US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2028 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

I am not really sure HoCo (we're talking about pensioned county employees and their pensioned supervisors, lots of people who don't get paid OT and don't receive performance raises) agonized over the bracket assignment as much as we all would have hoped they would have. They are definitely not in the business of working the phone lines, trying to convince clubs to sign up to fill the best quality brackets for spring season. They have created a strong product (good fields and competent league management) and I imagine they kind of sit back and let the registrations happen.

Bear in mind, from their perspective, the #1 dominant purpose of the league is to deliver revenue to Hoco Parks. From their perspective, the purpose is to fill a bunch of 8-team brackets and run the games. No they don't want kids getting carried out in stretchers or losing by 20 every game. But they put less worry into it than the posts on this thread really indicate.

It would have been a STRONG statement by Cavs to play where they were assigned, as BLC did. But I understand why they didn't.

I don't disagree that people will always find something to complain about, but in age-based sports kids by definition fall within a one-year age range. With grad year sports a holdback can be playing against kids almost two full years younger. If you are really as befuddled as you purport to be about what age means, I hope this helps.

It complies with the rules so is not cheating and I don't see the rules changing so I'm not sure what people get out of complaining about it, but it's also disingenuous to act like it doesn't give the older kids an advantage at least at this age.

4 or 5 players +/- 25%

But a summer birthday isn’t two years. A summer birthday falls within 12-14 months of a kid whose parent sent their son to kindergarten as the youngest. There are no 13 year olds playing 2028. If there were then I’d agree with your point.

How can you not get it....Real simple. holdbacks are getting an advantage other youth players with same exact birthday don't get...

Most here know there child is just as good if not better than these holdbacks at youth level. Only difference is that they are playing on age and the holdbacks are a year older and PLAYING DOWN...which used to be a disgrace, now has apologists like you holdback Dad defending playing down... You holdback apologists sprew the same garbage always, stand up and play against older players, Yet you holdback apologist Dads never play up...Always have little Johnny play down a year.

As usual you holdback Dads miss the point. Other players with exact same Birthday as your holdback dont get your sons advantage , How is that right at Youth sports?? It isnt and everyone knows it that has common sense.

And you say late summer birthday to make it close to others on age. Many holdbacks are not summer birthdays. I know one that was an October Birthday. Starter in youth always. Was anywhere from 11 months to a year and 11 months older while playing club...Yep thats the way youth sports was meant to be played..

My son is a summer birthday and it's ridiculous that you expect people with summer birthdays to play "on age." If they did they would be (by far) the youngest, or basically what you think is unfair to your own kid. I made the right choice 8 years ago and you made the wrong one. It's as simple as that. I think people need to realize that people with kids who have summer birthdays are in a tight spot. Most (if not all) made a choice when their kid was maybe 4 to wait to go to kindergarten. Nobody had any idea that this decision would one day lead a bunch of crybaby adults to call them cheaters.

For what it's worth, I actually take the fact that my son is a few months older into account when assessing his ability. He'd love to play "up" — and has actually played two years up in multiple sports — but also loves his teammates and coaches where he is right now. You can keep trying to tear these kids down, but you're laying blame and pointing fingers at the wrong person.

So, I'm sorry he's good, but you're an stunad if you think it's because he's 5-6 months older than the average player. And if you rushed your kid into kindergarten then you need to live with that choice and stop complaining. There's about a million other reasons what that was a bad choice beyond youth lacrosse.

My son is a summer birthday and stills dominates in his age group get over your self.

Here is your summary in common sense language.. I have a holdback who cant compete in sports on age with the rest of his piers. Since he is not good enough, well I am ok with him playing down and playing against younger players. And Especially since I might be one of the youngest if I played on age. Now only I and other holdbacks are oldest, the rest of players with my birthday can play on age, great way to teach your son.. LOL

Once again you holdback Dads want to confuse the issue and talk out of both sides of your mouth. No one cares that your son failed nursery school or kindergarten and had to be held back. His education was important and you did the right thing. But that doesn't give you some special privilege's to play down in youth sports. Age is what youth sports should be played.

