US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2024-7th Grade Fall 2018/Summer 2019

Use this thread to discuss the Boys 2024-7th Grade Fall 2018/Summer 2019 Season

Express, TAZ and Wolfpack the best 2024s

See Madlax in Denver?......NOT

Denver is a crap tournament. But feel free to claim it's a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

MadLax beat TAZ and WP enough on the East Coast. Why do they need to do it out west?

Now that tryouts are over, any big changes at T91MD, ML, BLC, and Hawks?

madlax 2023 Team is stacked.

They have a really good team. Players from 2023 and 2024 grad years - they are impressive

13U world championship.

Mad lax had their chance to go, but that was last year, with the ‘23’s. Mad lax actually did go to Denver last year, but not for the WSYL. Went one of the easiest tourneys of the summer. Heard they didn’t even win it. Not one decent team there.

Any kid that chooses to play up has my respect. Doesn't happen much these days.

Im from NY and happen to know several parents and kids in the BLC / Madlax universe. Hate to say this, but every single one of them have said the same thing, the kid is a legit 2024.

There has to be a best player in every age group. Regardless of whether that kid plays up or down, there is a best player for every age.

Thats because the other kids are all catching up. Good lacrosse player . Blends right in now. Does not stand out anymore then the next kid. That’s why Mad-lax is on the decline

Im from NY and happen to know several parents and kids in the BLC / Madlax universe. Hate to say this, but every single one of them have said the same thing, the kid is a legit 2024.

There has to be a best player in every age group. Regardless of whether a kid plays up or down, there is a best player for every age. [/quote]

Nice try Madlax guy, but you didn’t fool anyone with your lame impersonating as a Long Islander. The DC stench gives you away every time!

Size and skill separate a player tremendously when in grades 3-7th but once other players start to get better skills and others mature, the playing field starts to level out more. All players on Mad-lax are good players

If you want to know the top teams, or the top players, just look to see who is criticized the most. Jealousy brings out the worst in people.

But this one dad is a terrible reflection on the rest of the team. Let's keep it classy and quit singling out kids.

his coaches didn't kick him to the curb. U r 2 funny... maybe my sons team will finally beat ml. Cm has 2 kids on the 24 team. he will make sure they r competitive. I heard something about grabbing fogo from crabs. Could be wrong about it.

Nice try Madlax guy, but you didn’t fool anyone with your lame impersonating as a Long Islander. The DC stench gives you away every time!


[/quote]
Didnt say I was from Long Island. Said I was from NY. Its a pretty big state. He's a legit 2024

So how come the mighty Madlax barely beat Looneys 6-4?

It’s a novel concept...called fall ball.

Madlax will be just fine, they'll run the table again. They still have their star attackman and they picked up a new man-child at middie. The kids got to be 6 feet tall and 160lbs. Runs well and really can't be stopped when he's running downhill. Question is why did 91play a bunch of teams this weekend that are barely A caliber teams after shooting off their mouths about only playing the best of the best. Hawks and BLC have to be the favorites for the Spring.

It’s called, they got VERY lucky they didn’t get smoked. Plain and simple. They looked awful. No biggie midi. No Madlax. Have fun in the B tourneys!

Ditto...I was just about to say the same thing about 91. NXT has great tournaments but their Nightfall was a weak line-up. A teams at best, some B level.

Hasn’t ML lost their last four in a row to Md91? Not sure what running the table “agaIn” means. Also not sure how Hawks 2024 is a projected powerhouse. BLC on the other hand is legit and getting better and better. Regardless they are all good teams and we will see in the spring!

Word from this weekend's events is that there are 10 teams competing in the 2024 "Elite" Divison this year, I think it waters down the league. What are the qualifications to compete at this level - that the program wants to so they can say they have an elite team? With FCA, Next Level, Breakers and Rough Riders joining the elite ranks it shows that any team can enter? These teams are solid A team but get smoked when they play the low-level Elite teams like Loonies and Crabs. I would even question Crabs this year as deserving to play in the Elite level. To be in the league you have to be able to hang, compete and beat some of the other top teams - 91, BLC, Hawks, Madlax. And will everyone play everyone else, it's a 7 game schedule so who gets to play all the newbies and pump up their records? The season should be extended to a 10 game season with a playoff for the top 5. Otherwise, these teams will end up succeeding or getting falsely pumped up depending on who they draw.

