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

One kid moved to 91MD 2023 from 2022.

Have you seen the line-up for Young Guns? Very weak. What happened to this once great tournament? I know that the NLF, Millon Championships, Naptown, etc. have gotten more popular, but Young Guns have almost none of the top clubs and it used to be the best tournament of the summer. Sad.

The best tournament is always and will always be a moving target. These clubs all have back door deals they are working with. This is once again why it is always a safer bet to play for a year in year out elite club and a club with history or being elite.

Thanks Mark ! I know he is the only one that counts but there is more players on the team than your son.

That is only for the 2023. It is strong in other age groups. Last year it was not as strong at 2022 but strong for 2023 and below. Next year it will be weaker at 2024. The rising 9th grade teams move to Crabfeast also run by the same group

It was very good last year for 2023, but doesn't crab feast take over as the teams get older?

The 2023 division for Crabfeast looks solid. Besides after HOCO season ends the definition of a quality tournament is not judged on the teams in attendance but the college coaches that are there. Crabfeast will have a good showing. Most will not be looking at 23's but still the must attend tournaments will be the ones that draw coaches not clubs.

This is a very dumb statement. The coaches follow the best players, The best players play for the best clubs. So if the best clubs are not at a tournament then the coaches will not be there. So lets go back to facts we all know the best 15 clubs give or take. If the tournament does not have 50% or more of the 15 top clubs playing in said tournament. There will not be a lot of coaches in attendance. Only exception would be a West coast or Texas tournament the coaches show up for a vacation and to find the hidden gym.
Also side note if your son is being recruited for real, the coaches from the schools that like him will come see him play in the back yard if they like him enough. Also big thing young parents need to learn is these coaches hit more then one tournament a day and 3 to 5 over a weekend. They feel if they see your son play 5 to 15 min. of lacrosse they see what they need to see. So back to my point above they make sure they hit these top 15 clubs every weekend.

The first post is not a dumb statement as it states pretty much the same thing as your post. The post references Crab Feast which will have 50% of the top 15 every year. The point is that is does not matter if it is Crab Feast, Naptown, Millon event of whatever, the most important factor is the coaches in attendance. Coaches do not have time to go to HS games and do not go visit a an unknown kid in his yard. That is why as they get older, more kids "guest" play to match a tournament with a school they are interested in. You are correct that it may only need to be 10-15 min. Parents should ask coaches what events they will be attending and try to be at those events v. worry what other clubs will be there. It does help to play for a national or known program. More chances to hit more tournaments that a coach may be attending.
Also, I was not aware that TX was a place to go to get a secret workout at a hidden GYM??

I have boys in the class of 2022 and 2023. Both are on top 10 teams in the country, give or take a few spots. Exactly zero college coaches watched 2022 games last summer. The summer of 2021 will be when it counts for this group.

Got word from a friend of a friend's 14 year old nosy neighbor who has an uncle that works for Howard Co. Parks and Rec and according to his assistant's boss's coworker, there are fewer teams registered this year at 2023. Looks like a good 30% fewer teams as registration is closing. Are more teams choosing to play in HOCO league?

As opposed to what, rec league play?

Just got back from NLF. I’d like to give a shout out to the crabs and Laxachusetts for their magical transformations of 16 year olds into 8th graders. Pathetic!

Come on now, did you honestly expect any different?

Fake news

True NEWS.....

Don't forget the Madlax 2023 contingent of 16 year old boys

Not much better at Sandstorm with Madlax, True, Mustangs, etc.....not to mention the viral video from True - Mustangs game

Fake news. There are no 16 year olds in 8th grade playing lacrosse at Madlax. This means they would be 20 years old entering their senior year of high school and ineligible to play any sports, club included. Unless you are saying parents and the club are actively promoting the use of 2022's to play in tournaments. Hmmm. Maybe on that one.

i'll bite. what happened? Link?

Can't be too viral. a search doesn't show it. post the link.

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1087438002010419201?s=09

The stick swinger looks like the biggest kid out there. He is at least 6-10 inches bigger than the kid he is hitting with his stick.

