Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
NY-based 2029 Igloo parent here. You guys are so fortunate that you have a great league to play in (I think you call in the HOCO league). Great competition! The NY teams don't have anything like that, to my knowledge. They only see each other at tournaments. I hope we can eventually do something like that up here. Looking forward to a fun weekend at the NAL. Good luck!

Careful what you ask for. Hoco has killed our rec programs which will eventually kill public high school programs. In maryland dc and Virginia, it’s turning into a “private school” only mentality. So instead of growing the game, we are narrowing the game to be what the stereotype says it is. And elitist sport.

Also, the parents in the hoco league are schmucks….appreciate what you have.

Tell me you've never been to a tourney with LI parents, without telling me you've never been to a tourney with LI parents.

HoCo didn't kill anything......but I will say that its value is massively overblown. When your son is playing in 9th grade, no one will ask whether he was "elite" or "AAA" in 8th grade HoCo.........let alone whether he was "elite" in 3rd grade HoCo. The rec advocates can start by looking in the mirror: starting in 1st grade the rec clubs start pulling out rec kids for "all star games" and "rec travel" which instantly transforms to "rec club." I have an older kid who started at a high flying rec club and this was our timeline.....tell me if this makes any kind of sense to you....still blame HoCo?

Kindergarten - played soft sticks / rec in-house

1st grade - played rec in-house / wasn't picked for all star, or invitational summer training, or fall box team (kid got a little sour over it). He had "medium" talent but just didn't get picked, oh well.

2nd grade - the "all star" rec kids were all put on one rec team together, meaning thin talent on all other rec teams. My kid was on another team, full of kids who didn't want to play, and absolutely hated it. Asked to quit lax despite being a starter and playing entirety of most games. Kids spitting on each other, sword fighting, etc. "All star rec team" wins the in-house league. Coach quit halfway through the season. Most kids on the team quit lax permanently.

3rd grade - "all star rec kids" became "rec club kids" overnight, and were not required to play in-house rec anymore. My son tried out for, and made a different AA team.

4th grade - that in-house rec system continues to crater. My kid goes AAA.

5th grade - no more in-house rec, as most kids have either quit or moved to club. My kid at AAA

6th grade - my kid at Elite

7th grade - same team, my kid's team drops back to AAA

8th grade - AAA

9th grade - AAA, JV at school.

So out of 80-100 2025s, this rec association managed to keep about 20 kids in their own rec club, train another 20-30 kids to play club ball elsewhere, and 40-50 kids just gave up the sport entirely by 5th grade. Is this HoCo's fault?