Right, and the last time the Hawks and 91 MD played it was 10-0(91MD). It will be a great spring, if they dont water down AA with A teams.

Let me translate. Man-child = cheater. Repeating 7th grade. 1-2 years older than the other kids. Instead of developing stick skills, using size as an unfair advantage. Not surprising for an organization like Madlax. Coach has to recruit older kids rather than developing the kids he has.

I actually know the new middie. Not a holdback--parents are tall and were also athletes

Every top team in the DMV has Private school kids correct! Then by rule every top team has older kids on the team! You can not have a large number of private school kids and not have older kids. This is a fact.

Who cares.

I know lots of private school kids that didn't repeat 7th grade. Maybe it is common in Bmore but it is not common in DMV.

wrong...its beyond common in DMV

He is 100% a holdback. Huge kid. Madlax has reloaded with new kids and will be the #1 team nationally. Again.

Madlax added another player Other than that the team really hasn't changed. Owner still doesn't play the best kids at attack (my personal opinion). So Madlax has a lot of the same weaknesses that it had last year.

Madlax will be the team to beat this year. Next year forget it. To many 2023 will be heldback and become 2024's. Everyone enjoy the older holdbacks this year, as next year all top teams will have them. It is the new norm.

Saw his parents at Battle on the Bay. They were pretty big themselves. But I have to say, his muscular development and movement makes it look like he is a year or two older than the other kids. Regardless, that advantage doesn't last. Next year the rest of the kids will catch up.

This is not true the magic you guys keep hoping for, The catching up will not happen. The reclass kid no matter which one will still be a year to two years older this is not how math works people. Your kid might hit his growth spurt but the hold back kid will have the advantage of playing with his size for a full year or two. Your son will just be learning his new 3 inches of height and how to move. They will just all look the same size but this is only if the hold back has stopped growing. But most boys grow for 18 years not 11 or 12. Just ask your self this what does a 19 year old and and 15 year old look like???? Or a 17 and a 19 year old?? The advantage never goes away. You can maybe argue it does in college.

Next year things even out because it will be 8th grade and he'll have to deal with the kids who reclassify.

This will not even things out I have lived this twice. There will just be more big older kids beating on your on age son. If they do not kick your son down to a B level club.

So what you're preaching is, Madlax has the cheating game down better than anyone, and they are the best team at this grade level, as a result. And you obviously take great pride in the organizations prowess at playing this game.

Sir, you and your like-minded friends, who are void of all moral character, are exactly what's wrong with travel lacrosse and the world at large. Dishonesty, cheating, stealing and worse.

Enjoy your short term gains, but from my experience, what goes around comes around. In the end, you and your moral-less brethren, will get what's coming to you.

The new huge kid on Madlax 24 played for DC Dogs 24 last year. Total holdback.

You mean the new kid on Madlax 24 played for DC Dogs 23 last year. Total holdback. The kid wasn't playing up when he was on DC Dogs. Wasn't getting playing time. Couldn't cut it. So he dropped down to run over younger kids.

All this speculation on the size of kids and holdbacks is mind-numbingly notIntelligent and beyond tired. Have you seen VLC 2024? They have a ton of huge kids that could pass for 8th and 9th graders but you don't hear them get called out. Why? Because they are not winning at the Elite level. All this whining is more about taking cheap shots at the best teams than anything else. No one cares except for a couple loud but persistent posters. Some kids get bigger faster and it winds up being unfair to the smaller kids, deal with it.

