US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Boys 2025 - 5th Grade Fall 2017/Summer 2018

I am changing my opinion on things. Again my opinion, as I would prefer to look at this another way. I am actually starting to think grade based is going to end. Because they'll be more and more people adopting the US Lacrosse and WSYL age guidlines into grade based. It's the can'take beat join then mentality. Not saying it's right or agreeing. But just maybe this is a needed shakeup. Because this topic isn't going away.

I agree, great post. This is a great sport. Most of the people I have met are good parents all wanting the same thing for there kids.We have the best coaches are on LI. These kids are getting the best training in the country. But as the sport has grown so has the competition and the importance of winning. There is so much money to be made in the race for winning,that the ethics of youth sports gets forgotten. Youth Lacrosse NEEDS to go age based!!or at least have some sort of age regulation. It is getting worse out there every season!!

I agree, great post. This is a great sport. Most of the people I have met are good parents all wanting the same thing for there kids.We have the best coaches are on LI. These kids are getting the best training in the country. But as the sport has grown so has the competition and the importance of winning. There is so much money to be made in the race for winning,that the ethics of youth sports gets forgotten. Youth Lacrosse NEEDS to go age based!!or at least have some sort of age regulation. It is getting worse out there every season!!

LI problem is your cutoff for starting school. You might be the only place that has a Jan 1. Sep 1 is more the norm, with most summer boys being held in Pre-K. Nothing to do with sports.

LI problem is your cutoff for starting school. You might be the only place that has a Jan 1. Sep 1 is more the norm, with most summer boys being held in Pre-K. Nothing to do with sports.

This is true and not going to be changed any time soon. However, WSYL gives a reason for teams to be somewhat age based. As lacrosse is spreading out and less concentrated solely in NY and Maryland it will have a greater impact. NY teams are mostly on age. MD teams aren't, which is why they don't participate in WSYL. As the sport grows, Fairyland with their highly "skilled" double holdbacks will continue to move down in prestige and importance.

WSYL is 7th grade for a reason and will die if a team from outside LI doesn't win.

Read "Age and Reclassification. The good the bad the ugly!" Thread.. Every sport is driven by the next level. Youth lacrosse is driven by D1.. According to a post, only1 of the 15 incoming freshmen class was not a holdback. Football major 8th-grade holdbacks & AAU is a total joke. Lacrosse is just late to the game but the game has changed.

WSYL is 7th grade for a reason and will die if a team from outside LI doesn't win.

Read "Age and Reclassification. The good the bad the ugly!" Thread.. Every sport is driven by the next level. Youth lacrosse is driven by D1.. According to a post, only1 of the 15 incoming freshmen class was not a holdback. Football major 8th-grade holdbacks & AAU is a total joke. Lacrosse is just late to the game but the game has changed.

Lacrosse is a third rate sport in NCAA, more people at a bad D3 football game than a D1 Lacrosse game. Realistically, no one cares, nor will they ever care. Sport is funded by football and basketball, even baseball throws a few bucks Lacrosse way, that is the truth. No one cares but you. But I still love it

SPOT ON! Love the sport but the facts are the facts. These loons are also entertaining.

Lacrosse is a third rate sport in NCAA, more people at a bad D3 football game than a D1 Lacrosse game. Realistically, no one cares, nor will they ever care. Sport is funded by football and basketball, even baseball throws a few bucks Lacrosse way, that is the truth. No one cares but you. But I still love it

Your missing the point!! My kids will all be going to college .I don't care if my kids plays lax in college. I want age based for a variety reasons ( fun, developing, safety, fair estimation of the work they put in.,.But scholarships are not one of them. Youth sports all need to have enforced age requirements.

I disagree. I think grade-based makes the most sense.

I disagree. I think grade-based makes the most sense.

All this age based vs. grade based talk has ruined this thread. It is like listening to the teacher from Charlie Brown. Waaahhh, waaahh, waaahh......