There were quite a few big boys on the west coast teams, it truly is the wild west out there with kids playing down. I think a lot has to do with west coast teams trying to run with the more talented East coast teams. That being said, completely awesome tournament, venue is ridiculous, blows away Denver

Actually it is true as in the fall 2 got their learners permits and another turns 16 in Feb. you have to be 15 years and 9 months in MD to get a permit. So yes maybe 1 of them has his birthday tomorrow so he is not 16, but by the time HOCO starts there will be 3. That is REAL NEWS!!!

Forget what happens Sr year in HS, you can play club and that's all that really matters

Fake news or call out the numbers. I will report them to HoCo because I am with another club. You won't because you are lying and you don't have proof. It's an anonymous forum and you are in the right if it's true.

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

Any repercussions for the goon swinging the stick?

Heard he was expelled from IMG

They kicked him out of the tournament. The kid's dad that did the swing went nuts, start yelling at his son.

According to the boys he put on another jersey and played in the next game, not 100% if this is true. The team was from KC and not very good.

HOCO knows its true. The registration form has their birth date. If you were really a coach you would know that. We are talking about kids so you will never get me to lower myself to the level of identifying them .... But if you are a so called coach you know the team (previously named Club Blue 2023), ask HOCO to look at the registration froms 2 or 3 years ago to verify their ages.

But the simplest thing is to ask your son how old they are.... if he does not know them personally, I am pretty sure he can find out.

You are correct and it is true. There are a number of teams in the elite division with young men who will not be eligible to participate in athletics in their senior year of high school. I'm not sure the parents realize or care or if it will be enforced when they get that far but it is truly a bad situation for HoCo. Not all of the teams have double holdbacks but most do.

I thought he was playing on True IL. That said, I also heard he was a guest player.

Best part is that he spent his time beating on a kid half his size instead of playing defense. Smart attack saw that and capitalized for the goal.

Nope played for KC BLUE LION LACROSSE. Team didn't win a game.

He was playing for True Illinois, the clip is from True v. Texas Mustangs

I don’t understand. We all pay a boat load of money to these clubs for one reason and one reason only. It isn’t because we want these clubs to win more games so they can maximize profits for the club. That’s the goal of the clubs. Our goal is to get our kids better and maximize their potential. Yet so many kids play down against younger, smaller and inferior competition, than if they played at the level they are suppose to. Somebody please explain to me how that is what is in the best interest of the development of the player. I can see how it would obviously be in the best interest of the club, but common sense says the opposite is true for the child. Then why do so many parents do this to their children? People, you are lining the pockets of these club owners, helping them to win games, while you stunt the development of your children and give him a false sense of accomplishment. What’s going to happen in HS when his size is no longer his sole advantage? In fact, by then his lack of size, combined with years of stunted development, will serve him well in his new role on the team. Water boy.

Not it's not. It happened the first day on field 58. True didn't play the Mustangs until Sunday at noon.

Uniform certainly doesn't look like the KC Blue Lions

The clip is from the KC Blue Lions game. True and Mustangs played the second game on Sunday. There was a lot of chatter on every sideline about the incident. Very disgusting.

Teams are starting to practice this month. Fall excuses are over (no more football.) This is the last season of HOCO for this age group and the more things change the more they stay the seam pre-season prediction from an official unofficial source: The know it all 14 year old neighbor.

HOCO Elite: This is a three team race of Hawks, Dogs (last season Club Blue) and Crabs. While the Crabs additional reclasses make this more competitive, final is still Hawks and Dogs. Question is if 91 can finally win a game with the new added talent from last season's 2022 team.

HOCO AA: This is the most changed group from last season as 3d is gone. Lax Factory is now 3d. Madlax Capital is gone and PG is now Next Level. FCA White, API, USS, should consider A and Koopers, Breakers, and Top Caliber should move to AA. Final will still be SR and VLC.

HOCO A: This division will be the battle of the second teams. Club Blue A and Lax World are gone, if NL PG and FCA White move down, breakers A, and maybe Top Caliber B this will be test of the best second teams in the Mid Atlantic. NL and Looney's in the final. HLC will also be a contender.

HOCO B: Top three teams from last season should move to A or AA and this could be a more competitive division. It will be interesting if True makes Wolfpack a better team. We could see True and HOCO in the finals.

Hopefully the boys enjoy a great cap to youth lacrosse and get ready for the summer.

Why would Koopers and Top Caliber move up to AA and not Looneys? Looneys beat Breakers in the A final last season.