This is not about speculation or a kid merely being bigger than other kids his own age. It is a fact that the kid repeated 7th grade. The kid is 1 to 2 years older than the other kids playing 2024. There is no reason that he couldn't have continued to play 2023. By dropping down, he gains an unfair advantage and puts other kids at risk of injury. He is a perfect example of what is wrong with club lacrosse and programs like Madlax. Some programs develop kids' skill sets in order to compete. Other programs like Madlax have to cheat.

If I was a parent of an on age kid that is now losing playing time, I would be livid. Check out the roster. 32 kids. Each kid paying $795. Some of these kids are probably playing 4-5 mins. a game. What a ripoff.

And if the kid goes on to play at a good high school and then gets admitted to a better university because of the holdback, then the parents will smile. The colleges drive this, not the clubs.

Let's talk reality. Anyone that is foolish enough to repeat a grade for lacrosse reasons is not an elite player that quality schools are going to be chasing after. By Junior year it will all level out. Kids that didn't have to drop back will still be the class of the field. Unless you are chasing UMBC or High Point, your kid is better off hitting the books than taking a lap. Anyone that thinks otherwise is chasing a pipe dream that some greedy club owner created in order to convince delusional parents to pay $795 a season to play club lacrosse.

Think about it. If a child can’t compete successfully against kids his own age, to the extent that he has to play with kids a year younger than him, he is not a good player. Obviously. The good player is the kid that can compete successfully against kids his age as well as kids a year older. Dah!

But it may help line the pockets of the club that he is playing with. No down side for them.

I’m new to this. Is the cost of 795.00, per season? Is a “season” fall, winter, spring and summer? So the annual cost is 795.00 X 4 = 3200.00?

$795 dues for a season? What club is that? Rec based? Clubs are near $2000.

I actually know the new middie. Not a holdback--parents are tall and were also athletes[/quote]


He is 100% a holdback. Huge kid. Madlax has reloaded with new kids and will be the #1 team nationally. Again.[/quote]

Saw his parents at Battle on the Bay. They were pretty big themselves. But I have to say, his muscular development and movement makes it look like he is a year or two older than the other kids. Regardless, that advantage doesn't last. Next year the rest of the kids will catch up.[/quote]

Would you Inspectors Gadget next analyze the Zunruder film next?

This is just not true check the ages of the AA under armor team the leaked a year or two ago guessing 85% of those kids where 12 to 16 months older then what we in VA would call on age. The elite kids are from private schools overall and those kids are older. Private schools want boys to start at age 6 not 5 or even 4 like public school boys. This is a fact not a secret. Then throw in the ability to afford a extra year of private school in 8th grade they end up on top. Do all reclass kids end up at the top of the class no, but are 80% of the top kids of each class older yes this is a fact has been true for at least 6 years and will not stop anytime soon.

Madlax parent must be bitter reading $795 a season. Most are $1800 to $2100 some closer to 3K if you play box with the club, add a winter clinic, national team, or team camp and any training you are in for 4k a year easy before cost of travel for a family to go see them play.

No club is only $795 a season.

That is the Madlax fall season cost. But you have to add in the $100 monthly charge so it comes to closer to 1100 for this time span. Let see if this can be done put your club name and the cost for everything minus hotel stays for your sons club. This information will make everyone feel good or really make some people really mad so that should be fun for this site.
Madlax
Monthly is $100 a month so $1200
Fall $795 2 or 3 tournaments
Summer $1800 4 tournaments
Spring $1200 I think Spring league HOCO, Playdays
Total = $ 4995
I could be off a little

Madlax is only $750 for spring I was a little off. All the cost are on the website clear for you to read.

I think for MadLax 2024 it is more like:

Fall $795
Winter $745
Spring $750
Summer $1250
Nationals $1000
Academy Dues $1000

The $5,540 doesn't include the clinics and other hidden charges. For older kids it is even more.

No its not a lot higher for older kids.
Winter is Madlax but not Madlax its a stand alone Box travel team North Stars. And box league is like $300
Nationals is a over the top thing that you do not have to do and would cost the same no matter the club.
The funny thing is I do not see the other clubs breaking down the fees and what you get? Can anyone try and answer that? If Madlax is the big rip off the haters claim lets see the other clubs fees and what the fee gets you?