I can't wait to hear the basis for this position...!

I think that it should've grade based plus some kids from the grade above so we can win and because Chan said so!!!!!

SPOT ON! Love the sport but the facts are the facts. These loons are also entertaining.

Your missing the point!! My kids will all be going to college .I don't care if my kids plays lax in college. I want age based for a variety reasons ( fun, developing, safety, fair estimation of the work they put in.,.But scholarships are not one of them. Youth sports all need to have enforced age requirements.

I disagree. I think grade-based makes the most sense.

I can't wait to hear the basis for this position...!

I really want to hear the logic..why would you choose age based for a youth sport?

Your missing the point!! My kids will all be going to college .I don't care if my kids plays lax in college. I want age based for a variety reasons ( fun, developing, safety, fair estimation of the work they put in.,.But scholarships are not one of them. Youth sports all need to have enforced age requirements.

So you’re saying you want your son to play PAL, but not in a town with A team and B team. Great. Stick with that and leave the big boys alone.

It will never happen in travel. Kids are recruited by the year they will be entering college. With the new enforcement of the rules you might be better off. Big difference between 14 and 13 years old.. A little less with 16 to 15. Some people will do anything to try and give their kids an advantage. Just get used to it.

As far as fair estimation of the work they put in, STOP. Some kids are just natural athletes and are better. If they are putting in that much work in 5th grade the natural ones will pass them by in 10th grade.

I really want to hear the logic..why would you choose age based for a youth sport?

Chan has figured it out and has it best! No rules at all, mix age limits and grade based so we can win!!!!!!

So much for his Navy honor code. What a [ChillLaxin]! And don't get me started on the [ChillLaxin] parents. And my son is on this team and plays. It's a disgrace.

Worst part is the "magic" happened after they took our $ and after all of the other tryouts so the [ChillLaxin] trapped us.

Chan has figured it out and has it best! No rules at all, mix age limits and grade based so we can win!!!!!!

So much for his Navy honor code. What a [ChillLaxin]! And don't get me started on the [ChillLaxin] parents. And my son is on this team and plays. It's a disgrace.

Worst part is the "magic" happened after they took our $ and after all of the other tryouts so the [ChillLaxin] trapped us.

So you’re saying you want your son to play PAL, but not in a town with A team and B team. Great. Stick with that and leave the big boys alone.

blaaaaaaaaaa! you did not just say big boys?? This is a 2025 thread. I played a sport in college. And again, do not care if my kids do. But presently these kids are playing a YOUTH sport that requires enforced age requirements. As far as my kid playing just PAL. not quite.... right now I have him playing club with 2024's.

Simply put, because very soon my son will be playing middle school lacrosse, and after that, JV and Varsity. He will not be playing against kids his age... many/most will be older. This will better prepare him for that. Additionally, he is developing an impressive work ethic because he needs to work on his own time to take playing time away from the holdbacks on his team. And lastly, because I’m raising him not to make excuses when things don’t go the way he wants. I’m not concerned with T-shirts. I want him to develop into a hard working, independent adult. Not a whiny little snowflake who protests when he doesn’t have a “safe place” for writings in his journal.

blaaaaaaaaaa! you did not just say big boys?? This is a 2025 thread. I played a sport in college. And again, do not care if my kids do. But presently these kids are playing a YOUTH sport that requires enforced age requirements. As far as my kid playing just PAL. not quite.... right now I have him playing club with 2024's.

Simply put, because very soon my son will be playing middle school lacrosse, and after that, JV and Varsity. He will not be playing against kids his age... many/most will be older. This will better prepare him for that. Additionally, he is developing an impressive work ethic because he needs to work on his own time to take playing time away from the holdbacks on his team. And lastly, because I’m raising him not to make excuses when things don’t go the way he wants. I’m not concerned with T-shirts. I want him to develop into a hard working, independent adult. Not a whiny little snowflake who protests when he doesn’t have a “safe place” for writings in his journal.

