Please this thread to discuss lacrosse in the Mid-Atlantic region for Boys 2026 grads. The original thread is experiencing a bug that we are trying to resolve, so until then, use this new thread. Thank you.

Finally back up & running! What did we all miss ?

What happened to all the talk about AYLC and VLC belonging in the Elite Division. They didn’t even win the AAA division. At least AYLC made the championship. Congrats to next level for proving it is the best team in the lower divisions. Will next level compete in tournaments this summer with the Elite teams?

Thoughts on the NLF Super Series coming up in about 3 weeks? Looks like a great group of teams in the 2026 division. Should be very competitive with a lot of high level youth lax.

Annapolis Hawks (MD)
Bethesda LC Blue (MD)
Big 4 HHH (PA)
Express North Lemma (CT/NY)
Laxachusetts Black (MA)
LI Express Haugen (NY/LI)
Prime Time (CT/NY)
Team 91 LI Orange Storm (NY/LI)
Tigers XXVI (MD)

Hawks
Laxachussetts
91
HHH

91 wins it all

BLC was getting warmed up against the big boys like Saltwater, NXT Philly and True MD last weekend. They should be good to go.

Hawks wins the HOCO Championship. They are fun to watch

Indeed, they are talented and fun to watch. We dropped two to them this year.

Originally, it looked like the Hawks, Lasachusetts and BLC were in the same bracket. That would have been tough. Now Tigers XXVI has moved over in place of Laxachusetts. I don't know anything about them. Does anyone else?

Tigers XXVI are out of Princeton, NJ coached by former Princeton players.

Is it common practice for elite teams to play down during summer season?

What Elite team is playing down?

Saltwater is a rec team, True just started practicing and Ive never seen a good NXT team since my 2010

Well, what does one do when the coaches stand there with their arms folded and the teams is struggling? The difference is Elite and AAA

Next Level has AYLC/PLC's number. Plain and simple. Coached very well to stop what they do and coached even better to beat the defense. AYLC's goalie played like garbage to make matters even worse.

Well....Saltwater beat FCA which competed fine in the Elite bracket. True MD had kids from Looney's, AYLC and others on it. They were not a bad team at all. (Will agree that NXT was pretty bad.)

More than anything, my understanding is that BLC was looking for a local tournament that didn't require travel or overnight stays. With NLF the following week, no one wanted to pay for hotels two weeks in a row. The competition wasn't bad and this was an economical decision. Shore wars would have been fun but there is only so much money to spend on 11-year-olds playing lacrosse.

My friends kid from PA plays on Tigers XXVi. Saw them play against my sons 2026 NJ team last weekend & they crushed us. He says they are a 2026 Philly suburbs team not Maryland or NJ. Lots of big name ex-princeton, duke, maryland coaches. Watched them beat 2 good NJ teams easily & my buddy says they beat teams like fca ne, bbl, legacy, madlax & said they tied express and o/t with hawks, but i dont see that in tourney machine so who knows, never heard of them until this weekend.

I hear there is a Missile coming back to the 2026 Division

Of course, teams that played Elite and lost will play down and win so the parents get the warm fuzzy feeling to shell out another 2k on club lacrosse. The same will go for AAA and AA and so on

Tigers XXVI are a very good and well coached team. I think no one has heard of them because I don’t believe they have teams in any other age group.

I'm lost.....

I assume that means the Hawks goalie from last year is coming back. He is quite a good goalie and a pretty nice kid.

Question is he playing for the Hawks or another club?

Dumb question maybe, but why would you call a goalie a missile?

Tigers are a good team, they have one 12 year old that's very good plus a good lefty.

12 in 5th grade? that seems like the definition of a holdback.

sounds like an LI dad readying their array of excuses.

Wouldn't mind seeing another Laxachusetts vs Hawks final again. The championship game at Young Guns last year was about as well played and exciting a youth lax game as you will find (at 4th grade!). Both teams deserved to win and in the end, there were no real "losers". Great sportsmanship shown afterwards. It would be a tough one to top. - LXC dad

I am so confused how its so difficult to understand why " LI dads " would want there kids to compete on a fair playing field , almost every other sport does it ...LI teams should be commended for allowing there teams to in essence play up against older kids ... competition from all over the country ....YEAH YEAH they are all fifth graders blah blah ,,age ..my wife even said why is this allowed ?? i said its not in world series ..so come down or up and let the kids compete , have fun,,until the sport is fixed we can continue to debate a baseless discussion , BIRTH YEAR REGISTRATION ,,hockey , soccer ..even my basketball league does it ..

Is it only LI/NY that has the younger cut offs for each school year?

August tryout will be interesting this year. You already have unhappy kids who have quit or left, you have parents and lots of sidelines complaining and complaining. Youth sports is out of control

save that for when the kids get held back and repeat a grade in middle school. if the 3 month age difference matters to your kid or any kid, move on to baseball or tennis. on another note, it is not usually the kids you are worried about who repeat, it usually are the borderline players and they continue to be borderline at that level.

Says a parent whose child left a team? Was the child unhappy or the parents?

I don’t know why a child would quit a team in the middle/end of a year- or really for the parent allow for that to happen.... life isn’t all peaches and fairy tales- you aren’t going to always be a star, teach your child to stick it out through the hard times. Land your helicopter and let them learn to fly on their own... they are 11 years old. Hand holding and the behaviors I have seen from some parents is ridiculous. For every unhappy kid on a team there are 10 more eager to take his spot. Trust me. Especially for the Elite teams.

