BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Boys 2020 Fall 2014/Summer 2015

All relative. Even that kid struggles to go 50/50 with the better f/o kids. Seen express smoked at x more than once! Even so, congratulations to him because you really are only as good as your last performance!

Rest of the kids aren't average at best. This team has been one of the best in the age group for years. Demonstrated a great team effort this weekend as they had multiple kids scoring in each game and playing time was largely even for everyone that attended. Does the team have a strong face off guy, absolutely, but the Looney's FOGO (Express face off guy isn't a FOGO), Legacy had a great face-off kid, etc. Sons scored some late goals to make the score look closer than the game actually was with Express. Both Long Island teams (Express and Legacy) were the best of the day by a good margin.

So late goals are worth less than early goals? The score is the score and they all count. I watched the game....it was no thumping by Express. It was actually pretty even.

Annapolis Hawks 2020 had a win against Legacy last weekend at the Hopkins Tournament. More Maryland teams playing strong against Long Island.

All true 7th graders with no hold backs.

They should be, most of your roster is comprised of older kids...

Nobody called it a thumping, and no, late goals don't count less than early goals, it was a good game, but to say that it was all due to faceoff edge is incorrect. It was a great day of competitive lacrosse. The two long island teams each won all three of their games, against what are supposed to be the best teams in the Philly and Baltimore areas. All these teams should do more events like this so the kids get great competition.

Annapolis Hawks 2020 had a win against Legacy last weekend at the Hopkins Tournament. More Maryland teams playing strong against Long Island.

Legacy over Rock by at least 10
Hawks over Turnpike by at least 12
Hawks over Legacy 4-3 or 5-4 (one goal game)

Let me guess, they were without their face-off guy and look what happened...

Kid is very good, he's an impact player and not a FOGO. Having a great face off guys is critical to a team's success

The US Lacrosse 9/1 cutoff date isn't realistic for large parts of the US. Where I live, as a practical matter all of the private schools will insist that boys with summer birthdays start school later so the true school cutoff is probably May. One tournament uses 8/1. The Warrior Worlds Series of Lacrosse is using 5/1. People will always argue any date you choose, but 9/1 isn't representative of where we are as a society. I has an October birthday and went to college when I was 17. Times change and if I had a son with an October birthday I would have him start school later than I did.

So let's not have cut offs at all and let your son play down and beat on younger kids. Problem solved!

The kid is a decent all around player, but the BEST F/o guy. Difference maker for that team is a dramatic understatement...

The US Lacrosse 9/1 cutoff date isn't realistic for large parts of the US. Where I live, as a practical matter all of the private schools will insist that boys with summer birthdays start school later so the true school cutoff is probably May. One tournament uses 8/1. The Warrior Worlds Series of Lacrosse is using 5/1. People will always argue any date you choose, but 9/1 isn't representative of where we are as a society. I has an October birthday and went to college when I was 17. Times change and if I had a son with an October birthday I would have him start school later than I did.

There are legitimate reasons to start a child with a summer birthday a year later. The problem with the current cutoff date is it is close to a school year cutoff date but not inclusive enough that it is enforceable. The reality is that most kids want to play with their friends and most of their friends are in their grade. Making teams grade based with a maximum age makes sense. Using a 12/31 cutoff and not making any effort to make it grade based makes sense. Using at 9/1 date as a proxy for grade based leads to a system where everyone decides to go grade based instead and then you have no maximum age and extreme hold backs have way too much advantage. We have ended up with the worst of both options.

9/1 should be the date. period. same as school. if you chose to hold you kid back for perceived/real/necessary reasons/advantages, no problem, but if he is going to compete in youth sports, especially contact sports, he should compete with and against kids his own age. Tough to have it both ways--advantages of being older but forever competing with and against kids not necessarily his friends in school because he is in a different grade--well, something to consider with your next child then... it does all work itself out once they are in college and have all matured and grown but not at the youth level--there is a DISTINCT advantage in prepubescent and pubescent years for kids that are older--even 9 months--forget about 18 months. Its just not right.

9/1 should be the date. period. same as school. if you chose to hold you kid back for perceived/real/necessary reasons/advantages, no problem, but if he is going to compete in youth sports, especially contact sports, he should compete with and against kids his own age. Tough to have it both ways--advantages of being older but forever competing with and against kids not necessarily his friends in school because he is in a different grade--well, something to consider with your next child then... it does all work itself out once they are in college and have all matured and grown but not at the youth level--there is a DISTINCT advantage in prepubescent and pubescent years for kids that are older--even 9 months--forget about 18 months. Its just not right.