This is such a dumb post. Every single other youth sport that uses an aged-based system has procedures in place for kids to play up if that is what the family wants and what the coaches want. Depending on the sport/league/level of play there may be a formal application process, but nonetheless, kids who are capable of playing against older kids, and have parents and coaches who agree that it is appropriate, can play up. Thus, your exceptional 10 year old (this is the 2025 board, so I am assuming your child is 10, especially since you say he will be younger in HS and is competing now against holdbacks) will still be able to challenge and push himself agains older kids if that is what everyone wants. But the large majority of parents want their children playing against kids of similar age and skill level.

The work ethic thing is comical. Are you implying that if he played against kids his same age he would not need to work because he is so good. Again, if this is true, than in an age based system, have him play up. What you are proposing is selfishness taken to an extreme. Essentially you are saying that because your 10 year old can play well against older boys, all other 10 year olds must also play against older boys. Anyone with a brain in their head and the ability to observe youths playing sports knows that the large majority of kids this age will see their performances deteriorate very quickly when thrown in with older kids. Once this happens, they lose interest in the sport, and move on to something else. There is a reason the best lax players in the world can't earn a living without getting a real job - its lack of interest in the sport. Age based youth play opens up the sport to more levels of athletes, who will more likely grow up to be paying consumers of lacrosse than if they didn't play lacrosse.

Also, its beyond stupid to say that 10 year olds need to play against 11 and 12 year olds because when they are 16 they will be playing against 17 and 18 year olds. Every rational human being knows that after the full onset of puberty, there is very little advantage left for the 17 and 18 year old over the 16 year old. Do you let your 10 year old drive your car because he will need to get ready for driving when he is 16?

Lacrosse should do what hockey does. All strictly age based until 16. At 16, the best players (those on a D1 track) can be selected for a junior team, which comprises of players age 16-20. The remainder who still wish to play can stay at age based. Very exceptional 15 year olds can apply for entry to juniors like John Tavares did.

This is such a dumb post. Every single other youth sport that uses an aged-based system has procedures in place for kids to play up if that is what the family wants and what the coaches want. Depending on the sport/league/level of play there may be a formal application process, but nonetheless, kids who are capable of playing against older kids, and have parents and coaches who agree that it is appropriate, can play up. Thus, your exceptional 10 year old (this is the 2025 board, so I am assuming your child is 10, especially since you say he will be younger in HS and is competing now against holdbacks) will still be able to challenge and push himself agains older kids if that is what everyone wants. But the large majority of parents want their children playing against kids of similar age and skill level.

The work ethic thing is comical. Are you implying that if he played against kids his same age he would not need to work because he is so good. Again, if this is true, than in an age based system, have him play up. What you are proposing is selfishness taken to an extreme. Essentially you are saying that because your 10 year old can play well against older boys, all other 10 year olds must also play against older boys. Anyone with a brain in their head and the ability to observe youths playing sports knows that the large majority of kids this age will see their performances deteriorate very quickly when thrown in with older kids. Once this happens, they lose interest in the sport, and move on to something else. There is a reason the best lax players in the world can't earn a living without getting a real job - its lack of interest in the sport. Age based youth play opens up the sport to more levels of athletes, who will more likely grow up to be paying consumers of lacrosse than if they didn't play lacrosse.

Also, its beyond stupid to say that 10 year olds need to play against 11 and 12 year olds because when they are 16 they will be playing against 17 and 18 year olds. Every rational human being knows that after the full onset of puberty, there is very little advantage left for the 17 and 18 year old over the 16 year old. Do you let your 10 year old drive your car because he will need to get ready for driving when he is 16?

Lacrosse should do what hockey does. All strictly age based until 16. At 16, the best players (those on a D1 track) can be selected for a junior team, which comprises of players age 16-20. The remainder who still wish to play can stay at age based. Very exceptional 15 year olds can apply for entry to juniors like John Tavares did.

Thank you!