Who’s got Long Island scores

Don’t worry, the older kids in the younger divisions are winning.

That is what lost’s say!!!! Excuses Excuses

That’s funny because I watched some little kid from Hawks crushing some of these kids yesterday. He had to be one of the smallest kids for Hawks

Ice and tears

Long Island Tough

Prime Time dad

That’s funny because I watched some little kid from Hawks crushing some of these kids yesterday. He had to be one of the smallest kids for Hawks

Ice and tears

Long Island Tough

Prime Time dad

AYLC wins the SHIP over FCA

We are Elite

Ok Joe Flacco.

Hmmm you did lose to them yesterday though didn’t you? AYLC ca FCA 1-1

Best comeback ever on BOTC

Did anyone see Fusion 2026 get disqualified from Trilogy for roster violations? And then their parents tried to fight everyone...crazy!

No, but you can't leave us with just that, please elaborate on what happened. Hate to say it, but lax needs to go to the lineup cards like football.

I don’t have all the details because I only caught the tail end of the mayhem, but it was pretty crazy. I didn’t want to speculate, so I was hoping someone could fill me in too. Fusion was definitely disqualified for roster violations though, and their parents were getting in everyone’s face as they were walking off the field, then their kids hung around for a bit and taunted the team that took their place in the championship game before finally leaving when that team went up big and it was obvious they were going to win.

That’s all I’ve got for you.

It was B division lacrosse right?

Sounds like their director did not put a kid on the roster who was playing. This kid also happens to play for another club team that was there at the time, not sure if he was playing for both. They should direct the anger towards the organization head that did not properly follow the rules. This is not Nam, this is lacrosse. There are rules!!

This is a 2026 lacrosse forum right?

Yes funny though Forest Hill Played last weekend in an A bracket.....

Sure was

Who? Forest Gump or Forest Whittaker?

Is this rec?

This is not true.

Last weekend Forest Hill won the B bracket at Lax Splash

They are a rec team, playing “club” level. They’re actually decent, but not anywhere near a top level team.

Are there any Elite teams who do not have parent coaches?

The kid has played box with them all year long. Sadly FH couldn’t deal with playing against a 2026 that was just THAT GOOD!!!

Is there anything wrong with having a “parent coach” if that coach does a good job?

I heard that Fusion smoked Forest Hill on Sunday before they got disqualified, but I also heard that Forest Hill beat Fusion pretty handily the first time they played on Saturday. So maybe they are somewhat evenly matched.

There is nothing wrong with daddyball unless your kid is stuck behind the coaches son

My son is not on either team, but we have faced that Forest Hill team and are somewhat familiar with them. My understanding is that in the game on Sunday, Forest Hill was missing arguably their best player, a long pole defender, who was cross checked in the neck by a Fusion player on Saturday and knocked out of the tournament. That kid is a difference maker for them, we know from experience. That could partially explain why Forest Hill was able to beat Fusion so badly on Saturday, and then get spanked by them on Sunday. Either way, I thought they were both pretty decent teams.

It’s cute how you call it “daddy ball.” What if the coaches son is better than your kid?

It's a miracle, every coach happened to be born with an attackman that the ball needs to go through on offense

This doesn’t answer the question.

We get it, you’ve had bad experiences with coaches who played their son over yours. If it happens every time, maybe you are just unrealistic about your own son’s ability?

You know, there are plenty of parent coaches out there in all sports who have the ability to coach their team without being biased toward their own child, just as there are plenty who probably don’t have that ability. You can’t paint all parent coaches with a broad brush though, because each coach is unique in how they operate.

Aside from Fusion incident. Was Trilogy a good tournament? Was it worth it for this age group?

B Level Tournament

To expand on this a little, if you are used to elite level lacrosse this was probably a slight step down, but for those that played on grass, the fields were in good condition, it was relatively local and inexpensive, and there was some decent competition. There was a team from Denver there in the A division but FCA rolled them pretty easily.

Thank you. So FCA being there at least represented some good local talent. Hopefully that will draw more of the local elites next year.

AYLC actually beat FCA in the finals of the A division, but FCA has beaten them earlier in the tournament

Wait for it.....

FCA certainly belongs down in AAA with AYLC and Next Level

Summer Exposure schedule looks brutal AYLC, Bethesda, Evolve, Looney's, Team 91 and VLC

LOL..Nice cast, see if you can get anyone to take the bait. From what I see, no one belongs in Elite except Hawks, who took a big steamer on every other team

Hawks has kids who are 12-13 playing against 10/11 year olds. Average at best if those kids played heir correct age group

FAKE NEWS!!!

Or they literally get the best players in AA county. What's funny is the Hawks have done what Baltimore County can't. If Looney's, 91,Crabs could pull their best kids on one team they would look exactly like the Hawks, but they can't. And when this season ends, guess what, Mike is going to hit the recruiting trail again, take the next crop of talent away from other teams and cut the one's he needs cut and therefore get bigger stronger faster. They have a formula others can't keep up with plain and simple.

You are correct, that is exactly what he will do, because for Hawks it’s all about winning and nothing more, even at the so called age of 11 years old. It’s about picking apart other teams to grab their best players to bring to his team to win it all, and cutting the players that don’t fit his plan anymore. He does this because he doesn’t know how to develop a player. He takes the best and wings it with coaching, because why does he need to really coach, because he has the best of the best and will dump who he doesn't need. Welcome to the Hawks.

