It's the start of the Fall 2016/Spring 2017 season. Use this thread for your posts regarding this age group

Igloo - Barone, Cromwell, Waxer
91 - Byrnes, Paccione
Express- O'Reilly
East Islip Eels - Rao, Zarcone

Please add to list as appropriate.

All teams that do not play in MD - why show this in the MD Main forum?

This thread started yesterday... Is it specific to Maryland? Says 2026 Boys for 2016/2017 season....

It is in the Md threads.

Club lacrosse for rising 3rd graders? Is this to soon? Why the push so early? Are people in MD seeing a lot of rising 3rd graders coming out for 2026 teams? I find it hard to believe that parents are ready to commit to almost a year of club lax and thousands of dollars to a kid that has not even played Tyker A ball yet.....

Didn't see that... new to this. Please delete original post with coach's info.

Hoco preliminary groupings
2026 A
Team 91
Bethesda
Madlax
Hawks
Arden Diamondbacks
Next Level
Breakers
Looney's

2026 B
Bethesda
Zingos
Coppermine
Peninsula
HoCo
Sidewinders
Towsontowne

Nailed it.... Way too soon...Play Rec and finish final Tyker season.... Maybe play on a team this summer that does not require thousands of dollars in commitment... A few tournaments and a few practices... Tryout in the fall 2017 for a club and still play 1 year or so of Rec lighting lacrosse... Things amp up in the 4th and 5th grades.... Useless that some of these clubs listed hear our stealing thousands from naive parents..

Igloo 2026 should be in the A bracket based on last year and fall play...

Igloos playing in the hoco league? I know those LI club leagues are crap and LI guys love to drive, but this is really hardcore.

I heard Philly has a decent club league this year as well.

Misread the header... thought some crazy put out a 2026 ranking.... Saw Team 91. Realized that was MD. Disregard....

These are 3rd graders. GET A LIFE.

Said the person not from Long Island.

Of course that person is not from LI. This is a MD forum, weirdo.

Never to soon to get your child ready. 3rd grade is actually a year or two too late in my opinion. First grade would be more appropriate to start. Coincide with his first full year in school. I wouldnt recommend more than two practices a week at this age. More touches at this age they get the better they will be in future.

The reason that people are putting their kids into travel lax early are so they can get them on a top team. Only the top teams really offer options in 1st and 2nd grade. Then as long as you can catch and throw you will keep your spot. Once everyone catches up by 4th grade, you've got your sons spot secured because someone needs to be substantially better to bump him from the spot he's held for 2+ years. That's the only reason and anyone who tells you differently is full of crap.

You're kidding yourself if you think a kid has to be substantially better to take your kid's spot. They only have to be marginally better.

This my 4th time through it. I'm telling you the absolute truth. A kid has to be substantially better to take someone's spot, not marginally. My older son was a beneficiary of the process. There were definitely better kids at tryouts, but coach knew what he had in my guy. Knew his strengths and weaknesses, knew my wife and I aren't crazy lunatics, and knew that my son already had his offense down. He told me flat out that he stayed on the team for that reason. I didn't start him in 1st grade though. He's a junior in HS now. When he started travel is wasn't nearly as competitive as it is now. I started my next 3 in 3rd, 3rd and 2nd grade.

Club is great if you can afford it no matter the age. The only things that matters at tryouts however are zip code and where your daddy played. All the kids I saw at tryouts this year were fundamentally sound and very motivated.

Thought about this post the other day. I'm new to club lacrosse as this is my 3rd graders first year playing it. After watching a few games, however, I think it is entirely appropriate. The kids on his team don't belong in a rec league - they are simply too good. It would be unfair to the rec kids new to the sport to be playing with them.

Club lacrosse at 3rd grade isn't about finding the right prep school for your kid or pushing them towards a college scholarship. It's simply finding a level of competition that is fun and appropriate for everyone.

HAHA... Welcome to Maryland lacrosse...Join the many other people on this site that think they and their children are too good for something...Hilarious. You are a complete idiot

Completely agree.

