BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team

Gymnastics, tennis ,golf , I can see an 8th grader play varsity. But lacrosse is a contact sport. The physical strength between a possible 18 year old and 13/14 yr old is flat out dangerous. Any school official would be careless to do that

Gymnastics, tennis ,golf , I can see an 8th grader play varsity. But lacrosse is a contact sport. The physical strength between a possible 18 year old and 13/14 yr old is flat out dangerous. Any school official would be careless to do that

I am faced with this dilemma now with my 8th grade son. He plays on his town travel team and on a summer travel team.As spring rolls around he will have lots of "travel" practice commitments. Last year the JHS "experinece" was wanting to say the least. Poor coaching and many players with little or no skills or lax knowledge. He has stated that he does not want to play school ball but I am afraid of alienating the HS coaches. We are in a strong LAX town. Some 8th graders are moved up to JV in our town but they are the exception, not the rule. My son is on the cusp of being able to play at the JV level but he and both agree he is not there yet. Nor will the school move 8th graders onto the freshman team. What to do? I have told him to play school lax and just have fun with it but he counters that its practice everyday and all they do is work on basic drills coupled with limited playing time b/c coach has to play everyone.

....in your opinion, correct? Can you declare this for every situation? Have you ever seen a 110 lb Junior/Senior? Have you ever seen a 200 lb 13 yr old? They DO exist, and our love for hormone injected livestock has seen that these kids are around (genetics may play a small part as well). Wish the kid well, as your child will learn from this expression of benevolence. I just mean to point out that we have probably seen some of the most gross mismatches occur on high school fields, and the kids usually come out just fine. If a kid is willing, and an athletic department is willing, and all are within the guidelines of safety put forth by our state, maybe we should cheer on little Johnny, and show more concern for the nubie whom is sure to get creamed by the jock of the same age headed his way at a full gallop!

Speaking of hormones - recently overheard one long island 2016 kid tell another on an airplane that they take hormone injections because "my dad says it will make me grow". Looking at this kid, he was slightly bigger than his friend. This is now the second one that I've heard about in this grade - the other being a clearly over zealous father in a well-to-do town with a rich lax history. Parents messing with mother nature regardless of long term repurcussions or just medically necessary? Anybody else hearing anything along these lines?

Speaking of hormones - recently overheard one long island 2016 kid tell another on an airplane that they take hormone injections because "my dad says it will make me grow". Looking at this kid, he was slightly bigger than his friend. This is now the second one that I've heard about in this grade - the other being a clearly over zealous father in a well-to-do town with a rich lax history. Parents messing with mother nature regardless of long term repurcussions or just medically necessary? Anybody else hearing anything along these lines?

No

I've actually researched this fairly extensively just out of curiosity. Basically I came out on the side of "just don't do it!". Only in the case of fairly severe cases of hormone deficiency does it even begin to cross over into the area of medically necessary. There are many doctors who strongly believe that the long term consequences can be severely detrimental leading to many potential health problems as an adult - mainly involving the liver, link to certain cancers, cardiovascular and circulatory systems - particular abnormalities of the heart (enlargement) - remember the heart is a muscle and affected the same way a bicep would be. Don't even think about it for an athletic edge! Unfortunately there are parents who will try to push the envelope and for sure if you look hard enough for a doctor to go along with it you'll find one too.

I repeat, it depends on the district. I've also heard of that test being given and re-given until an athlete passes if that's how the powers that be want it to happen. I also believe, if you read the small print on the NYS doc, that the AD can sign off on an athelete moving up despite not passing the test. Is this squirrely? You betcha.

It depends on each district if they allow a child to move up. It is a state governed mandatory physical test that each athlete has to pass to move up. The standards of that test are different for different sports (contact/non-contact etc.) It is not in "small print", there is actually an addtional application called Special Approval Request Application that can be sent to NYS for approval (if the athlete can not meet a certain standard) Is that "squirrely"? I dont think so..It is a process for a student/athlete to be good enough for a JV or Varsity coach to take notice of him/her & it is a VERY dificult test to pass. Do you not think that the coaches, AD, parents & the students know the pros and cons of making a decision like this? Why is anyone angry or questioning the process? Some kids (even without hormone injections) are just bigger, stronger, faster, more atheletic, focused, etc. @ an earlier age. Good for them (& the school districts they live in)

Wake up people!!!! The hormone stuff is all over the wrestling community and most wrestlers and parents are well aware of it. Maybe not as much in lax as of now but it is out there. Many of the wrestlers know which "doctors" that they need to go to to get the meds.

