabs program. The hypocrisy! Has a player ever played up for the Crabs? Do they even allow it? I have watched your players reclassify over the years. They do so because they have to. If they don't, they will be cut or have their playing time taken by older kids that reclassify. I feel sorry for the players and their families.

Is Jake Reed worth it for a 2020?

absolutely not

Someone should just do a speed meeting night with coaches at a local Marriott. Have the kids and their dads go through a row meeting a coach and handing over a transcript, scores and a video reel. Charge $100 a head and process the herd through. Cheaper and easier.

Kids absolutely do play up for Crabs. Sorry to bust your bubble. Obviously not going to name names, but it happens all the time.

It isn't the real world. It's a youth sport. The reasoning that a kid absurdly older for his grade because he repeated grades isn't truly special or good to be blowing up kids much younger and less mature. There are some very talented kids who can play up ages and grades, and then here are the other 90%+ of the kids playing the game. Modeling the sport for the wants and needs of only 5% or 10% of the people who participate is the reason why sports like lacrosse struggle to grow after an early growth phase. Lacrosse could easily grow to be as large as youth baseball or soccer, but has no chance to structured as-is. There are only bad arguments to preserve and protect this grade based scheme to allow bargains for kids to play down. There isn't anything positive that comes of it.

Great post... I agree. Some programs do get it right... FCA is pretty good at keeping perspective. There are some great lacrosse players in the FCA program - dont get me wrong. But for the good to middling players (my kid), he gets a chance to compete, play a great game, and prep himself for his high school team where the kids really do play for each other. But again... I agree with your post.

[/quote]Kids absolutely do play up for Crabs. Sorry to bust your bubble. Obviously not going to name names, but it happens all the time. [/quote]

so your saying some Crabs players actually play at their own age? that is awesome.

Great post... I agree. Some programs do get it right... FCA is pretty good at keeping perspective. There are some great lacrosse players in the FCA program - dont get me wrong. But for the good to middling players (my kid), he gets a chance to compete, play a great game, and prep himself for his high school team where the kids really do play for each other. But again... I agree with your post. [/quote]

I should look into FCA for my younger son. Just need something else for him after watching this circus for my older one. Does FCA do multiple teams in case my younger boy is not strong enough to make the main team as an average player? At the young ages it makes no sense to cut off the kids who are not the top 8 or 9 year olds. I get that for older ages doing one team is neeed. Do more teams for the little guys.

Just curious why not?

I should look into FCA for my younger son. Just need something else for him after watching this circus for my older one. Does FCA do multiple teams in case my younger boy is not strong enough to make the main team as an average player? At the young ages it makes no sense to cut off the kids who are not the top 8 or 9 year olds. I get that for older ages doing one team is neeed. Do more teams for the little guys. [/quote]
Can you let us know what evil poorly run club your older son plays for? I have watched tons of club lacrosse and even for the high school only tournaments that do not have brackets I see all the kids and coaches caring about winning and trying to do everything they can to win games that do not even get you to a championship game. Correct after the game is over the kids are over it if they lose or win in about 2 mins. But I think that is what all travel ball should be. To play hard and try to get better. But like its always been the high school games are the games that should hurt or feel better when the team wins. But fall and summer should be about playing hard and getting better as a player. And that means playing team ball and the top teams I see all play team ball even the ones with 4 to 8 D1 kids.

Well if you play for a top 20 club team its really not worth it at this age. And there is a ton of local and cheaper showcase events that start for this age group this summer. Also do you think you son can be in the elite group of early fall verbals next year if you think he is go ahead and pay the money now because you can save it later because he will already be a Verbal and he can sit out the showcases later on.

8th grader.

I should look into FCA for my younger son. Just need something else for him after watching this circus for my older one. Does FCA do multiple teams in case my younger boy is not strong enough to make the main team as an average player? At the young ages it makes no sense to cut off the kids who are not the top 8 or 9 year olds. I get that for older ages doing one team is neeed. Do more teams for the little guys. [/quote]


There a a lot of good clubs out there that play B or low A tournaments. Wolfpack, Koopers, Laxworld, Looney had a B team, What county do you live in? Baltimore county has Ground control out of Essex. B level but still fun. Not everyone is a D1 candidate. Your kids is allowed to have fun and play club lax.

I am pretty familiar with the Crabs teams 2018-2020 and to my knowledge, only one player has ever played up.

It would be the most Ryan McClernan thing ever to put one kid who is a year too young for the grade on one grade based team for one season to be able to say forever and ever that kids do play up at his club.

I liked his routine a lot more when he was just a junk bond salesman running a lacrosse club on the side.

I don't know about FCA. Seeing them at a tourney recently, I would guess a third of their 6th grade team is older than on-age kids.

LOL at those who say FCA is different. One, they have a TON of reclassed kids on their teams. Not surprising given the number of kids affiliated with Calvert Hall and other parochial schools where reclassing is encouraged.

Second, please don't pretend that FCA is a kindler, gentler club. Their parents are just as obnoxious as any other club's.

I am still amazed that people have a hard time believing clubs take the best kids possible that meet the regulations for most leagues and tournaments. All clubs will take holdbacks since it is within the rules. Clubs are not forcing kids to do this. The parents see the advantage and take it. Can we move on?

