Saw National LC play against my son's team at Naptown. They were everything I had heard they were. Just a machine. Lot of big kids out there, but I didn't see any baby giraffes running around out there. If those boys are true 2029's, then good on them. Lots of good lacrosse to be played in the future. If they're not, shame on their parents and coaches for playing them down. Either way excited for the new age rules. If the older kids are truly great, they should have no trouble making a 2028 squad. At the very least they got their last hurrah this summer playing against younger kids.
As an aside, my son's regular club team's goalie has been reclassed twice. For three years most of us believed he was this athletic prodigy. Come to find out, he's not eligible to play with us next year. As a 2029, he's an excellent goalie, if he's a true 2028 or 2027, not that impressive. Takes the reps away from a kid who could benefit from developing with kids his age. Youth lacrosse could benefit from taking a page out of youth soccer's play book. Don't get me wrong, youth soccer has its issues, but age verification and rostering/guest player rules are light years ahead of youth lacrosse.
Anyone know how many kids the Hawks/Madlax/NL will lose to the 2028 teams due to age?
Based on conversations I have had, neither hawks or madlax have any who fall into this category. And while some believe strongly that next level has at least one, I do not think that will be the case either.
FCA allegedly has one or two. True has one maybe two.
But until someone proves they are gonna enforce these rules no one should care.
FCA has four that are openly known. Based on the substantial # of holdbacks on both 2028 ML and Hawks from multiple states, I can't imagine their 2029 teams have NONE/ZERO. But maybe that's true. We all know the "holdbacks are no big deal" parents don't openly admit that they held back their sons for lax....until their son makes varsity.
What I'm interested in seeing is how this shakes up the CT/RI/MA clubs (notably S2S, 4 Leaf and Laxachusetts2) whose kids play down without even re-classing in middle school, on the pretext that they WILL reclass in the future at some point. That scenario ranks up there with double holdbacks as "reasons that age based lax finally showed up."
