BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2023-8th Grade Fall 2018/Summer 2019

?????

Nope. All dad coaches on that team.

No way!!!!

Doesn't his son play for Koopers?

From where?

Hawks 2023 getting a new goalie [/quote]


we will see, isn't that what tryouts are for[/quote]

Is the 2023 goalie that played on Hawks 2022 dropping down to play with Hawks or going elsewhere?
[/quote]
This is very sad both goalie dad's posting to try to get the other goalie not to attend a tryout or something. You both must know each other but posting about rising 8th graders? I hope future college coaches know that they are getting crazy parents which only hurts the recruiting chances with some coaches. [/quote]

I was at tryouts and saw a DC Express kid at goalie and he was a stud. Better than the other two!!! [/quote]

we will see, isn't that what tryouts are for[/quote]

Is the 2023 goalie that played on Hawks 2022 dropping down to play with Hawks or going elsewhere?
[/quote]
This is very sad both goalie dad's posting to try to get the other goalie not to attend a tryout or something. You both must know each other but posting about rising 8th graders? I hope future college coaches know that they are getting crazy parents which only hurts the recruiting chances with some coaches. [/quote]

I was at tryouts and saw a DC Express kid at goalie and he was a stud. Better than the other two!!! [/quote][/quote]



we will see, isn't that what tryouts are for[/quote]

Is the 2023 goalie that played on Hawks 2022 dropping down to play with Hawks or going elsewhere?
[/quote]
This is very sad both goalie dad's posting to try to get the other goalie not to attend a tryout or something. You both must know each other but posting about rising 8th graders? I hope future college coaches know that they are getting crazy parents which only hurts the recruiting chances with some coaches. [/quote]

I was at tryouts and saw a DC Express kid at goalie and he was a stud. Better than the other two!!! [/quote][/quote]



we will see, isn't that what tryouts are for[/quote]

Is the 2023 goalie that played on Hawks 2022 dropping down to play with Hawks or going elsewhere?
[/quote]
This is very sad both goalie dad's posting to try to get the other goalie not to attend a tryout or something. You both must know each other but posting about rising 8th graders? I hope future college coaches know that they are getting crazy parents which only hurts the recruiting chances with some coaches. [/quote]

I was at tryouts and saw a DC Express kid at goalie and he was a stud. Better than the other two!!! [/quote][/quote]

There was actually 4 goalies at tryouts. Their regular starter was by far the best followef by the second string goalie. The DC united holdback I believe made the team also. Not the goalie dad or a Hawks parent as my son didnt make the team.

we will see, isn't that what tryouts are for[/quote]

Is the 2023 goalie that played on Hawks 2022 dropping down to play with Hawks or going elsewhere?
[/quote]
This is very sad both goalie dad's posting to try to get the other goalie not to attend a tryout or something. You both must know each other but posting about rising 8th graders? I hope future college coaches know that they are getting crazy parents which only hurts the recruiting chances with some coaches. [/quote]

I was at tryouts and saw a DC Express kid at goalie and he was a stud. Better than the other two!!! [/quote][/quote]


Any DCE helmet at a 2023 tryout is reclassing. DCE teams begin at 8th grade. Clearly any DCE helmet wasn't good enough to stay on age.

What’s a recommended A/B club for this grade in the Towson/Baltimore area? Looking for stability, development, and, for next year, high school program. Son will start/play a lot. New to the area and need to choose.

Read the comments prior to yours. There are NONE. Pick any of supposed Top teams and ALL are messed up in one way or another. If your son is a starter..It doesnt really matter. Crabs, FCA, seem to be near top with tons of holdbacks going into MIAA schools, If you are a public school boy then any of rest will do, You have Looneys, Team 91 New and improved with MM watching over LOL, Breakers.
All practice near Towson.

Good luck in your quest to find a stable developmental team. No one has found one yet!

The "elite" teams have all concluded tryouts and their rosters are set. Unless you (1) know someone or (2) your son is the second coming (and you also know someone), those clubs aren't an option.