Or, goodbye to the Hawks if you are at the bottom of the pecking order ...

Question for those in the real world - is this rec or club lacrosse? Second question for the real world - if you dont live up to your bosses expectation at work or dont work hard, what happens??? Third question for those in the real world - you have prospects both have the same grades and test scores but one is bigger stronger and faster, who grades out higher?


This is why their is Elite and AAA, AA, and A in Hoco - not everyone is on the same level but there is levels for everyone. Maybe some of you folks need to look in the mirror and ask, is this about me or is my kid really that good or not


tw9w5e

This happens at every org - kids come and go - coaches are always trying to make a better team and if you think they arent you are clueless

This is going to be a good tournament. I think you could make a case for a couple of those teams winning. Certainly, think they are pretty close. I like Bethesda and Looney's but both always seem capable of losing games they should win.

Anyone know anything about Evolve?

They came down last year but weren't in the A. I heard that they were pretty good, and not fans of Trump! lol

Evolve puts their teams together on a calendar year system like in soccer and has some multi-age teams. Last year the team that played in the '27 bracket was comprised mostly of kids who would be '26's and '25's here in Maryland. The parents were very open about it because they assumed they had been properly placed and were surprised many of the opposing players were smaller.

And the Pope is Jewish.

#weareelite

Just watch

Evolve typically plays physical, many of the kids play ice hockey as well. Dont be surprised about the size, this kids are big.

Looney's, and 91 have good goalies and faceoff kids, Bethesda is solid. Never seen VLC play and AYLC looks good one week and so-so the next. Should be good to see some good lacrosse

Says someone who clearly is bitter.....

AYLC should have been Elite, if they don't get into Elite next year it's a joke. They will prove this to be true by beating the field at Summer Exposure this weekend.

Looks like "AYLC will destroy everyone in HOCO AAA" dad has resurfaced.
Good Luck. Next Level must not be in that tournament.

I imagine that they are pulling from other counties as well.

DADDY BALL IS THE WORST and it’s about to tear apart a team that has a lot of potential. When the coaches kid shouldn’t be even playing elite yet never comes of the field it’s an issue for a lot of kids who deserve to be out there. #FACTS

Must be AYLC... there’s a bad egg on that coaching staff. Players and parents beware.

If you think you can do a better job, by all means step up and coach. I promise you, it’s difficult, it’s time consuming, it’s frustrating dealing with every families seemingly never ending issues, and it’s incredibly stressful. The hours these coaches put in go well beyond the time you see them on the field. If the coach wants to play his kid a little extra, then let him play his kid.

My son has played on a team where the coaches son played more than he deserved. It was aggravating at times, but the coach was a good coach, he was great with the kids, and he put a ton of time and effort into making the team better. He didn’t get paid, he was a volunteer. If his biggest reward was that he got to play his son a little extra, we let him do that without making a big issue out of it.

I will say that if the coach is getting paid, he should be able to be more objective about his own sons abilities and should play him accordingly.

With all that said, my son had also been on teams where the coaches son was the best player on the field, Which eliminates your entire argument against “Daddy Ball.”

#Hashtagsarestupidandmakeyoulooklikeachild

AYLC goes 1-2

#weareelite

Where’s team 91 Daddy? 0-3 and we beat you again!!
#youareajoke

Where’s team 91 Daddy? 0-3 and we beat you again!!
#youareajoke

Crabs plays down to win Summer Exposure.

This didn't age well........

Turns out the only new Elite team at Summer Exposure was from Canada.

Bethesda was cruising all weekend but looks like they lost in the finals. Had beaten Evovle 8-4 in round robin play but must have fallen apart in the end. The Canadians apparently got their revenge in the finals.

Will be curious to hear from AYLC dad about their performance. Definitely a solid team but not sure they should be crowing on anonymous message boards.

21 goals scored in 5 games do the match
35 goals given up and many were with 6 yards of the crease.

No offense and no defense

#weareelite

I cant wait to see the uproar when AYLC is not in Elite for the 2020 season. I suppose they will not be using their summer resume in the complaints.

From what I hear the Elite players on that team will be playing Elite next year....in different colors

What colors do they prefer?

Pool play from this week

Bethesda 5-0 (GD +20)
Evolve 4-1 (GD +8) - lost to Bethesda 8-4

Team 91 2-3 (GD +4) - beat VLC and AYLC
Looneys 2-3 (GD -2) - beat VLC and Team 91

AYLC 1-4 GD (-14) - beat AYLC
VLC 1-4 (GD -16) - beat Looneys

Evolve beat Bethesda 9-5 in the finals. Maybe Bethesda took them for granted after the first win.

Tough tournament for Team 91 - lost a ton of close games.

Was mostly surprised by Looney's showing. Are they missing players? They were much tougher in Hoco.

Small correction, VLC beat AYLC and AYLC beat Looneys. Not that it matters. The only 2 teams that belonged there in AA were Evolve and BLC.

No one cares about Summer Exposure, VLC, AYLC or whatever C - its like watching a train wreck

Terrible lacrosse

Thank you for your opinion. You sound like a pretty stable and well adjusted lax dad

A two team tournament would be an expensive play day.

Trouble in AAA paradise?

You are why people hate lacrosse dads. Lots of these teams and players will go up and down every year. You are either short-sighted, an stunad or both. Probably both.