Wake up people!!!! The hormone stuff is all over the wrestling community and most wrestlers and parents are well aware of it. Maybe not as much in lax as of now but it is out there. Many of the wrestlers know which "doctors" that they need to go to to get the meds.

coached youth wrestling for years and been around the sport for over 30 years and have never heard of anyone involved with hormone therapy on Long Island. I also have been around Olympic and World champions and never heard about it. Maybe WWE but here on Long Island I have not. Yes there are those who feel the need to have an edge and will take steroids or HGH but giving this type of crap to a kid who does not need it for a medical situation is nuts. I also think this thread started off as somthing else. Lets go back to the original topic.

Two very interesting topics have emerged : Middle School vs. Club Lacrosse and the much darker question of steroid usage. BOTC would certainly support going back to our original discussion topic, but we cannot turn a blind eye to the specter of steroid usage.

When size, speed, strength etc are important (ie..all sports) people will try to find an edge. The HGH issue with kids is out there and it is easier to obtain than you think from certain doctors. Combine that with the notion of holding a kid back, late bloomers etc and thats why you see such a disparity between kids at the middle school age. Add to that the idea that 8th graders are getting "looks" at a money making camp, the hope that "my kid" will get a scholarship, and you have all the ingredients for problems with a sport like Lax.

Cage, steroid usage and a Doctor giving HGH injections are two different issues. Believe it or not, a parent who is concerned about their son growing can get a Dr to start HGH injection much easier than you would think. It is far more available than most people know. It just so happens that the the other effects of HGH are increased musle mass. Which ultimately increases speed. That's right, strength equals speed, another topic for all these speed guys having kids running ladders and cones to increase speed. (useless)

They're not necessarily running ladders an cons t develop straight-line speed. Other than track, straight-line speed, while impressive, isn't particularly useful.

not to change the subject or anything but I would welcome Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team. I don't buy into the "help the town and help the weaker kids" argument at all, the smarter kids never come over my house to help my kid do math homework and I couldn't care less about my HS rankings, I care about my own kid and whats best for him/her and I would love if he/she could play with her select team all year round and never have to play middle school with a bunch of new kids that aren't dedicated to the game.

not to change the subject or anything but I would welcome Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team. I don't buy into the "help the town and help the weaker kids" argument at all, the smarter kids never come over my house to help my kid do math homework and I couldn't care less about my HS rankings, I care about my own kid and whats best for him/her and I would love if he/she could play with her select team all year round and never have to play middle school with a bunch of new kids that aren't dedicated to the game.

not to change the subject or anything but I would welcome Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team. I don't buy into the "help the town and help the weaker kids" argument at all, the smarter kids never come over my house to help my kid do math homework and I couldn't care less about my HS rankings, I care about my own kid and whats best for him/her and I would love if he/she could play with her select team all year round and never have to play middle school with a bunch of new kids that aren't dedicated to the game.

not to change the subject or anything but I would welcome Bypassing Middle School Lax for Club Team. I don't buy into the "help the town and help the weaker kids" argument at all, the smarter kids never come over my house to help my kid do math homework and I couldn't care less about my HS rankings, I care about my own kid and whats best for him/her and I would love if he/she could play with her select team all year round and never have to play middle school with a bunch of new kids that aren't dedicated to the game.

If the current trend continues, it seems likely that the best players will forgo middle schools teams for club teams. Perhaps it will even extend to high school teams. My kid plays for a good club team and I think this trend is really unfortunate. High school lacrosse were some of my best memories. I really wish everyone would step back and let the kids be kids and enjoy their middle school and high school teams playing alongside their friends from their towns in front of local student. Don't mean to get on a soapbox. These are just my humble opinions.

I would like to know your feelings on the Town Program that does not allow boys to play on their PAL team if they choose to play for club team.

I would also like your opinion on "loyalty" with regard to the same town program that will cut a boy who has been "loyal" for many years.

I would like to know your feelings on the Town Program that does not allow boys to play on their PAL team if they choose to play for club team.

I would also like your opinion on "loyalty" with regard to the same town program that will cut a boy who has been "loyal" for many years.

I for one appreciate the honesty and wrestle with this issue myself. It seems the other side of this argument is driven by fear of retribution by coaches and the community.

I would like to know your feelings on the Town Program that does not allow boys to play on their PAL team if they choose to play for club team.

I would also like your opinion on "loyalty" with regard to the same town program that will cut a boy who has been "loyal" for many years.

I would like to know your feelings on the Town Program that does not allow boys to play on their PAL team if they choose to play for club team.

I would also like your opinion on "loyalty" with regard to the same town program that will cut a boy who has been "loyal" for many years.