BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Age Verification

What choice do I have, but to be physical early against an older team? I'm not saying I'm going to instruct anyone to hurt another player or cheap it up. We need to set the tone early and then play our game. Have you looked at the photos posted on the thread of the 2019 Edge team? You are worried about their safety?

My son's team played the 2020 Edge team last Fall. They were not all huge, but they had several very thick, mature kids. They also like to play with stick lengths that are very short and probably not legal. They are not invincible....The two teams played twice and split. I suggest you focus on winning face offs and ground balls and trying to keep the ball down in their end, rather than planning how best to lay out their kids.

I'm coaching a 2019 team this summer and we as a program have already discussed how to handle any games we have this summer against Edge Lacrosse or any other team playing down. We will go on the attack. We have two poles are large, strong and extremely physical and unfortunately we have to protect some of our smaller players. We will unleash our beasts and instruct them to intimidate, be overly physical and slide early and finish with every once of nastiness you've got. We will change our slide package and early in games we will look to scare the heck out of these older kids. Sound like hockey? Its the only thing I could think of because a few of our attackmen are on the small side and I don't want to see our guys get brutalized by older thugs. Hit first and hard.

What choice do I have, but to be physical early against an older team? I'm not saying I'm going to instruct anyone to hurt another player or cheap it up. We need to set the tone early and then play our game. Have you looked at the photos posted on the thread of the 2019 Edge team? You are worried about their safety?

I've seen the pics, I evn went on the kids Facebook. But I would never say I would turn thuggish. You say what choice do you have, you say you would go out and scare them, hit them hard and often. That to me sounds like cheap play. Those who can't keep up get frustrated and play thuggish.

I say control the game, spin the ball and keep the ball moving. Take smart shots and ride if there is a turnover. Play hard but clean. As in all games assists and ground balls are winners.

It was more a statement about attitude, not thuggery. Get down off your soap box. Yes, hit them hard- don't be afraid to slide stick on stick body on body. If you play scared, the older bigger team will walk all over you. We would look to slow the game down and yes keep the ball moving on the offensive end.

I am not worried about their safety so much as the safety in general. I have two kids in the youth ages, and about the last thing I want to see more of is teams loaded with older kids playing down. The other things I really don't care for are the chippy games and retribution mentality of the game from the coaching level on downwards. How about spin the ball fast and score first. Hit first and hit hard...I don't think I lost the inference on that comment. Sorry, I just see too much of a vested interest in the game now being controlled by the thugs on one sideline loading up 16 year olds against 14 year olds, and thugs on the other sideline coaching kids to do something about it other than play straight up good lacrosse. In my estimation these kids want to play and have some fun, and also compete. Everything wrong with lacrosse is over the age of 40 dressed like a 14 year old making it worse for the real 14 year olds.

I am not worried about their safety so much as the safety in general. I have two kids in the youth ages, and about the last thing I want to see more of is teams loaded with older kids playing down. The other things I really don't care for are the chippy games and retribution mentality of the game from the coaching level on downwards. How about spin the ball fast and score first. Hit first and hit hard...I don't think I lost the inference on that comment. Sorry, I just see too much of a vested interest in the game now being controlled by the thugs on one sideline loading up 16 year olds against 14 year olds, and thugs on the other sideline coaching kids to do something about it other than play straight up good lacrosse. In my estimation these kids want to play and have some fun, and also compete. Everything wrong with lacrosse is over the age of 40 dressed like a 14 year old making it worse for the real 14 year olds.

One of my son's teammates had his arm broken by an Edge 2019 player last Fall. Protect your players.

Are you suggesting injuries don't happen even when kids are the same age? Are you going to keep your child from playing high school lax to protect him? I'm all for proper age structure in athletics and agree lax needs it, but if your child needs protection from a kid who is only one year older, maybe a different sport is order.

Are you suggesting injuries don't happen even when kids are the same age? Are you going to keep your child from playing high school lax to protect him? I'm all for proper age structure in athletics and agree lax needs it, but if your child needs protection from a kid who is only one year older, maybe a different sport is order.

Are you suggesting injuries don't happen even when kids are the same age? Are you going to keep your child from playing high school lax to protect him? I'm all for proper age structure in athletics and agree lax needs it, but if your child needs protection from a kid who is only one year older, maybe a different sport is order.

Yes, that's what I'm suggesting....are you serious? HS is different, the size and maturity gap in the 13-15 year range can be immense. I'm encouraging the coach to follow his prime directive and protect his players. Period.