You're right, like with private schools which don't have public school rules against repeating grades for non-academic reasons the current club lacrosse scene has no age rules for grade based teams. That is the problem. Club lacrosse is not a scholastic sport. Other youth sports are age based for good reasons (fairness, safety, simplicity, etc.). Your point isn't a valid point. Of course club owners at least tacitly encourage holdbacks by doing grade based teams to begin with. Many clubs go beyond that to counsel kids and parents to reclassify to gain a recruiting edge. It does come down to parents seeing and then doing it for an advantage, but that does nothing to argue that the clubs are providing this forum with clean hands. The argument that anyone who has a problem with it should just have their kid go play another sport is also an argument around the point -- and not one that addresses the point.

Another great way to make sure Baltimore and DMV kids keep contesting college lacrosse rosters and "getting committed" in 8th or 9th grade is to keep this exact system in place. It will be effective to drive other kids out of the sport and bring it back to the third tier preppy sport in a few small locales people laughed at 10-15 years ago. Youth lacrosse could be like soccer in terms of wide popularity and participation for both boys and girls, but it just sounds like the B'awlmore old farts want their 1980s sport back.

[quote=Anonymous]It would be the most Ryan McClernan thing ever to put one kid who is a year too young for the grade on one grade based team for one season to be able to say forever and ever that kids do play up at his club.


That has happened far more often than people know or want to know. It is very convenient to have someone to rail against.

It does not. I have had three kids in the club system for the last 7 years, and I am not snarky about it but have watched the rosters since these teams went to grade based. I have not spotted a single Crabs kid on a grade team roster who was a calendar year young for his grade. With pre-first done so frequently in Baltimore it would be scarce to find one and one other poster wrote and I trust there was just one in the recent 2 years since grade based teams.

Now I do remember a number of standout kids who played up when it was U-9, U-11, U-13 and U-15. Back when the teams were age based the status symbol was for a standout kid to play up.

I think you are pointing to that era, and not this grade based regime which is only 2 years old.

I really wish we could go back to the old way. How can we make this happen? From what I read on here, the majority support age brackets vs grad year. They are our kids and we are the club consumer. How is it that this faulty system perpetuates?

I posted here when US Lacrosse published their Golden Stick guidelines for youth lacrosse leagues. Among other things it endorsed single calendar year gated youth teams for club and rec. The SINGLE year teams was designed to both promote having more teams and to promote less age variance on teams (the old argument that youngest U-13s, U-11s were much less mature with two year brackets). Within 2 weeks of the US Lacrosse publishing the NPYLL league announced grade based teams for every youth age, and the following week the HoCo league announced the same. The exact wording in the NPYLL announcement was that this move was to aid recruiting and also to enable doing more teams than the old U-15, U-13, etc. system...so the great thing was supposed to be it accomodated growth in the sport so that more kids could play, fewer kids would be cut from club teams and cut out and so on. To my memory the NPYLL move right on top of the USL announcement was the watershed event, and once the HoCo league added it seemed to viral out immediately across the country. But it started here less than 18 months ago.

Lacrosse parents are the underwriters of club lacrosse. It seems to me that there is a super majority of parents who have a vote to go to age based teams, but a very stubborn and determined minority who do want this for the advantages it may afford them for recruiting purposes. I doubt lacrosse parents have the moxie to go to Crabs, Madlax, et al and demand a change or else...or else just means you can leave and go try to start a parent league somewhere else and the club guys know nobody is that passionate and has the time to administer new leagues and all this involves.

I wrote to US Lacrosse and they shared my indignation, but little else. It seems nobody really listens to or respects them so any remedy would need to come from elsewhere. The NCAA coaches don't really want any involvement in administering or even taking a position on how club lacrosse works.

Quite honestly the best hope now is the women's NCAA coaches rule proposal goes into effect stating no recruiting or contact at all until September 1st of junior year for boys and girls. That would greatly diminish if not eliminate early recruiting, and let's face it that early recruiting is the only reason for the grades gamesmanship for advantage in the middle school and early high school ages. Kids would still reclassify a lot for the simple reason to be older and more mature for their grade on the sporting fields. But the instances of looking fabulous as a 15 year old 8th grader blowing up 13 year olds would be greatly discounted for recruiting purposes. Of course the same situation happens when they are older juniors, but I would argue that a 18 year old versus a 16 year old or a 19 year old versus a 17 year old in the upperclass years while still being an advantage will be less of one. If recruiting can't start until fall of junior year, positioning for that can happen but the indignation of the permanent earlier inequities such as "that kid cheating and holding back, getting a scholarship over my kid" stuff is moot for all parties. Hopefull that rule happens and club lacrosse takes a logical step to age based teams as a response. I don't see any other way it happens.

As one whose involved been involved in youth lacrosse the past 15 years, and an FCA and Calvert Hall parent, let me make some comments regarding this and many posts on clubs and holdbacks. Calvert Hall is high school only, so the only "holdbacks" to come in are from when the students were held back at their previous middle school. There are other schools that are K-12 where this occurs, but Calvert Hall has no influence and in fact takes the stance that it doesn't necessarily help. In some cases it may hurt down the road when a players potential has been reached in earlier grades. As for FCA, there are some that were held back previously, but there were several who actually play up. Particluarly last year there were 4 2020s playing on the 2019 FCA Blue team.

Regardless of age for a given grade, the same philosophy holds true for most clubs; they will mostly field the best players they can within the rules for a given event and team. If the game is winnable, the best players get the lions share of the PT. If the game is pretty much decided, the remaining players get their run.

As for FCA parents, lacrosse parents are lacrosse parents and some do behave irrationally during games. However, as a parent whose kids have played for several clubs, FCA works with the parents much more than just stating the obligatory "let the players play, the refs ref and the coaches coach" a few times a season. Still it's the adults responsibility to set the example.

What happened to the crabs 2023 team today.