Even most of the A/B teams in the area have also finished tryouts, but I would guess that they are more likely to let your son come out over the Fall and guest for a tournament and evaluate him then for next Spring. The two I'm most familiar with (although my son plays for neither):

(1) Rock -- The 2023 team has had a lot of turnover the last few years. There is a new young coach, Mike Marshner who will be taking over as the head coach (he was an assistant the last two years). The prior coach, Ricky Matthews, will still be around, but is coaching the 2024 team. Likely the 2023s will play some games/tournaments with 2024s. The program itself is focused on player development, but don't expect to win a lot of games. Rock continues (at least for now) to have a pretty solid high school recruiting program. They will often combine their Baltimore and PA teams for recruiting events. Contact: Kevin Mayer coachmayer@rocklacrosse.net

(2) Koopers -- The 2023 team played B last year and was pretty successful. I believe they lost a few of their players (FO kid?) but, at least prior to tryouts, were planning on moving up to play A level. The program is well run and stable. I don't know much about the 2023 coaches, but the program is pretty excited about bringing in Hopkins coach, Dave Pietramala, as their Coaches Coach. The program director, Ron Klausner, is very connected and is a great resource. I can almost guarantee he'd be happy to speak with you. The email I have is: ronklausner@kooperslacrosse.com If that doesn't work, there is a contact link on their website: https://www.kooperslacrosse.com/home

Good luck to your son.

Thanks. This is helpful. How do Breakers, Green Turtle and True Wolfpack compare with the two you mention?

First, you can cross Rock off the list. I just heard that Rock has folded its 2023 team. :0

I'm not that familiar with Breakers, Greene Turtle and Wolfpack. I do know that Breakers sends me emails constantly. And Greene Turtle 2023 is what used to be Lax World. That Lax World team had some good players, but I was never impressed with their player development - the team often seemed to run on just letting a few athletic/talented players freelance. But that's an outsiders view, and with them coming under Greene Turtle, things might be different.

Do you know for certain that the Koopers FO kid left? What other players left?

Best defender

It's been a terrible tryout year......kids are going from hero to zero because holdback and pre-first kids are obviously more sought out after than kids that quite frankly have not hit puberty yet....Really annoyed by this whole process...Talented kids loosing their spot to a kid that should be in High School and in some cases can drive to 8th grade lacrosse practice.... They system is so jacked....

Don't fight the system. Have your kid show up at the 2024 tryouts

I heard he tried out for FCA and Crabs and didn’t make it so ended up at Looney’s. Should help out that team win more FOs then they did last year.

Looneys Orange? What about the 2 they had?

That's my son , always the smallest but talented. It is at a point that he does not want to play this year., The whole youth lax scene is sickening.

That would be a mistake - assuming he still loves playing the game. Make it clear to him that being on "x" team when he's 13 years old isn't the deciding factor in his [lacrosse] life.

If it helps, remind him that Paul Rabil didn't even START playing lacrosse until he was 12.

There are a lot of teams out there that would love to have a talented kid. If he loves the game and keeps working, in a few years all the holdback kids will no longer have the age/size advantage and your son will be able to play on an even field.

Teams have 5-7 holdbacks at most. Stop crying that they are taking over your team. There are still 15 or more spots filled by on age kids. If your son didn't make it it probably means he didn't belong on that team. There are so many options out there and there is a place for everyone. But if your son didn't make Crabs or FCA it's not because all the holdbacks forced him out. Things change. In a year your son may be the one that pushes someone else off the roster.

So, it's only a 1/4 of the team? That's A LOT.

- Someone not crying. Parent who is happy son is on his first choice team with several of his good friends.

No more early recruiting has neutered the advantage that holdback kids used to have on the on age kids. All of these kids will be on an even playing field in 12-15 months, and will have plenty of time to showcase their skills to college coaches. This is also the time that a lot of these kids will crush Dad’s lacrosse dreams for their son when they decide they want to concentrate on football, soccer, wrestling or whatever sport they find more joy in playing.

Considering not playing at all this year so he can train and work with coaches away from the madness and stupidity of club lacrosse.... High School lacrosse and another year of growth will help him to bypass these holdback kids that get a pass because they are bigger and stronger... Not necessarily better lacrosse players

Quote: "Considering not playing at all this year so he can train and work with coaches away from the madness and stupidity of club lacrosse.... High School lacrosse and another year of growth will help him to bypass these holdback kids that get a pass because they are bigger and stronger... Not necessarily better lacrosse players"

Keeping him out of club and just training may not necessarily resolve the issue favorably. My son is small so we're dealing with it too. And I am no fan of the holdbacks at either delayed kindergarten entry, prefirst or 8th. But some of the kids "that get a pass because they are bigger and stronger" are not holdbacks. Just bigger kids who hit puberty earlier than your son or mine. It's the genetic lottery & some kids grow earlier than others and are on age. That isn't going to necessarily change in 9th grade. You just have to keep him playing - at any level - and training until that growth spurt happens.