Totally disagree. Some kids are still trying to scoop and throw on the run in 3rd grade while others are doing it proficiently and more. Those kids with the basic skills under their belts well before the other kids, should move up a level in Rec to play with the big kids or play club. Nothing wrong with that.

Staying at the lower level or non-club just teaches the kids to throw lollipops and pick up other bad habits.

If your 8 or 9 year old is on a lacrosse field in July, you made a wrong turn. Cherish the off season now, as you won't have any free time if they are any decent in middle school.

My old man advise is to just put pressure on the club to only play local tournaments at 8 and 9. They love to play at this age and the time at the field is not the bad part. Its just when your club is playing 2 or 3 tournaments with 2 night hotel stays is where it gets bad. But if you can drive 40 mins play 3 games and come home its not a bad thing for a 8 or 9 year old.

2nd graders? You guys are pathetic.

Please don't run your 2nd or 3rd grader around a lacrosse field beet red in the upper July 90's! Go to the pool, go fishing, boogie boarding! Meaningful club lacrosse starts in middle school. If they have that much interest, sign up for a short lax summer camp, where at least they are learning fundamentals from an experienced staff in a different setting. A half dozen organized games over Summer won't help improve skills for 8 and 9 year olds.

Not sure why many think it is too much to play club and multiple summer tournaments at this grade. If you are not on a decent club team at this grade forget about it later. If you are not doing two practices a week during season ( Spring and summer) along with some fall ball and box training in winter...well you might as well take up baseball. The players that do this along with being older are the superstars of tomorrow, the rest go to the back of the line.

It is a new day in Club lacrosse. For you all living in past, you and your child will stay there. Get with the times.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry about that comment.

The kids at this grade should be doing 30-40 minutes of film work before bed. If you don't want your kid to be a complete failure and loser, start the film work early, really this grade is almost too late to start.

You are delusional if you think you can coach a third grader into being an elite athlete at any sport. Some kids are born to compete, and will enjoy it and excell no matter the out of season training or extra camps. These teams will take your money as long as you have it. Young athletes have to play multiple sports and enjoy their social life without parents hanging over their shoulders. Attitudes like yours are the reason kids quit and become losers hanging out under a bridge, they will be the superstars of bong hits.

If you kid isn't already lifting 4-5 days per week, you probably should just give up on sports and send them to space camp, hopefully they will at least become an astronaut. Although, if you haven't started math and science tutoring yet, might not catch up. You might just want to have some more kids and do better next time. Thank god for this poster, it may have gone on until it was too late.

Third graders can barely wipe their own [lacrosse]. Stop pushing them to be something you wish you had been. Let them go play on the playground.

Wait, do the kids retain the 2nd grade box lacrosse training better right after nap, or wait until after snack?

My oldest is 2021, my youngest is in this age group, we tried to keep him out of Club for at least another year but the reality is the rec program coaching has dropped off significantly due to the impact of Club. In my son's case he sees what his older bothers do and wanted to be doing the same. Still plays three sports and is not focused on a single sport. The good club coach's in this age group, and frankly the good ones all though middle school do and should encourage multi sport athletes.

The 2026 Age group in Hoco has actually been fun to watch so far, it's easy to forget they are 3rd graders.

My third grader could wipe his [lacrosse] and catch and throw. He definitly enjoyed the playground more than practice though. I guess he should give up now

I was respecting this post until it became blatantly obvious you are a HoCo dad, the epitome of daddy ball politics.

All decent points. You are still talking about Spring, so I think most aren't criticizing in-season lax, whether you call it club or rec. I think the push back is that running 3rd graders around in July/August, 95-100 degrees, just to get more organized games in, doesn't seem necessary or beneficial. As sometimes it is easy to forget they are 3rd graders, because lacrosse is what some adult loves watching, for some, when living vicariously through such young athletes, it is also easy to forget those same 8/9 year olds can barely eat, wash, and take a dump without some kind of coercion or assistance.

All very valid points that should be taken by any serious 2026 player in today's lacrosse environment. May I also suggest a sports physiologist to confer with once a month to make sure the motivation is there. That along with a nutritionist to make sure he is eating right!