So Million's tournament is coming up and so is Napptown Challenge - what other tournaments are folks playing

Hogan Hershey looks like some good teams

BBL
Hawks
7 Flames
Saltwater
91 MD
HP Mohicans
Diamondbacks
Mesa Red
Freedom
91 Long Island

This will be good for some and not so good for others

Anyone know anything about HP Mohicans?

Based out of Texas - the have been traveling all over according to their Twitter page

Not a bad single A tournament. Hawks & BBL are 2 AA team there.

Mohicans are easily the 2nd best team there.

Hawks
Mohicans
BBL
91 LI
91 MD
7 Flames
Mesa
Freedom
Diamondbacks
Saltwater

91 MD and Diamondbacks are also from hoco elite/AA.

Really? Pretty sure both would have come in dead last in Li & lost to all the Long Island Hawks& Laxa team judging from their other losses in the other summer tournaments. Just going by their scores. - Laxa Dad

Diamondbacks lost every game in HOCO this year, really bad team!!! But looks like they actually beat Express North two weeks ago 8-4, man...that is sad....Express N should be embarrassed to call themselves a club team....

Looking at the teams playing in Naptown at the 26 level; there are 3 Md teams. Hawks, AYLC and All-In. Any idea what the All-In team is? I haven’t been able to find them in any other tournaments this summer.

Looking at the teams playing in Naptown at the 26 level; there are 3 Md teams. Hawks, AYLC and All-In. Any idea what the All-In team is? I haven’t been able to find them in any other tournaments this summer.

That's a pretty lame line up. Just a lay up of a tournament for the Hawks. Give them the t shirts and save everyone the drive (or flight).

Or they added players for the summer season like other 2026 teams did in order to start winning.

Just wait a second!!! Diamondback beat Express North, Legacy, BBL, Madlax, in Philly. In the playoffs they lost to Sweetlax National since they flew in 4 players from Florida and BBL

Hardly a terrible team

Refresh my memory, how many games did Diamondbacks win in HOCO? Oh, I know, they were 0-7.....how could you even make a case they're good?

Bethesda NEVER adds players for the summer. The team we start with in August is the team we end with in June.

Bethesda isn’t the best team out there, but they are really good. Definitely worthy of being considered an elite team. I give you guys a lot of credit out there. Your lacrosse and soccer programs in Bethesda are top notch. Great area for youth sports.

They are beating Long Island teams left and right. Just give them time and they will compete with Hawks, 91 MD and Bethesda

I think Diamondbacks has more tournaments wins the some AAA teams. I think Diamondbacks has also traveled outside of MD unlike some AAA teams.

#weateelite

That's hilarious, are you serious? You'll never compete with any of those teams you mentioned. You're beating "C" level teams and your pounding your chest like you're doing something...What was your record in HOCO again? Oh-I know 0-7...sounds like a great club to play for....HAHAHA...a bit of advise, save your money and play rec, you might actually wins a few games...

I have no dog in this fight but I’d rather go 0-7 in elite than 7-0 in A or AA. But maybe that’s just me. I love to win, but It’s not all about winning games at this level, it’s about developing players. A few years from now no one is ever going to remember if your son went 0-7 or 7-0 at HOCO in 5th grade. Unless you’re uncle Rico.

Dang.....it's quiet Diamondbacks.....guess Team 91 owns you and will see you again this weekend....

91 Dad, it was the wind before...what was the reason today? Too sunny? Too Hot?

3 kids from 91 MD were brought in to this weekends tournament and you still lose. Great job Mark Millon

#cheatersdontwin

Hold on, I'm new to this, but I'm so confused.....

Are you seriously saying teams bring in other kids for a tournament??

If so, you're hammerhead and you pee siting down,,,,,

91 parents are an embarrassment to youth sports

Can you elaborate on this?

Crabs goes 5-0 to win the Garden State Shootout.

Impressive showing......

GT Lacrosse
Tristate
Leading Edge
Crabs

You drove to NJ to play these powerhouses

I wouldn't brag about the fact you have to leave MD to go play B level teams to get wins.

This Crabs teams is so bad they shouldnt enter into their own Young Gunz or Crabfest tournaments

How many tournaments left for teams before tryouts? When do the shenanigans, I mean tryouts begin?

Why are tryouts Shenanigans. Because parents with half a brain will take their child out to see where they think they will grow and develop the best. It is okay to put some actual thought in to where your child will play and where you are dropping a couple grand for a years worth of lax. To each their own, but some of us like to make educated decisions.

Should we expect Crabs and Another main line philly team bring in Guest players for this weekend?

You must be new to this.

You must be new to this. [/quote!!]

Still waiting to hear why tryouts are "Shananigans"

Don’t waste too much time trying to make your educated decision. Most deals are made prior to tryouts.

I dont think its deals considering the top talent will stay with their team. Coaches are going to keep a core and then try and add on

The only deals I have ever heard of are the free gear - helmets gloves and such which to be honest most teams include it now

Again, other then vague references to deals being made, you cannot tell me why trying out for teams is "shenanigans". Especially if you have a kid who has choices where he can play. One thing I can say that is shenanigans is for some reason, in today's age, everyone is under the impression if a kid tries out for a team, he is going to that team if he makes it.

If Crabs traveled to NJ to play B teams to win a tournament, then yes, plan on guest players to win their own tournament in front of the home crowd.

Napptown Challenge is just days away. This tournament will be the end of the line for many teams until tryouts. Its going to be interesting with Diamondbacks playing well this summer and merging with Swarm. What does Team 91, Looneys and Bethesda do to knock off the HAWKS? Will AYLC be Elite?