It sounds like your post in sincere. There is a ton of trash talk in these posts and if you are looking for honest advice from anonymous people I will try my best. You can take or leave this advice. I would really speak with my son about playing on a TEAM this year. I started in 8th grade and played on a D1 program. It was a different era and that my not be relevant to today. However the point I want to make it this: Lacrosse is a fun team sport. There is a team for every kid. I have watched different levels and this is true. If you are considering personal training with coaches for your son, ask yourself this: is that fun? is it more fun that games? What kid wants to train and work hard for the season after next? In my opinion kids brains do not see that far into the future. Why prepare for HS before you start 8th grade? Private coaching can be good but you can only get better playing lacrosse and games are fun. I would work to find a team that he fits in and remember that the team is what it is all about or at least was for me and is for my son.

Holdback apologist. It is usually a few more on supposed top teams. But that means these kids gaming the system have taken 5-10 spots that should be taken by on age players. thats 25% to 50% of team players. Pretty sorry state for youth lacrosse.

Great post.

That’s all excuses. Maybe you kids are not that good. Every heard of Joey Sankey ? What is he 5’5” maybe? Elite lacrosse is for not everyone. My son plays on a elite 2022 team. Always one of the smallest kids on the team but plays like he is one of the biggest on the field. He loves playing against older bigger kids. They cannot cover him. His older brother is 2020 player twice as big but half the player.. Lax IQ speed quickness stick skills and heart. You have that you can play at any level.

Just hold your dwarf's back already or send them to the cathedral all boys choir, but PLEASE stop posting the same old tear in my beer, any excuse to give up and blame someone else for my troubles crap here day after day.

You live in a hot bed for Lacrosse and your kid got launched because they wanted someone else. It's happened to the best so who are you??

Go somewhere else to play or if your kid is as great as you say....put him on a level playing ground physically and mentally with all these Jolly Giant's and have him repeat.

More than likely...YOU know that repeating wouldn't change your situation one bit and THAT is what really burns your arses.

Again, whatever you do...STOP talking and actually DO something...for your kid's sake.

100% agree. They will all catch up in HS. Some of our team's smaller players are the mightiest and most aggressive. Our biggest player was let go was slow and timid. A kid who was small and a defender came to our team before tournament season and oh my, he was RELENTLESS! Our big soft guy was intimidating at first glance on field but when game started, it was our mighty mouse who made players go horizontal and frustrated. Please contact coaches or directors of teams you have interest in. Good organizations will walk you through this thought process and talk to you about their team's needs.
Tell your son to keep practicing and strength train. He will be good!

Hilarious,,spoken like a parent that knew his son couldnt compete against children the same age. What to do..Give his child an advantage others same exact age dont get. According to your church choir, thats in the spirit of YOUTH sports, LOL ...maybe , just maybe, youth sports played by children wasnt meant to give select players like you son an advantage others dont get.

Yawn. Move on. The horse is dead.

I'm not a holdback apologist. My son is on one of the 2 teams I mentioned and he is not a holdback. There is no team with 10 holdbacks. Like I said, there are 5-7 older kids on these teams. And even if they are older it's only be a few months. That leaves 15 or so spots that are filled by on age kids. If your son didn't make it he got beat out by 15 kids his age. What is your excuse about those because I'm sure there is one? Do you just tell him it's politics? They're in 8th grade now. This is when kids really start to separate in terms of athleticism. Being big and slow is no better than small and weak. Both FCA and Crabs got rid of kids that were holdbacks and added on age kids this year. Those holdback kids were bigger and better when they were younger but kids have caught up now.

Yes that is why we have so many kids being held back in 8th grade this year. Do you really expect people to believe you??. Crabs cutting MIAA holdbacks over on age kids. LOL.

You don't have to believe me. The rosters will be posted shortly and you can believe it then. Crabs cut several kids that went to prefirst. Crabs didn't have anyone that was repeating 8th grade last year. Neither did FCA. That seems to be a Hawks thing these days.

Fca added a player from 91 who is repeating 8th grade and one from Crabs who repeated 6th grade (played 2022 and 2023 for Crabs). Those two are obvious. Sure there are others. And Crabs has at least three others, all at McD, who did prefirst.

FCA added 2022 holdbacks and cut on age players from last year. The ones I'm aware of include a middie from 91 and several middies and attack from Crabs. Maybe they also cut some kids who were kindergarten holdbacks, but they added a number of 8th grade holdbacks.

I do agree that the advantages of an extra year (not "a few months") are beginning to fade at this point. But to discount the advantages it gives these kids (and their parents) ignores reality.

Not a single 8th grade repeat on the Hawks team... unless the non-impact new goalie is. dummy.