Hawks just under 2k Crabs just over 2k

Yes, it is a lot more for older kids. For starters, summer is $1600. So many hidden charges. Every time you pay there is a processing fee. Then you have to buy the mandatory helmet with the mandatory helmet wrap. The list goes on and on.

I bet Hawks and Crabs don't have 30+ rosters either. To add insult to injury, most of the ML coaches are daddy coaches that are sure to start their own kid.

So every season is a separate payment. Do the boys have to tryout for each separate season, or is that only once per year?

Here’s a new question, related to the extraordinary cost that we all pay. Do you find that clubs raise the price every year, or does it stay pretty much the same, from year to year? My experience is, once the club stinks you in, the price goes up every single year. Not talking small percentages either. Try 20%-25%, give or take, every year. Is this practice status quo?

You like stats. Here are all the stats you need. If your kid isn’t good enough to play with kids his own age, then this sport is not for him, no matter how many times you want to hold him back. He ain’t good! The on-age kids excelling against on-age kids and older, are today and tomorrow’s big time players. Regurgitate all the stats you want, but you may want to just try some common sense!

I am not sure most of these clubs even have what I would call tryouts anymore. They have a few practices in August that they sometimes charge money for. Usually it is a practice with the kids already on the team. After they list the roster they try to add a few more kids in late september who left another club. If you on Madlax you will make a team and find out later which team. They may call them tryouts but they are not what they appear to be.

Look for the speedy on-age kids running circles around the other kids. Lacrosse is all about speed. If your kid can't run a sub-5.0 40, you can give up the D1 dream now. Holding back a kid might give them a temporary size advantage, but it is not going to make them faster.

Stop already with quoting the football stats. You sound like a dad who has never played this game. It is the fastest game on two feet but quickness and lax IQ are not measured with a 40 time. Coaches watch games and know if they can play or not.

You are correct if you are on age and playing well you are in a great spot. But you can not argue with the fact that the top kids going to the top schools are private school kids who are 12 months to 18 months older then a "on age" kid. Its like saying you do not have to be really tall to play in the NBA look at Spud Webb!
So I do not need stats to say a older player is getting D1 roster spots over on age kids more times then not.

In other words, you just realized that you humiliated your kid by putting him back a year in school and wasted a year of his life, all because he’s not a great 7th grade lacrosse player. Way to go Dad! I’m sure he’ll thank you in a few years, when he’s riding the pines, after walking on to that horrible D3 lax team somewhere in the Deep Deep South.

That is not a all the truth if my son is good to really good with on age players and I hold him back a year in one of the three ways it can be done the math proves he is way more likely to get a top D1 roster spot. I did not hold my son back I do not have the money to pull this off. But he is 17 years old now and going to play College lacrosse next year. But I promise you if we had held him back he would be at the top of the D1 list of names. If he is on the bottom of the D1 schools list now " we have a roster spot for him but we are out of Athletic aid." Then its not hard to see if we had held him back one year. He would be getting D1 money? I am still not going to hold my younger son back but I do feel a need to post on here to inform people that the hold back advantage never goes away that kid has a huge advantage. It only goes away maybe 2nd or 3rd year of college.

PG Year seems better than holding back in 7th grade. Compete against older kids and then when you're more mature pick up that extra year to become more appealing to a college coach. Of course any review of the financials and impact this and the holdback approach will clearly show that the only ROI is based on appeasing the ego of the parents. The scholarship money is a pittance while the long term earning power does not justify the means. I have no issue with my son playing against holdbacks. HAve never understood the parents that enjoy playing against younger kids.

As I see it: if your kid is playing HoCo elite, and he is a holdback, he is on-age.
If he is playing HoCo elite, and he is on-age, then he is playing up.
If he is playing HoCo AA, and he is a holdback, then you are a lost.
If he is on-age and you don't like him playing holdbacks, find an AA team and shut your trap.

Take this drama to the Hold back Forum.

Madlax won NAL, beat all the LI teams and not a word here?