The summer season is almost over. Its been fun and if you havent had fun its time to find a new team.

So YoungGunz
Crabs team didn’t do well..which was good to see
Tigers XXVI lose when their only threat gets bodied

I guess they should stick to NJ.

Team 91 had a chance to knock off the Hawks in the championship game in the Millions summer invitational. They lost 8-3. The Hawks are on fire. Let’s see how they close out the week.

All the BS talk on here aside. What a bummer to be sitting at home in the rain instead of playing Naptown. Teams all looked good out there.

TriState - kids have tape on their helmets with their names on them.
2way had a goalie that had Box lax gear on
Madlax brought kids in from Oregon and Bethesda


Cant wait to see this All Star team All In

I was curious to see what the All-In team was about; it definitely is an All-Star team made up of kids from Looney's, 91, FCA, Bethesda etc and the few minutes that I saw.......they're very good. I am not sure Tri-State got the ball over mid-line.

Who was in goal for them?

Looks like Looney's and someone told me a sidewinder goalie as well; i only saw the Looney's kid.

The two best goalies for 2026 in my opinion from watching HOCO and summer tournaments are the Looneys and Hawks kid. Make great saves and don’t have meltdowns. Best outlet passes I’ll apologize but I haven’t seen any AAA games at HOCO and those teams haven’t been in our tournaments.

The two best goalies for 2026 in my opinion from watching HOCO and summer tournaments are the Looneys and Hawks kid. Make great saves and don’t have meltdowns. Best outlet passes I’ll apologize but I haven’t seen any AAA games at HOCO and those teams haven’t been in our tournaments.

If the live scoring on Tourney machine is accurate, they were tied with the Eclipse 2027 team then the rain started.

I spoke to one All in kid, he said that Tri-state was awful.

Madlax nationals that is....

Sidewinder goalie is the hawks goalie from last year

The Hawks have dominated this entire season; no way they lose to anyone tomorrow!! This is another day in the park for the 2026 team and tournament title #4 this season!!!

agree on looneys goalie in HOCO this season but he got blown out by tigers saturday

You're not a Hawks parent and just starting garbage...you're wrong about the number of tournaments we've won....hammerhead!!!

So All In is All Done All Over All Hype All Hot Air

42-0 Hawks. That is an All Star team.

The Looney's kid was pretty good. If I remember correctly, Team 91 had two goalies - one of them was pretty. Bethesda's goalie is pretty small but he is quick...he gets to balls.

Overall, seemed like the goalie play really jumped a level this year in Hoco. The days of kids being afraid of getting hit seem to be over.

If a post from awhile back is true, sounds like the Hawk's goalie from a year ago is coming back into the division. Not sure what that will do to the Hawk's kid who played on the Diamondbacks previously.

Best 3 goalies in 2026 were on the field today during All In vs AYLC. Hawks goalie is very good, but his defense is incredible so he doesn't see the action other goalies see.

The team had 1 practice and played a 1/2 game yesterday. Enjoy the win but that team is loaded and if they keep them together and get some games under their belt look out. Congrats Hawks be humble.

Perhaps even more impressive, they win the 2026 "Biggest laxer Sideline Dads" Espy for the 4th year straight! One more year and they go straight to the Hall of Fame!

There's a lot of Pasadena/Glen Burnie on that 2026 Hawks sideline. Annapolis waterfront? Not so much.

The Hawks goalie who was on the Diamondbacks previously is a heck of a player and a kid. He has been there throughout their undefeated season- as a single goalie.. He has seen a lot of action as the team has played some tough teams. . Yes he does have an incredible defense in front of him but he is a strong player who developed tremendously since joining the Hawks.

Everyone played 1/2 a game on Monday. They wont keep that team together.

If you're making an All Star team and its loaded with Diamondbacks players and a coach can you really call it an ALL STAR team

Yep an All Star team with kids who are playing for their own club is going to stick together right?

There will be a lot of player movement - at every tournament there was always parents griping about playing time, coaching and other parents. I dont care what team you play for but you cant knock Hawks, 91, FCA, Crabs and the other Elite programs for being successful established clubs. 42-0 is impressive. Impressive was Diamondbacks beating LI and Philly teams. Impressive was Team 91 MD playing this summer

If you thought there was anything impressive from Crabs or Diamondbacks and in any way comparing those 2 teams to the 3 you listed (Hawks, 91, FCA), please let me know what strain you are hitting.

Word is the AYLC goalie is Hawks bound!

See you next year at a few summer tournaments...........

Am I the only parent who picks a team based almost entirely on how close the practice field is to my house?

Anyone who wants their kid to get better at lacrosse will look for an opportunity. All of your top team will have the same kids at tryouts. Dont be surprised if Crabs makes a big push this year along with 91. Diamondbacks will get stronger and have a better coaching staff

I do because I'd rather not drive to Baltimore during rebels hour traffic

My kid is not going to Calvert Hall, Gilman, or anything like that. He’s public school all the way. He will play lacrosse and soccer in high school, and maybe if he’s lucky he’ll be able to play one of those sports in college, probably at D3. I definitely like a program that’s close to the house and affordable. You are not alone.

My kid plays on one of the "elite" teams and, for different reasons, will likely go to a powerhouse private school. I'm not even assuming he will play in HS once these guys start recruiting. I pick teams on location and is he having fun. If it costs him later, so be it.

