BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2022

API / DIAMONDBACKS IS THE ONLY ELITE TEAM IN THE AREA THAT DOES'NT HAVE HOLD BACKS.

Good luck this year.

Elite in 3rd grade years ago maybe as a middle school team not so much.

Not an API dad, but they are still in the top tier.

Dbacks are the Hobart of 7th grade lacrosse. Playing against D1 teams by D3 rules.

I wouldn't count API out . They are always tuff to play .

Tough (ugh)

Unlimited access to indoor is a huge plus for API.

The coaching is a huge minus for API.

Facility or no facility, API has marginal talent.

Hey! That's somebody's father you're talking about!

The only problem with the team is the crazy head coach. Such a jerk. How do parents let their child play for such a crazed lunatic?

If they can't make Hawks, what choice do they have?

Most those kids could make the hawks and any other team in md. The coach is a great guy but very passionate. Plus name me one coach at 2022 Who isn't a passionate lunatic

Any updates from this weekend box games

I guess your kids Coach is a Saint? Parents let their kids play for him because he wins. They won last year a lot and before last year they won almost everything for 3 straight years. You might find 1-if that 2022 Coach that has won more than that guy since this age group started 4 years ago.With basically the same team year after year. So if he is the problem with team well thats a good problem to have.

Still an [lacrosse].

All about the wins. At least he's honest.

Couple of weeks ago someone posted list of teams playing in Howard County spring league. Where did that info come from? And any update? Don't see anything on website yet. Thx.

Well if you want to win some games play for one team. If you want to develop and play at a higher level go play else where. Zone defense does not develop players

They play the best 2022 teams so I don't understand about a higher level. On defense they play man and also zone it depends on what team they are playing.

What are teams doing instead of St. Paul's league?

The teams that will be participating in the St. Pauls league will be the teams that can't win on Sundays in the HOCO league

Not exactly correct. There are several teams that play Sat. in the St. Pauls league and also play in HOCO on Sunday. Go look at last years schedules, they are still online.

That was helpful. Thanks. Can someone with reading comprehension answer the question?

They are only doing the hoco league and practicing on Saturdays.

I take it you are talking about Arden playing Zone. I believe they play Zone and Man. Its good for the players to learn how to play both.

Whatever. There is no reason for a youth lacrosse team to play zone(other than trying to win). It teaches the kids nothing. It all depends on what your view of the purpose of youth lacrosse. If a college coach is there to watch a defensive player and he sees the team playing zone he will walk away. Seen it happen.

Trying to win? Appalling! Who would try to win a lacrosse game?! If you aren't trying to win games then just practice. That gets you better than a game. They are in 7th grade (6th last year) - any chance the kids can go out and have fun and compete and try to win. It's fun. Plenty of time on the practice field to improve their skills. And I am sure the talented kids at dbacks will have plenty of chances to see college coaches - when they are in HS. As will the talented Hawks kids, crabs kids and RR kids, etc. I really hope no college coaches were watching the 6th graders play. And I am not a dback dad or even a 2022 dad, but you guys have the most entertaining conversations so I couldn't resist.
Lastly, I am guessing all teams play their top players a little more in close games. Why? To win?

What a bunch of BS. College teams run zone during the course of games. You have no idea what you are talking about. I've watched high level HS lacrosse teams run zone. It's called learning game IQ.

You haven't seen anything.

You play zone when you don't have the horses to play man. It doesn't require the individual skill that man to man does. Fact.

I didn't say colleges didn't play zone. I said that college coaches aren't going to sit and watch a defender if they are playing zone. You can't evaluate a player that way and it's a waste of their time.

Your talking about 7th graders! How many college coaches are watching 7th graders? Too much emphasis on recruiting in youth lacrosse. It should be about learning the game and trying to win the game. Being seen should not be the ultimate goal - especially for 7th graders.

Read an article on why zone is bad for youth basketball. The quote and list were interesting and applicable to youth lacrosse.

"A player that is taught man-to-man defense when they’re young will have a much easier transition to playing zone defense than a player who plays zone defense exclusively at a young age will have transitioning to a man-to-man defense when they’re older.

So this comes down to a case of ‘do you want your players to be better prepared for the future or do you want them to win now?’"

15 poor defensive habits that a zone defense promotes…
1. Lazy on-ball defense
2. Standing and watching off ball
3. Poor closeout technique
4. Little accountability
5. Lack of communication
6. Minimal defensive movement
7. Fewer opportunities to guard different positions and areas of the floor
8. Fewer opportunities to practice communication in defensive transition
9. Fewer opportunities to practice decision-making in defensive transition
10. Reduced accountability on box outs
11. Fewer decisions while playing help defense
12. Decreased defense-rotation repetitions
13. Fewer opportunities to learn what constitutes acceptable defensive risk-taking
14. Minimal opportunities to defend a screen
15. Fewer opportunities for bigger players to guard the ball.

agree. playing zone is about the coach concerned about winning games not developing skills. we had a coach throw zone on us in a u11 rec game. naturally our boys had no clue what to as we didn't have a zone offense. after moving the ball around for about a minute the coach was calling for a timer on call.

You're missing my point. No, coaches aren't watching 7th graders. They are however watching 8th graders. And having kids playing zone in 7th grade is not helping the kids. They should be concentrating on playing one on one against their man, making proper slides, etc. And you're right, the emphasis should be on learning how to play the game. Playing zone just to confuse a team and win a game is short sighted and selfish.

Posters are correct--playing 6v6 zone does not build individual skills and should not be run at youth level.

So if a team plays zone defense how does that affect the offense? Say at practice all the defense plays is zone. Does a offensive player benefit playing against zone Defense?

It's a systematic approach to break down a zone. It doesn't necessarily require individual skill. Especially when a zone is being played by 7th graders. In most cases, it's not being played well. The sole purpose is to confuse the offensive players and coaches use it to win games they know they can't win matched up man to man. Is it bad for a kid to learn how to play against zone? Not really, but they aren't improving their individual skills doing so.