BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2025 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

Use this thread to discuss lacrosse for Boys from the class of 2025 in the Mid-Atlantic region.

There seems to be a drop off in the amount of boys in this age bracket. Lots of clubs not fielding teams for 25

its a shame when clubs get a bad name because of the parent group and they can not get kids to tryout. the club is tarnished because of the parents and they get to move on and the club loses

And others fielding two 25 teams. Club reputation is everything.

Any teams entering the WSYL?

No

Why?

Breakers and Zingos announced that they would be fielding WSYL teams.

Advice please- family moving to Baltimore from top team out West. I know that translates to nothing back East so want to know best team for a 2025, or what any of you would suggest to learn with a good Coach because I hold no delusions about making a top team in MD. Any ideas appreciated thanks all

All the Baltimore teams play in the Howard County League, from the top level to the lower levels. You will find a home and can contact all the clubs by finding their websites. Teams have largely had tryouts but teams will always find room for a player who improves their team. My son plays for 91MD which is a very good team at that age but Crabs, FCA, Looneys, Breakers etc are all good teams in the area. You can see how they finished up the spring league here (not all are Baltimore teams, includes DC and Annapolis area teams). http://ghclc.teampages.com/ And know that at this age if you get on a team that is below his talent level, you can always move later on...

As the previous poster alluded to, there are a number of teams all over MD. Depending on what your looking to get out of the experience, I strongly suggest you understand the mission/objectives of the teams you are looking at. For example, some teams claim they focus on player development, and then the training ends up being some dad who never played but did carry the cones to and from the high school practices whose doing the teaching.

Other clubs are just a money grab (they'll take any player who signs up for a tryout), usually indicated by programs with more than one team at an age group. Be aware of daddy ball (dad coach) which is pretty wide spread in MD. In some cases its not necessarily a bad thing, and in others it is a complete disaster. Some teams will stretch the truth when announcing how one of their teams did on social media (e.g., "Our 2025 team won the AA division championship at "Y" tournament", but there was only one division with teams that played in the "B" division in the GHCLC spring league). Maryland is in the midst of going through some changes in the club scene with national brands coming into the state the past few years (e.g., 91, Express, 3d, True, etc).

If you can get historical data on the GHCLC division standings, it will give you a pretty good idea of year over year changes in competition level (division moves) and records, which could be an indicator of things good or bad.

With all that being said, I have heard positive things about Team 91, FCA, Looney's and Breakers. Good luck in your search!

That's why I came on here because honestly need to avoid daddy ball, lies, etc. This is my youngest and I've done the club circuit scene for 15 years now so I've seen it all and want a nice team for a solid 2025- not a phenomenal one. Stick skills will be behind an East Coast kid for sure so would prefer for him not to detest lacrosse by eighth grade. I don't think he would make Team 91 from what I have heard so thank you for all the advice and honesty. Really appreciated.

The first question I would have for you is what area do you live? No need to drive a long way to practices these days.

Heard good things about Breakers?? Lol. Like what?

They charge huge sums and play in their own tournaments. Thats good for Director

Just curious, a kid playing on a 2025 team turning 14 in September. Is that a double holdback or is my math incorrect?

in new york where the age cut off is is dec, yes. In md where the cuttoff is sept. no. he would be a single.

Here are teams that are registered for East Qualifier as of this past weekend:

- Team 91 MD
- Cannons Gold
- True Maryland
- BBL Elite
- Tribal SJ
- Tri-state
- Mad Dog East
- TEAM Lacrosse
- 3d Garden State
- Blue Star

B level teams

Age based so No Holdbacks, which translate into meaning B level teams. WSYL has lost its shine with all the grade based holdback tournaments.

Agreed on the holdback statement. If you take away that noise, your simply have the best teams out there who are on age, which is what you want. It doesn't mean that these teams are bad, they are just on age. My son's team has played Cannon's Gold and they are a pretty good team for their age, no glaring weaknesses. I think we will see a couple of these teams in some tournaments over the next few weeks. I'm pleasantly surprised who I haven't seen on this list, which tells me that they have holdbacks, which honestly puts a more positive perspective on my son's team's performance over the last year, as its' been a tough one from a win/loss perspective but an eye-opener from the need to put more off-season fitness training into place.

When is this?

The more holdbacks you have the more wins you have at 9th grade and below. Frankly even at High School club teams by grade , being a holdback is an advantage, just not as big as before puberty hit.

There is always rec.

That is where majority of holdbacks would be playing on age !

Why doesn't everyone just follow USL Rules? - https://www.uslacrosse.org/sites/default/files/public/documents/rules/age-group-chart-2019-2020.pdf

How would that give a select group of children an advantage that do prefirst or heldback/reclass ??

It just doesnt work for them. Nor does it give clubs that have lots of holdback any advantage.

Youth is about giving select players an advantage. Get with the times.

Funny how times have changed. My birthday is October, I went away to college as a 17 year old. Now kids are starting school at 20. Holdback, double holdback, reclassify, repeat 9th grade, repeat 6th grade. It’s insane. At the end of all this nonsense, if your son is the greatest player on the planet, he will work at a lacrosse camp or maybe make 14 grand in the MLL. No thanks. My kid will graduate age appropriate and then go to college, then get a job.

Times have changed for sure. Years ago anyone playing down in age like holdbacks/prefirst/reclass would have been embarrassed to show their face on the field. It was either play on age or play up.

There is always holding him back another year if the first one doesn't work.

Tourney Machine shows that BLC beat the Hawks by 1, and then lost by 6 to the Cannons this weekend. Is that right?

Its Fall..Dont get excited.

Score was incorrectly posted. Other way around.

That makes more sense.

Do any Northern Virginia kids play in MD teams?

Yes, there are some that travel to MD teams.

i heard koopers isnt fielding a team at this age group. anyone know why?

Any changes to the HOCO divisions from last year?

Divisions wont be out for weeks, but I would think they are the same.

Any thoughts on Crabs moving to Elite since they won AAA last year? If so, who would be bumped down to AAA?