I picked my kid’s club based solely on the tailgates. His team has great ones, so we are staying, because he’s 11 and at the age of 11, I don’t care about my kid having to be on a top club team. I care that he is consistently getting better on the field and his lax IQ is growing. That’s happening because even though we aren’t the Hawks or FCA or 91, we have good coaches who care about less about the team’s record and more about developing their players. So rock on Hawks, FCA and 91 benches. At least you get say you are on the team, right?

This is Maryland lacrosse, if your kid is 11 shouldn't he be playing 2027?

no

If he was on one of the teams the guy professes are the only ones to play for, then the answer would be yes.

Ahhhh, you must be one of those PA, NY, NJ people still chewing on salty L's from summer tournaments

Why no Hawks at NLF? Hawks laxachusetts game would be interesting

Anyone gonna be at Hershey this weekend? Looks like there’s some decent teams there.

2 decent teams who will mop the floor with the others.

Of course any good Maryland MIAA prefirst or Holdback will be 2027 this year.at 11. And before you MIAA parents get your panties all knotted up over this, in the next 3 years there will be many public school and Private school players reclassing to join you. It is actually Hilarious the amount of people who rant and rave about " cheater holdbacks " and then do it themselves in 8th grade. Mark my words, some of these same people screaming the loudest now in 2026 class will be reclassing their child in 8th grade to 2027 !

And to you non prefirst/reclass/holdbacks parents, I will give you the advice that all good holdback parents give , You son will get better playing against older players ( of course they do not follow their own advice ).

And if you do not think doing a prefirst or holding your child back works, you are sadly mistaken. IT DOES !

Go to any top tournament loaded with college coaches ( Naptown, Crabfeast, NLF, etc ) , The Top (2020,2021) teams with the most college coaches on sidelines are generally loaded with Holdbacks/prefirsts.

Oh, And if you are not on a top team by 7th -8th grade. Your chances of making the team are slim to none later. Forget about even getting a look at 10th to 11th and 12th grade ( when coaches are looking ) if not on a top club team . Sorry, you will need to travel if a local top club isnt nearby. Just the way it is.

Advice from in the know . You will thank me later !

91 daddy... where have you been? In Hershey getting beat?

Did 91 play today? Who did they play? Thought tournament season was over

He's hanging with AYLC dad

He busy watching forest hill select team ask for birth certificates and blood samples in a bracket

He’s back at the hotel telling his son how great he is, and that if 91 had better players who were as good as him that they might not have been shut out all tournament season. Lol

Come on guys, why are you always hating 91 dad so much????

You know it was too sunny today......

91 with an impressive showing in Hershey. Lol.

Hershey has become a joke and its a money maker for Hogan. Madlax won it should tell you how bad it is - yes Madlax who was garbage in HOCO

There was a team or two in the A division that probably could have beaten Mad Lax in the AA. That Igloo team looked pretty solid.

Madlax 2026 finished 4th in HOCO spring league and has already beat this summer Looneys and 91MD who finished 2nd and 3rd. Evolve Canada lost twice to Madlax at Hershey. Evolve won summer exposure tournament in June by beating BLC, Looneys and 91MD - all good HOCO elite teams plus VLC and AYLC. As you know AYLC was regular season champ in AAA HOCO. The only team Madlax cant beat right now is Hawks. How many teams have beaten Hawks this year?
You dont have to like Hogan tournament but you are notIntelligent to think no good teams at Hershey. If you want to see garbage look in the mirror.

In the spring there was a lot of noise about AYLC and VLC belonging in the Elite Division in HOCO. So the summer is over and both teams played a number of elite teams - Hawks, Madlax, Looneys, 91MD, Diamondbacks. Maybe others too. Did they win any games?

Your consistent use of the term 'notintelligent' inthis forum is quite appealing from a literary basis and instantly converts the masses to your transitive views! How was your HOCO playoff experience again?

Did he use the phrase " give it to the 9th grader " or are those days over? ..

Mad lax cheated in the A division at HOCO and got disqualified in the playoffs for using kids that were too old. Mad lax was aware that these kids were too old, yet they chose to play them at HOCO the entire season. Mad lax has a reputation for doing this, in several age groups, not just 2026. I can only assume this occurs club wide at mad lax, and that their elite team does the same. Sad.

Wait a minute! Are you claiming that a team in the elite division of the Greater Howard County Club Lacrosse league has a team with players older than the US Lacrosse recommended age guidelines? That is quite the accusation. I am sure that Madlax would be the only team daring enough to try such a thing. I have never once heard of any other elite team having older players on the roster that sounds absurd.

I’m saying they got caught, and it was proven. They admitted it and did not contest it. You are providing no specific examples other than speculation. Good try though.

Pretty sure ML was using 2025 rostered players on that 26 team.

Yep. And they won their playoff game against Bethesda but got disqualified for using 2025s, which allowed Bethesda to move on to the finals. Again, this was in A bracket obviously, not the elite. But the club has a history of cheating. A simple google search will tell you that much. It’s even in their reviews on their own Facebook page.

And even with those 2025s they still didn’t go undefeated in the A bracket. Personally, I feel that if you have a team in the elite division, your second team should at least be able to compete at AA. They took a team with 2025s and entered into the A division figuring they would blow everyone out and be able to post it on their website, but going into the playoffs they weren’t even the top seed, and they ended up getting disqualified for cheating. Not a good look.