Mine is a June Birthday. .non holdback and starts . Has offers, Not sure what future is as his major will be the reason for college. If I held him back like many of the players on his team, would have dominated at youth. Would have never left the field. High school had to compete for starting position against a College Freshman ( senior holdback) first year, was a Sub, Then started next year as Soph and would have easily beat out Senior first year if he was heldback earlier ( basically a 10th grade Freshman) .

Everyone should be allowed to play down in youth instead of the rules allowing select players( holdbacks) to play down. Once you get to 8th you can decide what to do. Stay back or go on to 9th. But that is not be fair to holdbacks.

Cool. So spell out your solution. What does "age" mean to you?

On age means playing with the grade they should have been with based on birthday. Not so hard!

I'm not the poster above, but it doesn't seem that complicated: You could do calendar year, or if you want to generally group kids by grade then I think MD uses a 12-month period ending every Aug 31st to decide when kids are supposed to start school, so you could just follow that. There are winners and losers however you slice it, but either of those would at least keep everyone within a 12-month range.

I don't get too exercised about this issue, but it is a little strange that parent discretion plays a roll rather than simply having an objective rule tied to age.

World Series of Youth Lacrosse plays based on age (eligibility based on being born after 9/1/year), so it's not that long until we'll get to see how different some of the local teams look in the format.

Totally Agree! Make the rules the same for all. That way not only is it not left up to the parents discretion, it’s not left up to the ability of a kid to be able to afford an extra year in a private school either!

It’s a youth sport. It should be age based.

But then of course mediocre Johnny wouldn’t be able to play 2028 elite and would be regulated to slum it on a 2027 B team.


Lacrosse is one of the most privileged sports - so rich folks will
Alway prefer to have it rigged to showcase their kids.

It won’t change. And it’s largely one of the reasons lacrosse won’t explode in popularity nationally like it could of it was fair.


I know hit the wall while playing soccer.

What is the point about complaining constantly? Youth lacrosse is not going to change because they know you’ll play anyway. So much waisted energy on this topic. It’s ridiculous.

Hawks and crabs will be different teams.

Next Level and Madlax would also be very different teams if held to the WSYL age requirements.

I do understand how pathetic it is if someone is held back in middle school to have an advantage in lacrosse. Those parents need to have their heads examined and their kid will likely amount to nothing in the short- and long-term.

I don't understand all the anger and hopelessness when discussing a summer birthday. So if my kid was born on August 20 he's a lost who was notIntelligent and had to be held back in kindergarten and is only good because he's a holdback? But if he's born 12 days later none of that is true?

Honestly, you guys need help.

I think it’s just that some people get on here and beat their chests about how awesome their kid’s team is and then other people are like dude, pump them breaks, half the kids on that team already have mustaches and learner’s permits, and then it spirals from there.

Of course there is always going to be a line. But 9/1 is generally reasonable for school purposes. If you held your kid back and want him to play w his friends great- I don’t have an issue with that. But the fact is developmentally older kids at this age have a huge advantage. Parents are holding their kids back this year for a youth sport- it’s a joke. This is 1 reason why the World Series is actually a great event- everyone on sane playing field

Serious question: this is not about kids whose parents sent them to Kindergarten late but those who hold back in middle school…. Do colleges ever see that? If the goal here seems to be college lax, doesn’t a college frown upon a kid that “needs” to be held back in middle school?

You may be taking this a bit too personal!? Chill lax… The age topic is always going to cause a stir.

I believe people are talking more about actual holdbacks for Lacrosse / sports , than the earlier/later birthday scenario. 1 to 2 full years age and skills development in Junior High and HS can make a huge difference and give recruiting advantages. It’s the rules about this that are at fault.

If other people are doing it for their kids, and you see those kids getting the recruiting advantages? If you could, would you do it for yours to give them possible more opportunities for college recruitment?

Classic responses on this board. People are absolutely talking about kids "held back" in preschool and kindergarten. There has not been any mention of people holding their kid back this year. If you know someone doing that you should talk to them directly and not lump them into every kid born in the summer. There also isn't anyone on here pounding their chests about how awesome their holdback kid is. People are spouting off, calling kids too notIntelligent, and cheaters. Then there's a response calling those people out and using logic and the response if "whoo chill dude, nobody is doing that."

