Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
General question re what grouping a team plays in at HOCO. If the coach wants to enter a team in Elite (say BLC....for no specific reason...and not specific for elite per se) does HOCO take them in Elite or is there a discussion at admin level whether or not this is a good idea?

The way it works in HoCo is that each team signs up for a specific division. Assuming that a doable number sign up for a given division, teams play in what they sign up for. If there are imbalances in numbers for the different divisions, odd numbers, etc. then there is a “competition committee” that determines who should go in what division, subject to negotiation with the teams influenced. In practice, the established elite clubs always get into elite if they want to be there. So to take BLC for example — if they preference elite and that’s what they will likely do I think based on the tournaments they played in the fall, they will be in elite. It wouldn’t matter if someone had a better fall or whatever.

Given what happened in this age group last year. I don’t think they will try to force anyone into elite who doesn’t want to be there. So presumably the top 6 will all preference elite. Then BLC will as well. The only two other teams who are likely to preference elite are Kelly Post and/or Blue Claws. If only one of them does, then that will set elite at 8 and there will be no competition committee discussion. If both do, there will probably be a discussion as to whether either wants to drop down to AAA. If they both are adamant they want to stay in elite, the league will see if a nine team division is possible schedule wise and whether the other teams object to it. They’ve done nine team divisions a couple of times in the past so it is possible. But more likely either KP or BC would accept a spot in AAA rather than create an odd team league and the schedule issues that come with it.

So to answer the question because BLC is an established club that usually plays in elite in most age groups and played in elite last year, there is little to no chance they’d be asked to move out regardless of whether you think BC or KP are better. VLC probably won’t want to be in elite, but if they did preference it, then the likely outcome would be a 10 team elite division. Given the relationship of VLC to Crabs, no one would likely raise an objection to their inclusion if they wanted to be there. The big clubs never try to force each other out.

In the next 30 days the HoCo league maestros will have a difficult choice because of the ridiculous # of teams who insist on hanging out at the AAA level (15+). Either create a larger Elite bracket (8-12 teams) or create a B level from the current A teams and slide half of the AAA squads down to AA against their will, and slide all the AA teams down to A against their will.

It's an interesting conundrum.

AAA Teams who may or may not want to go to Elite, but would have to slide up:
BLC
VLC
Claws
KP AAA

AAA Teams that are just standard, good AAA teams that no one would argue
FCA White
Cannons
Forest Hill
HLC
Hawks Black MAYBE, but in danger of following in the next group.

AAA Teams that are kidding themselves and are likely to be slid into AA thanks to HoCo
DCE who was still open recruiting players in December
T91, whose only new players are from HoCo Pink (bottom of AAA) and Swarm (bottom of AA)
HoCo Pink aka Predators, who have yet to win a game against AAA or Elite teams

AA: Most teams except Sidewinders and Team MD should move to A.

A: Most teams except Baltimore Elite? should move to B. Maybe LTLC stays in A.

I think your off base about Cannons. They played in the Chesapeake Fall Classic in October. Went 1-2. Lost 6-3 against Kaos which is a AA/A level club on the Eastern Shore. Beat a bad True Baltimore team 12-0. Lost to True DC (formerly Eastside) 3-2. They could be ready to drop to AA.