This entire reply right here should be on refrigerator door of all lacrosse players pre 5th grade. Your child should be taken from you if he showed any interest in lacrosse prior to that and you didnt follow these simple requirements for him to be an elite player

It seems to be a 3 team race so far. Bethesda, Diamondbacks and Hawks.

Not sure what you are referring to, the comment about rhe2026 Age group was a comment about he 2026A division in the HoCo League. I haven't seen the HoCo 2026 team play so I can't comment on that program.

Week 4 Standings:
Bethesda 4-0
Diamondbacks 3-1
Madlax 3-1
Hawks 2-2
Looney's 2-2
Team 91 1-3
Next Level 1-3
Breakers 0-4

Anyone know how the playoffs work? Only the top 4 teams? If so, it looks like Bethesda is #1 with Madlax, Hawks, Looneys seeded 2-4. (In some order based on a criteria that I don't want to try to figure out.)

Is this a two game playoff? All games on Sunday?

Seeding is done, 1 Bethesda, 2 Hawks, 3 Looney's, 4 MadLax. Semi Finals at Noon Sunday, Championship at 3PM Sunday.

Hawks is an interesting team. Only team to beat all others in the playoffs, but had a bad loss against Next Level.

Bad loss? They are 8 or 9, some are still working on getting their shoes tied tightly, There are no bad losses.

You are the problem with youth lacrosse. Might want to read below and take it a little more seriously like most of us parents who live our youth thru our children !


Not sure why many think it is too much to play club and multiple summer tournaments at this grade. If you are not on a decent club team at this grade forget about it later. If you are not doing two practices a week during season ( Spring and summer) along with some fall ball and box training in winter...well you might as well take up baseball. The players that do this along with being older are the superstars of tomorrow, the rest go to the back of the line.

It is a new day in Club lacrosse. For you all living in past, you and your child will stay there. Get with the times.


The kids at this grade should be doing 30-40 minutes of film work before bed. If you don't want your kid to be a complete failure and loser, start the film work early, really this grade is almost too late to start.


If you kid isn't already lifting 4-5 days per week, you probably should just give up on sports and send them to space camp, hopefully they will at least become an astronaut. Although, if you haven't started math and science tutoring yet, might not catch up. You might just want to have some more kids and do better next time. Thank god for this poster, it may have gone on until it was too late.


All very valid points that should be taken by any serious 2026 player in today's lacrosse environment. May I also suggest a sports physiologist to confer with once a month to make sure the motivation is there. That along with a nutritionist to make sure he is eating right!

Bethesda over Hawks in championship 3-1. Barn burner.

Great game...both goalies played out of their minds. Was expecting low scoring but not a goalie dual.

Hawks 3 BLC 2 in Beach Lax Championship Game this weekend. Teams have played 4 times since March, no team has scored more then 4 on the other in those 4 games. Series is split 2 games a piece and they may play twice at Summer Exposure this weekend.

I see that the Crabs intend on fielding a 2026 team, who else should field a competitive team?

Most clubs will have tryouts this fall for 2026.

Hawks 2026 beat Bethesda 5-4 in Summer Exposure Championship today. Bethesda won the Saturday game during pool play. Teams played 6 times this Spring and Summer. No game decided by more then 2 goals and today's 5 goals was the most any team has scored. Nice rivalry developing.

Two pretty evenly matched teams. Fun to watch.

FCA is starting a 2026 program this year I see; I was wondering what was taking them so long to tap into this age group.

These clubs really need to keep costs down at this age....getting ridiculous

Don't know - but half of the team will probably be 2025s and 2024s

Fca had 2025 this yr, 2024 the year before. So starting team in 4th grade is their MO. As for cost of teams at this age the costs for fields leagues and tournaments is the same as if they were in 7th or 8th. There's a good argument to be made that full time club shouldn't even exist until middle school.

At the madlax tourney - Cannons parents were screaming for a stick check against one of Madlax players. Cannons coach then asked ref to check stick late in a tight game. Ref found nothing and seems silly move move with such young laxers. Madlax beat Cannons. All the games were close and a 2025 Team Carolina team beat Madlax 2026 twice to win it all.