There is no down side to an age based system. Club owners should open their eyes and realize that moving to an age based system will increase the amount of families seeking to participate (and return), and therefore, increase their profits. At present there are too many blowouts and mismatches at tournaments, and too many games where one team is much older (bigger, faster, more aggressive, more skilled, higher IQ) than the other one. One of the main reasons for this is that it is very hard for tournament directors to create matchups when you have no idea how old the kids really are, and its very hard for club directors to recommend (or choose) a divisional placement when they have no idea how old the competition will be. If everyone is born within the same 12 month window, than its much easier to place a team based on its skill level and athleticism, as well as performance at prior tournaments.
POINTLESS post!!! People have been complaining about this for years when their little Johnny isn't big enough. When it comes to this age, guess what - size does matter and you are finally realizing it. So in about 6th grade all the complainers come out about the age gap. No matter WHAT rules you follow you will still have the same complainers. Just let your kid play and shut up! He should play where he fits in. Not just because daddy thinks he should be on an AA team
And your post is not pointless? For starters, I am fine with the team that my kid is on - a decent A team. I have no need for him to be on an AA, or AAA, or top notch team. And you know what, if lacrosse went to age based tomorrow, he still plays at the same level. The only difference, and its significant, is that he will play in more competitive games on balance throughout the summer. For now, many games are blowouts and mismatches, with his team winning more than half of them. Kids playing with and against kids in a narrow (12 months variation is more than fine) age group, and with similar skill and athletism is the best environment for their enjoyment and development. This is how nearly every other youth sport does it. Anyone who argues otherwise is clueless. I can tell you that the best coaches at the highest level of youth hockey uniformly frown upon the idea of "playing up" - both in an individual sense and in a team sense. The way to get better, instead, is to just find better teams your own age.
Also, size is just about the last problem with wide age variations. The advantage older kids have is with speed, quickness, hand-eye coordination, strength (in terms of passing and shooting), aggression, and lacrosse IQ. Size is just about last on the list. Site unseen, and with no inside information, I would in a blind draft pick a team of tiny older kids vs a team of large younger kids every single time.
And you are dead wrong when you say "no matter WHAT rules you follow you will still have the same complainers." Having kids that play competitively in age based youth sports, no one, and I repeat, no one complains about a kid being big, or fast, or just plain better - because they know he is of age. You must be a parent that only has their kids playing lacrosse. Your statement is simply wrong. Its simply a myth that people will still complain about this issue if they move to an age based system - because no one complains about it in the myriad of other sports that base the system on age.
And by the way, please explain to me how posting on a message board stops my kid from playing. "Just let your kid play and shut up!" Hey, thats a real powerful argument. I am sorry you can't rely on logic and reason like a normal person. And to repeat what I said above, since you appear to be a bit slow: I don't think my kid should be on a better team than he is on now. I don't think older kids are holding him back or taking his spots. In an age based system, his "spot" would just be taking by a more skilled, more athletic on-age kid. Moving him up in the youth lax world is not the goal. The goal is simply to make the sport better - to have better games; games that are more evenly competed; games that are not dominated by age outliers.
Definitely a mom. Who writes that much? I couldn't even get through reading it. Blah, Blah... You like to hear yourself talk.
I really hope it is not an adult. You learn rather early in your education that you should not start a sentence with And.