Hoco rankings for next season
91
Madlax
Hawks
Looneys
Crabs
BLC
Breakers
NL

91 and Madlax will be the class of the field. Big drop off to everyone else. Madlax has changed a lot since last year. Last year the main scoring threats were 24 and 19. 24 left to play 2023 but Madlax added some obvious holdbacks that are even bigger.

The latest Nissan World Series of Youth Lacrosse/Inside Lacrosse 13U World Rankings were assembled based on input from a broad selection of regional youth lacrosse experts throughout the United States and Canada. All teams included in this ranking meet the WSYL’s age and roster rules, which require that all players must be born after 8/31/2005, live within 100 miles of their team’s home field and regularly play within that program.

All U.S. based teams in this ranking will participate in one of six Regional Qualifiers in the spring of 2019. Top teams from each U.S. Regional Qualifier will advance to the Championship Series in Denver, Colorado on July 1-4, 2019, where they will compete against the best U.S. and international teams for an unforgettable week of lacrosse. The WSYL Championship Game will be played at Broncos Stadium at Mile High and broadcast live on ESPN2 on July 4, 2019.

The Nissan WSYL/IL 13U World Rankings will be updated following completion of the U.S. Regional Qualifiers next Spring and again after the WSYL Championship Game next July. To find out if your team is eligible to be considered for the Nissan WSYL/IL World Ranking and to participate in the upcoming Regional Qualifiers, please visit www.worldseriesofyouthlacrosse.com or email info@wsylax.com to nominate your team.

Watch List

2WAY (Conn.), 3d Colorado, Aces OC (Calif.), API Diamondbacks (Md.), BayHawks (Calif.), Colorado Scorpions, Express North (Conn.), Kings (Colo.), Long Island Outlaws (N.Y.), OneMore Lax (N.J.) Predators (N.Y.), Rhode Island Bulldogs, Stealth (Fla.), SoCal Express (Calif.), Team Israel, Team Orlando (Fla.), True Blue (N.Y.)

Top 20

20. Carolina Miners (N.C.)
19. Baltimore Breakers (Md.)
18. True Minnesota (Minn.)
17. Northern Pacific Lacrosse (Wash./Ore.)
16. Cavalier (Va.)
15. ADVNC (Calif.)
14. Shore 2 Shore (N.Y.)
13. Tri-State (N.J.)
12. Denver Elite (Colo.)
11. Igloo (N.Y.)
10. True Illinois (Ill.)
9. BBL Elite (N.J.)
8. Prime Time (N.Y.)
7. Evolve Elite (Ont.)
6. Eclipse (Conn.)
5. Mad Dog West (Calif.)
4. Brotherly Love (Pa.)
3. LI Express (N.Y.)
2. Team 91 Long Island (N.Y.)
1. Legacy (N.Y.)

TOP 20 13U teams in the world!

Curious... why didn't Madlax and the rest of the 14U teams, playing under the 2024 disguise, enter the WSYL last year?? Oh yeah, they would have gotten crushed, if they ever played on-age. That aint NEVER going to happen! Sorry. Forgot. My bad.

Lets focus on Hoco, not the world series.
Lets say crabs will be great this year.

How many Elite or even AA HOCO teams are ranked on the WSYLnranking?

I see Breakers made it in the top 20. They didnt win a single game last year in HOCO AA Spring.

They are a 13U 2024 team. Give them credit for playing up, with the 14U 2024 teams in the HOCO AA.

Let's be real, these rankings are a marketing hammerhead. The only real rankings that matter for this tournament are after the tourney has been played. I stress they only matter for this tournament as the tournament format doesn't lend itself to how the clubs are put together....anywhere.....not one of the teams in that tournament is a team that plays as a primary club year round.

Cheaters. lost coach. Classless group....parents for the most part included. Gloating watching a 14+ year old running rampant on a bunch of 12 year olds. Comical. Not even a high school hero....a middle school hero!!!!

