Summer birthdays are categorized as July and August, older than that means the kid was put into school late which many parents do for athletic reasons, it's the same as re-cladding. Now let's be objective, BL gets a ton of bad press on here so why is that? You will say it's because everyone is jealous because they win. There's a massive hole in that argument and here it is, Freedom 2022 is easily as dominant at their level yet you see nothing disparaging about them on here. Freedom 2021 just went 3-0 at the play day beating all the local teams except for Mesa and HHH yet there's nothing bad about them on here. Mesa 2021 had an unbelievable summer beating every top team but 91 and there's not much bad on here about them. So why is there so much bad press on BL?? It's not jealousy, it's something else. Where there's smoke there's fire!
I know the BL team well. To be clear like many boys in any school system there are boys with summer birthdays that play for the BL 2023 team. Meaning there birthdays are in April, May, June, July, and August. So they miss the US Lacrosse cutoff of by September 1st by up to 6 months. This is a pretty common occurence in grade school. Since boys are notoriously immature at a young age starting your kid as an older kindgergarten student is actually encouraged. No academic institiution recognizes September 1st anyway solely and arbitratrely made up by US Lacrosse there isn't even another sport that uses that date consistently.
However "Reclassified" is a TOTALLY Different scenario. Occuring the most in private schools and in the lacrosse world most commonly used in Maryland in the MIAA. This is when a student REPEATS a grade with the sole intent of gaining advantage on the lacrosse field.
I can assure you that there is not a SINGLE player on the BL 2023 team that repeated a grade. FACT.
The reality is that the team is extremely athletic and fast to the point that the way they swarm to the ball it looks like they are playing with extra players. However, they are pitiful in settled offensive situations. They have literally had five practices with their new coach and there is NO playbook. The man up play was put in 15 minutes before the Freedom tournament with half the man up team in their cars on the way to the field.
Face it they aren't monsters, they aren't cheating, the club isn't evil...they are just a very talented group of good kids from good families and nothing more. Does it bother Freedom parents that 5 boys from Lionville play for this team ...I am guessing so. Stop villifying them and maybe just be happy that Philly lacrosse can only benefit from teams like this participating at the national level.