Is it worth it to go tryout for the Hawks or do you think it’s likely will they be keeping their team mostly as it is? Their record really is quite impressive with what they have. thoughts?

If you live in AAC, your kid is good on his own and doesn’t need any coaching, and you only care about the record, yes. Otherwise no.

Got it. Your son didnt make the team and had to play for a team with a losing record. .

My kid plays on a team that doesn’t compete in the elite division, and its the team he tried out for. And guess what? I am ok that he’s not elite. He’s 11 and has got a lot to learn. I bet my kid will still be playing when he’s a senior in high school and yours will have quit because he was tired of listening to you.
So my answer to the poster’s question remains the same, and you just showed the poster the true colors of the Annapolis Hawks following. Well done.
Care about more than a 42-0 record at the age of 11.

Its ok to be mediocre and get passed by other kids. Talent breeds talent

What team is #2 in MD? Looneys, BLC, Arden? Looking to tryout with best long term development. Thank you.

Madlax Capital did not have any ineligible boys on the team and they were not disqualified. I'm sorry your son is not good enough to make Madlax, but I'l sure he's happy at BLC.

Lots of good teams in Maryland for player development. I'd say it depends where you live. Those are all good teams but can't imagine they draw many of the same kids.
Good amount of geographic distance between them.

There are outliers but teams are centered around three areas:

Baltimore
Annapolis
Montgomery County

Obviously, some kids are willing to travel but most stick to their home turf. (Probably will change more as they get older.) Pick one of those areas and most of this board can give you a list of 3+ very good options.

Reading comprehension skills would come in handy here. We were talking about the A division at HOCO, not the elite. And Mad Lax was absolutely 100% disqualified from the playoffs in the A division at HOCO for using 2025s.

Madlax cheating in the A division is a FACT. Trying to dispute it just makes you look bad.

I'm sorry but as an parent why would you ever want you kid on the #2 team. Maybe I'm crazy but I want to best for my child in terms of education, sports, and any opportunity that presents itself.

Why would you want to be average?

You are wasting your money playing travel lacrosse to be average - go play REC!!!!!!!

If you are trying for best long term development, you shouldn’t limit your search to the #2 team, or the top 5 for that matter. There are a ton of teams with excellent player development going on. The top 3 take the superstars(or poach them from other teams with all kinds of promises attached) so coaches don’t have to really teach the game at all, but will take all the credit for “developing” them. My point is, don’t count out the AAA teams. If you are looking for a team to stay with long term, you should broaden your search outside the top 2.*

*personal opinion based on over 10 years of club lacrosse experiences and not looking to start a fight.

You need to be honest about your end goal for your child - if he just wants to play in play in public high school and club will do
If he wants to play in the MIAA - you need to look at top tier programs
If you look at the rosters of the top programs they are littered with D1 commits
AAA and AA and other programs fill D2 and D3 rosters and there is nothing wrong with that at all

Going to be interesting to see what True Annapolis can bring to the table from a numbers and talent perspective. They have a pretty solid model in different parts of the country. AYLC and Diamondbacks should be interesting tryouts as well. Some really talented kids in the area with choices of where they want to play

True, AYLC and Diamondbacks will need goalies and to compete next year - and defensemen - and faceoff guy - and middies - and attack

LOL

Diamondbacks merging with SP/Swarm

Diamondbacks are also getting a new coach who doesnt have a kid in the program. He coaches multiple teams at API and he will turn them around

If I have the choice of my son getting significant playing time on the number 2 team, vs riding the bench on the the number 1 team, I’m taking the number 2 all day. These are young kids. Winning is great, but I want my son to develop as a player and to have fun. If all you care about is winning at 5th grade lacrosse, you’re a special kind of notIntelligent. You don’t develop by sitting the bench, and it’s not fun to sit on the bench. These are reasons that kids with tons of potential burn out early and quit.

Also, I know several people who didn’t even pick up a lacrosse stick until they were sophomores and juniors in high school and still went on to play in college, some at D1. I’ve also seen kids that were deemed prodigies early on flame out in high school. Everyone grows and develops at different levels. You definitely don’t need to shell out thousands and thousands of dollars in 5th grade to get your kid to a decent school. Just get them playing and find a coach that you trust.

I never realized that the forum auto corrects the word s-t-u-p-i-d to notintelligent until now. I was wondering why I saw the term notintelligent over and over...I thought it was the same guy posting that term, but it’s been an auto correct the whole time. It’s all starting to make sense.

Hold on, True is coming to Annapolis? Seriously???

Do we really need another AA County team?

Isn't it already water down enough?

How many teams do we have, I'm counting 8.

PLC
Diamondback/Swarm
Sidewinders
Hawks
Bay Raiders
Bay Dogs
True Annpolis
Rockfish, not sure if I can count this one?

I'm sure I missed one or two.....

Doesn't anyone else see this as a money grab? Come on, guys...

There should be 2-3 AA teams which compete in HOCO and trash all the out of state teams.....

Would like to hear other opinions...

Hawks carry 18. No weak links. Leaves plenty of talent for other teams. Other top programs carry so many more. See at NLF Laxachusets bench? Express same thing.

Laxachusetts carries 20

That should be one of the first questions when picking a team for your son. Any more than 18-20 and you may be better off some where else.

AYLC carries 24 - only 14-16 show at practice - some kids dont come to tourneys and some kids quit in the middle of the season or quit in the middle of the game

Lets hope True is better

Laxachusetts carry 20?? Their sideline has 20

Who cares????