Wrong. My LI team has three kids that don't qualify due to age. They are not part of qualifying or playing obviously. Too bad as two are summer birthdays and just miss out. And yes, we are part of that top 3.

there should be no rankings at all. Its 7th grade lacrosse . Rankings matter in High school. That's it, and all the rankings matter to the schools and clubs..

Absolutely the ALL-TIMEall dumbest post on this site. Ever! Everyone of those clubs are nationally known, primary clubs that have been playing together for five or more years. Stay off the site, imbecile!

Why would rankings only matter in HS and not in MS? That makes no sense. Obviously that comment comes from a parent with a kid that’s not ranked. Rankings definitely matter to the great majority of people. Players like to know how they stack up against the competition. It’s a source of motivation. High achievers like benchmarks as a validation that the time and effort they are putting in to reach their goals, is working. It’s a recognition/reward for high achievement. Rankings definitely matter. That’s why they are done. If nobody cared, there would be no rankings. The people that aren’t in the rankings won’t like them, but I guarantee that these are the people that look at them the most.

In other words, your kids team didn’t make the Ranking. Thanks for clarifying. Better luck next time!

hoco rankings
91
Madlax
looneys
hawks
crabs
blc
next level
breakers

Obviously you are an Express dad. You may want to call for a recount though. Quite sure the number is more than three.

The kids on Madlax aren't shy about owning up to it either. They appear to be proud of the fact that their entire team is holdbacks. How many more did Madlax get this year??

My sons top HOCO team should have 3 players who would miss the cutoff. Sure they’d be competitive with the other teams as they are all year if they went a few boys down, and would certainly demolish most of the teams outside the top 3. Just choose not to go and spend an xtra 50% of our dues to go. I’m sure its an awesome experience for the kids. Who cares who goes or not?

OK, Looney's dad don't get carried away. You all have never been better than BLC or the Hawks.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked, the organizations pick the tournaments, not the parents. In fact, there is no consultation with the parents at all, is there. In fact, it doesn't matter if parents want to go or not, now does it.

So you really don't "choose" not to go, right?

Truth is, you have more hold backs than you know, as they don't normally wear their birth certificate on their sleeve. If your team had any shot at all of being competitive, without all of your hold backs, your organization would have you in that thing in a heart beat, based solely on the exposure/business opportunity that it represents for the club. They don't care what it costs you. It is completely inconsequential to them.

Remember, I don't care what club your kid is on, every club, like every business is in business to make a profit. Winning that tourney or even just getting to the championship game makes for a very fat bottom line for the club, for years to come.

Make no mistake, "you" and the rest of the parents have no control whether your team goes or not. So, let's just start that post over again, shall we??

SEVEN new ones, this year, is the number.

What does everyone think of crabs 2024. Heard they are improving immensely. Lost tight games over the summer(lost in ot to blc tied express schawljie). They also recently lost by 1 to Brotherly love. They could be a surprise team this year.

It's a shame that the real on-age MD 2024's, aren't able to experience the WSYL. Actually, it goes way beyond the WSYL. What do these kids do? The ones that are too old to be '25 holdbacks and too young to be '23 hold backs. So, they can't be holdbacks. They are at a severe disadvantage, solely because of their birthday, in a crooked industry that exploits every loop hole for the all-might buck.

Agree 100% !! Its ridiculous that we cant rank 12 and 13 years olds! Only ones not wanting ranking are the parents without players on TOP TEAMS ! Have you player hit the wall ! Get on a Top Team !

Frankly, I would like to see ranking all the way down to First Grade. We need a metric to judge our boys and Clubs.

middle school lacrosse is a joke. Come on!! You may be the only ne that thinks it’s competitive. Rankings are for the the clubs to draw kids. Simple as that .

[/quote]

Wrong. My LI team has three kids that don't qualify due to age. They are not part of qualifying or playing obviously. Too bad as two are summer birthdays and just miss out. And yes, we are part of that top 3.[/quote]

So you aren't adding anyone to replace them? I do believe a LI team is more likely to be a pure regular season team because of your later Kindergarten and the skill level, but they are definitely in the minority. I know the LI Express team last year had a couple of borrowed players, I don't think 91 did, not sure about S2S.