Give me a break.

The age topic is only causing a stir with insecure parents who are worried their kid won't be recruited and are bitter that some parents understood child development when their son was 3 and they didn't. They should have read those baby books.

Sure, yeah. Definitely neither of those things ever occur.

BOOM! holdback [ChillLaxin] need to start a new thread about changing lacrosse rules if they don't like it. My son is not a holdback and we wouldn't change where we are as he has been playing with these kids since he was 5 or 6 starting in clinics. No, he doesn't dominate, but playing with older kids only makes him better.

Wait, so now coming back on age after playing up makes you pathetic and a cheat too? Are you guys running for Congress because you have a way of twisting every situation to fit your narrative.

Yeah holdback talk is boring. With Kelly in at FCA, is there any age group with a more prominent set of head coaches than 2028 Elite? You’ve got Dave Mitchell for NL and Cabel for Madlax on the sidelines already. Need to get Hogan to personally take over the 2028 Hawks, the Megills to take over BLC, and the King Crab and then we’d have them all.

Don't forget Dan Cocci and Matt Musci coaching the '28 Predators, baby.

Yes, after reading 50 posts from the last two days I was just thinking how this division really needs something to amp up the drama.

Of course it also about people like you who want your child to have an advantage others dont get. Like all you holdback apologists, you try to lump " everyone is upset about my Kindergarten heldback child, How could poor poor me know, what his future was, I just did what is best " ... No one cares that you held your son back or any reason..You are the parent, do what you want. .No One cares..

What you want is to have some advantage over other young children in sports. These same children that have the same exact Birthday like your heldback in kindergarten prefirst player.

So let's be clear, I am as are most people calling you out, not for holding your child back, Frankly I dont even care if parents hold there child back in 8th grade ( its their right as a parent) .... What the problem is that you want to tilt the rules to favor your child over others. Really simple

The best is your earlier lame excuse.. Why do I want my child to be the youngest on age player, Poor guy is born in the summer, I will take advantage of grade based due to him being a prefirst or reclass) , of course you now are the oldest and somehow you think that is fair. LOL.. You come off as some privileged insecure individual to say, my child cant have any disadvantage, I am getting my advantage, who cares if the rest of children are left behind,

Predator's should start off in elite. HOCO probably make them AAA . Heard talent is off the charts.

My favorite are the parents who hold their kid back in middle school for “academic reasons” when their kid is in the same honor roll assembly as my kid. Yeah he’s really struggling.

Can we get Bored Lax Dad to come back from his well deserved summer vacation from posting rankings and rank the 2028 coaches?

How many times in one post can you say you don't care before showing that you obviously care a lot?

You seem unhinged, but are you seriously making an argument that being a parent doesn't include trying to set your son up for success? Do you use this logic to attack people who fill out an application for their kid to go to a charter school, read to them, make sure they eat healthy, limit screen time, take them to the pediatrician, and generally nurture them? Does their success in life really not count because they had advantages? What is a parent to do in your world?

I never said it was fair. It's not fair, just like you being born with a low IQ. I asked what is someone supposed to do, push them into pre-K to ensure they're always the youngest and so you don't get butt hurt in 9 years? Should I tie one arm behind my son's back to make it fairer for your kid? Nobody is tilting the rules. The rules are the rules and we're all living within them. If you don't like it you should do something about it. Venting here isn't getting you anywhere.

It's ridiculous that people like you get so worked up over an arbitrary cutoff date. Let's put it a week after your kid is born and then dump all over you, or would you accept your kid being the youngest to keep fueling your excuses?

This is comical. Predators is a new team that picked up the majority of the kids from HOCO Pink and castoffs from FCA White. How that makes them an Elite team, you tell me. Middle of the road AAA team at best.

It is a new season! Guess we will see! Maybe they are kids who weren’t given a chance on their old teams because of politics and coaches and people like you. Either way, don’t knock them til you beat them.

Predators’ parents embarrassing themselves on ALL the boards on this forum. How about you play a game first?

Welcome to the forum, Predators Dad!