If my son rides the bench on an elite team, which AAA teams should we be considering to get a better chance to see the field. He is a very consistent and solid player, but plays behind bigger kids and coaches kids. Will there be movement of teams between elite and AAA? Tryouts start soon and I am trying to get some honest feedback through all of the we are better than you chatter.

My son is in the same situation but I will say hes got better and grown from practicing at a higher level with better kids. This isnt high school showcase years so my question to him is what do you need to do to get better and get more playing time?

I still think both posts may be missing the point of club lacrosse. Is he having FUN. At this age that is all the counts. The second post is correct that the skill level is more important at the HS showcase level. Several kids will swap teams between now and then. Try out for several teams and pick the one that you will have the most fun playing on. Watching other kids is not always fun.

I am the original poster. While my son likes his team mates and his team, no he isn’t having fun because he isn’t playing and he wants to be playing. I know this isn’t high school. I am asking about better AAA teams because maybe there is a chance for my son to see the field more without sacrificing level of instruction too much. I just want him happy so that he continues to enjoy the sport. I don’t need top dog at this age. There are plenty of great teams at the AAA level, I am just asking for some direction as to which you think will stick around the AAA, head to elite, etc. At this point for my son I think AAA might be a better fit.

There are a lot of AAA teams out there. See the HoCo standings. Where do you live?

There are currently 8 teams. Top 4 are AYLC, VLC, Next Level, and Roughriders. AYLC is Annapolis and surrounding areas and believe they belong in the elite bracket, VLC is Virginia based, Next Level is DC area, and Roughriders is local Howard County where the league plays. AYLC and VLC were standout leaders. Next Level and Roughriders have solid talent but can’t finish games.

This is a good overview of the top 4. It really just depends on where you live to decide which would be a good fit.

This is pretty accurate

Good luck in your search

I live in the DC area and see Next Level quite a bit. My kid plays for a different team but I've been impressed with what they are doing. I don't personally know the 2026 coaches but I do think the camps and clinics they run are well done. If feels like a rising program.

My kid isn't in the market for a new team but, if he was, I'd definitely consider them.

The Mitchell brothers at Next Level are great guys.

There are lots of good programs. I would consider programs that are established and steer away from of these new clubs that have opened in the last 2-3 years. Watered down talent is popping up. Anyone who has a vision and a few dollars can open a club.

What happened with the mid Atlantic team at Warrior?

With there being 8 teams in AA county and True Annapolis starting, I’m wanting to see what the over/under is if they can actually field a team. Vegas has a strong negative!!!

All you need these days to start a team is a group of unhappy parents, and a coach on the wrong sideline who is bent out of shape his kid isn’t playing. Bam, you got yourself a new team, just like half of the current 8.

The smart ones saved their money and are waiting a couple of years.

Ive seen the roster for Warrior the last two years and if you call you kid an All American - you are a joke!!!!!

Who will have more kids at tryouts on August 3rd - True or AYLC ?????

https://trwlax.com/

Feel better now.

Can post your roster so some of the dads can check it an approve for us and sign off on if you are good enough to be here. Thanks

So is True making an Annapolis team, or just holding a round of tryouts in Annapolis?

0 Tim Troutner G
1 Marcus Holman A
1 Mike CoachC M
2 Scott Ratliff LSM
4 Will Manny A
5 Matt Kavanagh A
9 Trevor Baptiste FO
12 Jack Concannon G
13 Tyler Warner M
14 Justin Guterding A
15 Myles Jones M
18 Kyle Harrison M
22 Josh Byrne A
22 Ned Crotty M
22 Ryan Drenner A
26 Tom Schreiber M
43 Matthew Landis D
51 Tucker Durkin D
52 Garrett Epple D
81 Kyle Hartzell LSM
88 Jarrod Neumann D
99 Paul Rabil M

Here ya go. This is our 2026 team. OK so a few of these are summer birthdays. They will all be entering the correct grade so don't complain if your boys can't hang it is not an age based league. A few make be shaving but most took a preK year. The only HOCO rule is that they did not play on a HS JV team this spring

Hmm, Long Islanders going to be upset by some of those hold backs!!

From the emails there will be a True Annapolis and then a True MD team. Lots of good things about the True program

Get over it. You son couldn't cut the mustard..HIT THE WALL !!

Witty and funny. Ok, you can stay.

It had nothing to do with cutting the mustard. I was there, if your kid could cut a fart they would have taken him. I went against every sensible warning given to me and the lax was pathetic. I am 100% honest in there are rec teams my kid played on that could have beaten the "Mid Atlantic All American" team.

All the players/coaches from the top teams in mid atlantic teams are at the beach since early July. Shame on me for wasting my money and not having my son joining these teams until now.

You tell em big guy!!

Sure it didnt . Have him, HIT THE WALL !!! That will have him ready for next year and stop your moaning while giving you something to bragg about !

Yeah, you told me. LOL

So if you take kids from Diamondbacks, AYLC, and mix in a few - you get TRUE or ALL In

Diluting talented teams even more

Good luck at tryouts this weekend

Well, heard there were 73 kids trying out for True Lacrosse today, had all the studs from all the big programs from the DMV.

Knew those MD kids were all older...now they are recruiting kids from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

I was there. You need to go back to math class if you think there were that many.

How many kids tryout for true???

Half of the Diamondbacks team

I heard there were crabs helmets at quite a few tryouts.

Don't quit your day job.