HS is different? What HS did you go to that your avg freshmen was anywhere near as physically mature as the avg sr? Never even mind freshmen, every 2019 LI dad is licking their chops for little Johnny to make varsity as an 8th grader this spring, the championship belt of lax parent bragging rights. I can only imagine how fast you would trade Little Johnny's safety for a spot on varsity, but playing kids one year older, oh my.

I am not going to make this about a specific kid by name or even inference, but recently my son attended the U-19 tryouts for US lacrosse indoor team. There were a few 2017 kids there, each of whom I believe are early commits and were also holdbacks and are 17 year old sophomores. As the tryouts played out, these 2017 kids who were the youngest ones invited did in my estimation hang on and you could say they belonged on the field with their skill. None of them stood out though, and none of them were kids who seemed to separate and be an obvious pick for the team USA roster. I believe the reason why is they were playing against very skilled 18 and 19 year olds, and for the first time in their young lacrosse careers looked up and not down at an age, maturity, size, strength advantage. It was very obvious that these younger guys struggled when they got bodied up and pushed, and the physicality delta was very obvious. Again, I think the youngsters held their line, but it was an eye opener to see them feeling out of sorts when the advantage played the other way. Anyone who does not believe it is a huge advantage in the teens to be a year or two older and physically mature at a high level of competition is just wrong IMHO.

I am not going to make this about a specific kid by name or even inference, but recently my son attended the U-19 tryouts for US lacrosse indoor team. There were a few 2017 kids there, each of whom I believe are early commits and were also holdbacks and are 17 year old sophomores. As the tryouts played out, these 2017 kids who were the youngest ones invited did in my estimation hang on and you could say they belonged on the field with their skill. None of them stood out though, and none of them were kids who seemed to separate and be an obvious pick for the team USA roster. I believe the reason why is they were playing against very skilled 18 and 19 year olds, and for the first time in their young lacrosse careers looked up and not down at an age, maturity, size, strength advantage. It was very obvious that these younger guys struggled when they got bodied up and pushed, and the physicality delta was very obvious. Again, I think the youngsters held their line, but it was an eye opener to see them feeling out of sorts when the advantage played the other way. Anyone who does not believe it is a huge advantage in the teens to be a year or two older and physically mature at a high level of competition is just wrong IMHO.

So when you say none are an obvious pick for the roster, are you suggesting there will be no politics involved?

Let's pretend for a minute we are talking about a real sport and there are no politics. None of the 17 year olds stood out against the 18 and 19 year olds. That is not to say lacrosse isn't, you know, lacrosse. Somebody's son or club player or whatever is always a shoe in.

High School is different because the parent and player CHOOSE to play against older players and can weigh the risks. How can you people argue that whole teams playing down is kosher? Why do you people challenge the toughness of a 13 year old and the sanity of fair play?

Choice is everything. Unfortunately the people running tournaments couldn't care less. Player safety should be the number 1 priority of every adult involved at the youth level.

At some point you simpletons from STRONG ISLAND will figure out for the hold backs it isn't about beating you for a championship. It is beating you to the punch for a spot in the NCAA. Frig..figure it out.

At some point you simpletons from STRONG ISLAND will figure out for the hold backs it isn't about beating you for a championship. It is beating you to the punch for a spot in the NCAA. Frig..figure it out.

At some point you simpletons from STRONG ISLAND will figure out for the hold backs it isn't about beating you for a championship. It is beating you to the punch for a spot in the NCAA. Frig..figure it out.

Thank you for the constant jabs aimed at Long Island on the different threads. As a Director of US Lacrosse I have been motivated to address the issue of age classification and the amount of Canadian club players who knowingly play down in spite of regulations prohibiting such inclusion. I will keep you informed as we work to remedy this issue....bonjour Quebec

Thank you for your jab at our Bilingual and inclusive country. As a Director of Canadian Lacrosse I have now been motivated to again point out to you that reclassification started in NE and Maryland and perfected by 3d based in Colorado. Thank you for again showing your US bias and exceptionally low lack of awareness. USA USA USA

This is rich, you question someone's lack of awareness, while you defend the practice of playing down, with the painfully juvenile retort of "they did it first.". Mr. Director, I guess Canadian Lacrosse doesn't create policy based on sportsmanship and fair play; a little easier to just follow the questionable practices of for-profit clubs. No need to try and instill values like honesty, integrity and honor. One thing you are most certainly accomplishing is a growing perception that Canadian lacrosse can only compete in the U.S. by fielding older players. That, my shallow little man, is not a bias, but a fact.

Exactly, so I wonder how the Canadians on that team feel about the next generation of Canadian lacrosse players having to play down to compete. Little embarrassing I guess.