As someone who has gone, it's risky to go without the max 25 (23 field and 2 goalies) into a qualifier because if someone gets hurt or has financial issues or any number of other problems it could create a hole for you and if they didn't play in the qualifier, they can't play in Denver....

Absolutely the ALL-TIMEall dumbest post on this site. Ever! Everyone of those clubs are nationally known, primary clubs that have been playing together for five or more years. Stay off the site, imbecile! [/quote]

Clearly you need this spelled out.

1) How many of these nationally known clubs have kids that don't meet the age requirement. Probably 90%
2) How many kids per team do you think don't make the age requirement. Probably 3-5
3) How many kids/team don't go because parents don't want to spend $3K-$5K on a lacrosse tournament?

Clubs will get stud players at key positions from teams that aren't participating. Tri-state runs a separate tryout for their WSYL team, many of the teams from the west are teams consisting of 1 or 2 strong programs. Team Israel is a bunch of kids from all over the U.S. and Israel that will have never played together before Denver.

Trust me if you don't have an elite FO guy and very good goalie you won't fair well.....a smart club would borrow one if they don't have one.

My original point was, these rankings only matter for this tournament and really only matter after the tournament has been played. Its a fun marketing thing for the kids/teams participating to get excited for...nothing else.

Now I'd appreciate an apology, you have hurt my feelings and I am a snowflake.

Clearly you need this spelled out.

1) How many of these nationally known clubs have kids that don't meet the age requirement. Probably 90%
2) How many kids per team do you think don't make the age requirement. Probably 3-5
3) How many kids/team don't go because parents don't want to spend $3K-$5K on a lacrosse tournament?

Clubs will get stud players at key positions from teams that aren't participating. Tri-state runs a separate tryout for their WSYL team, many of the teams from the west are teams consisting of 1 or 2 strong programs. Team Israel is a bunch of kids from all over the U.S. and Israel that will have never played together before Denver.

Trust me if you don't have an elite FO guy and very good goalie you won't fair well.....a smart club would borrow one if they don't have one.

My original point was, these rankings only matter for this tournament and really only matter after the tournament has been played. Its a fun marketing thing for the kids/teams participating to get excited for...nothing else.

Now I'd appreciate an apology, you have hurt my feelings and I am a snowflake.
[/quote]


I think what you are NOW trying to say (now that you have softened your stance, somewhat), in a very roundabout way, is all teams have guest players. Based on the rules of the tournament, that is supposedly not possible. I haven't experienced the tourney so I don't know how that is enforced, by the tourney committee. However, there are many inherent built in safe guards that prevent that from happening.

Many of these clubs know each other EXTREMELY well, especially the better teams. If there are guest players, everyone (coaches and parents) are going to know. Winning the championship is an extremely big prize for the club. Do you not think any coach/club would not blow the whistle immediately upon finding out about such a practice??? The penalty would be disqualification of the club. Is a club going to take that chance?? Can you imagine having all of your parents fly to Denver and then your club is disqualified because of shady behavior?? Such an outcome could easily destroy a team and possibly an entire organization.

Or, a disgruntled parent, due to their child being replaced by one of these guest players, spouts off and that eventually gets back to the committee? That could easily happen.

As a club, you have to consider these very real possibilities. Is the risk worth the reward? Is the risk too great?? Answer: It most definitely is!

And, not all teams have guest players. I'm not familiar with all of the clubs, obviously, but I'm very familiar with the Bandits team and they didn't have any guest players last year, and they won the whole thing.

And your 3-5 holdbacks isn't accurate either. This is obviously a mid-atlantic mind-set, where most of the better 2024 teams are 70%+ holdbacks. Express has three, so you are close there. But, Taz has one. WP has none. I'm sure there are others, just none from the mid-atlantic, obviously.

So your statement... "not one of the teams in that tournament is a team that plays as a primary club year round" is 100% false! Every team that I am aware of, and that is quite a few, "is a team that plays as a primary club year round."