GREAT NECK NORTH BLAZERS
Coach: Kristen Cornicello
Key players
Emily Nitzberg, M, Sr.
Taylor Nelson, M, Sr.
Gabrielle Berger, M, So.
Sabrina Damaghi, A, Sr.
Haley Nelson, D, Sr.
Outlook: Return most of their starters and have promising additions in sophomore goalie Kyra Charton and eighth-grade attack Ariella Lerner.
Congratulations to this eighth grader - tremendous achievement. My question is - How are some schools allowed to make a policy that 8th graders can not play varsity while other schools allow it - like this school? If the state allows it, shouldn't the school be required to comply? Our school does not allow it to happen.
It should be left up to each school to decide the policy, based on their lax history, and circumstances. In most cases, there's no need to bring an 8th grader to varsity. There are situations, like the districts with really low numbers, or MAYBE the extreme case where the player is just way over the top. I don't see anything wrong with 7th and 8th graders playing JV, or even middle school lacrosse, before making the jump to varsity. Everyone's in such a huge rush to get to varsity, when most of the time, it's probably unnecessary, and possibly even detrimental to the team, and individual players.