That's the appropriate move. USL continues to ignore this issue, in spite of the fact that they are very much aware of it. They will not do anything to jeopordize the growth of the sport, and have the convenient defense that it's the travel organizations controlling this. It is very easy to go on USL's website and voice your concern.

I have also corresponded with USL on this very subject, as recently as February. They said they are developing a sanctioning model, in addition to an age verification program. I have not heard anything since, but will be reaching out to them for an update. I'll post their response.

This will never happen. They can't force privately run tournaments so comply. It is America and the people who run these tourneys can structure the tourney however they want.

The only way this changes is if insurance companies refuse to underwrite policies for teams and tournaments that do not have a good age based rule in place. If that happens, change will occur because insurance is needed to get the field space. Make it about the money and operation of teams and tournaments, then maybe some change will occur. worry about safety of players and nobody with any authority will change.

From the 2021 string, but worth noting here too since it involves 7th graders, and a club that denies it has older kids playing on each team...

The Advisory Board of the Mid-Atlantic Spring League recently determined that the Rising Sons 6th grade team had been playing this entire spring with two 7th graders on their roster. The rules of Mid-Atlantic Spring League strictly prohibit players from competing in divisions below their grade level The rule on this point was made clear to all clubs multiple times prior to the beginning of league play this Spring. First, the rule was set forth in the initial email welcoming teams into the league. Second, League Directors reviewed the rule on a conference call with all coaches, refs, and club directors participating in the Spring League. And, finally, the rule was reiterated in an email from the League Director in the week before the league initiated on March 15th.

Accordingly, we have determined that the conduct of the Rising Sons 6th grade team constitutes a flagrant violation of clearly communicated league rules. When directly asked about the situation, the Rising Sons club director confirmed the violation.

In response the league will take the following measures:

1. The Mid-Atlantic Spring League does not crown champions, and is more about player development than winning, but as a matter of principle the Rising Sons 6th grade team will forfeit all wins in the league in which ineligible players participated. Those games will be scored as 1-0 defeats per Federation rules.

2. The two 7th graders in question will not be allowed to play in the 6th grade division for the remainder of the league

3. The Rising Sons 2021 coach is barred from coaching in the league for the remainder of the season.

The Mid-Atlantic Spring League was founded to give like-minded programs that focus on year-round player development an opportunity to play fair and competitive games against each other. This principle fails if clubs are not willing to follow the agreed-upon rules. The league will adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards intentional violations of the age rules going forward, and reserves the right to permanently ban any future violators.

Let's play the remainder of the season honoring the game, your opponent and the officials.

From the 2021 string, but worth noting here too since it involves 7th graders, and a club that denies it has older kids playing on each team...

The Advisory Board of the Mid-Atlantic Spring League recently determined that the Rising Sons 6th grade team had been playing this entire spring with two 7th graders on their roster. The rules of Mid-Atlantic Spring League strictly prohibit players from competing in divisions below their grade level The rule on this point was made clear to all clubs multiple times prior to the beginning of league play this Spring. First, the rule was set forth in the initial email welcoming teams into the league. Second, League Directors reviewed the rule on a conference call with all coaches, refs, and club directors participating in the Spring League. And, finally, the rule was reiterated in an email from the League Director in the week before the league initiated on March 15th.

Accordingly, we have determined that the conduct of the Rising Sons 6th grade team constitutes a flagrant violation of clearly communicated league rules. When directly asked about the situation, the Rising Sons club director confirmed the violation.

In response the league will take the following measures:

1. The Mid-Atlantic Spring League does not crown champions, and is more about player development than winning, but as a matter of principle the Rising Sons 6th grade team will forfeit all wins in the league in which ineligible players participated. Those games will be scored as 1-0 defeats per Federation rules.

2. The two 7th graders in question will not be allowed to play in the 6th grade division for the remainder of the league

3. The Rising Sons 2021 coach is barred from coaching in the league for the remainder of the season.

The Mid-Atlantic Spring League was founded to give like-minded programs that focus on year-round player development an opportunity to play fair and competitive games against each other. This principle fails if clubs are not willing to follow the agreed-upon rules. The league will adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards intentional violations of the age rules going forward, and reserves the right to permanently ban any future violators.

Let's play the remainder of the season honoring the game, your opponent and the officials.