BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Greater Howard Club Lacrosse Conference (HoCo)

I asked and HoCo's response was that they don't have the capacity to clean the bleachers between games.....

COVID isn’t “political hogwash.”

The chances of a youth lacrosse player dying from COVID are extremely low. But if they catch it, the virus could still have an adverse impact on their health (lung and heart damage, etc). And they can still spread it to people with higher risk factors (grandparents, siblings with pre-existing conditions, etc.).

Please be smart, kind, and look out for yourself and others. Wear a mask. Use commonsense.

The virus doesn’t have a brain. We do. The only thing stopping us from defeating COVID is people who think it’s a ‘hoax.’

If every player, coach, and fan takes HOCO’s COVID protocols seriously then the kids can safely play lacrosse. If you don’t, they’ll shut it down and the season will be over quickly.

We are in phase 3. A mask is not required outdoors if you can socially distance from each other. Open the bleachers so that can happen!!!

With bleachers OPEN!

What a joke! High school bleachers are open! And there is no one there cleaning them between games! MINIMAL if any transfer from surfaces! Wake up HoCo!! Open the bleachers! Stop adding to the problem!

They also don't clean the fence line where everyone is forced to crowd together.

And they seem fine having games at the High Schools with the bleachers open.

I have a suggestion. Bring your own towel and cleaner and clean your own space on the fence.

And I guess you haven't heard the killer virus of everything within 21 feet doesn't transmit from surfaces. This came out a long time ago.

And if you are this worried about it, why are you going and better yet why are you letting your kid play.

Seeing what our schools in Maryland and Howard county are doing is most certainly "political hogwash". People as a whole are taking those precautions you mention. I guess the Maryland Teachers Union knows better than the American Academy of Pediatrics. So much for "I believe in science".

Think you are missing my point.

Common sense and accepting some risks are all that is needed. But you couldn't leave it at that, you had to add your political hogwash of people thinking it is a hoax. Typical hypocrite

I am 10 times more concerned about the following yet HOCO and High schools have never stopped play for these.
1. Kid getting hit in the chest with a ball
2. Concussions
3. Getting a spinal cord injury
4. MRSA
5. Meningitis
6. Parent running on the field and attacking a player

Not making light on Covid but let's start using some rationality. This is out of control.

☝🏻

Did the FAALL league get off the ground for middle and grade schools?

High School Varsity and Junior Varsity are only dvisions playing in FAALL

https://www.tourneymachine.com/Publ...rnament=h202006291501078480bf2befb218647

I'll bet some of those AA clubs, not the Hawks because they have the ability to play in a lot of tournaments, are upset they didn't jump into HoCo.

GHCLC - If there is ever another fall league, don't mix Elite teams with other division-level teams. Re-use your spring model. Let teams of equal/near equal ability play with each other and improve by having a chance to come out on top. Don't demoralize the players before a game is even played.

Specifics?

For example, Next Level and FCA younger teams are extremely dominant. Consistently beat up on all the other clubs by 10 goals or more in the A divisions

Who's demoralized?

Are they in the highest division? If yes then maybe your team should have played B. There were not enough teams to have more than 2 divisions.

So, you would have FCA and Next Level playing each other every week? Makes no sense. They didn’t have enough teams to have AA, A, and B divisions. They did the best they could. I’m sure the Spring season will be different when all the clubs are playing.

Does anyone know if HoCo is going to do playoffs like they do in the spring?

Yes, next weekend.

Considering the fall league was formed just as a way to keep the kids playing during the pandemic, some teams chose to play up. So what you may see as demoralizing, others may see as a chance to get better by playing better competition. HoCo did a great job with this league in my opinion. My only complaint to HoCo is the continued closure of the bleachers, and the inconsistency of enforcement. The county is doing a disservice by keeping them closed. Parents are forced to stand on top of each other along the fence lines in order to watch their teams play, when they could be spread out amongst the bleachers and the fence. You say it is because you can not keep them clean. Well that is no longer a justified reason in Phase 3 of the state’s Covid plan. Most places no longer sanitize after a single person/group use. The responsibility has been put back on the person to realize objects, whatever they may be, a shopping cart, a gas pump, a door handle, sideline bleachers, are dirty. Bring sanitizer for your hands, or don’t sit in the bleachers. But do not continue to keep them closed when you have all of the bleachers at all of the high schools wide open and no one is cleaning those by any means. And either enforce the rules or don’t. The HoCo employees who are now walking the fields are not consistent. Some games you see parents being allowed to stand on the bleacher stairs to film or the bleacher ramps to be able to see the field because so many are on the fence. The next game comes along and those parents are told they can’t do those things. Just open the bleachers. You are making it so much more of an issue by not. Phase 3.

Would you like the email of the country government office to complain to? I'm pretty sure they aren't reading an anonymous board. But then you'll have to put your name to an email.

Here you go. Let us know what she says because they turned me down flat. hjohannes@howardcountymd.gov

They have been getting hounded with calls and emails. They have no valid reason to keep them closed, and they are adding to the problem by doing so. But they have the “we don’t care what the gov says” attitude, kind of like the teachers union.

ES and MS divisions have finished with HS have a few more weeks left. Good to get some lacrosse in this fall.

Looks like there were playoffs for ES & MS teams. Do you know if there will be playoffs for HS teams?

good question

Regular Season
▪Start Date –March 20th (2025) / March 21st (2026–2030)
▪2025 will play on Saturday’s. 2026 –2030 will play on Sunday’s.
▪No Games –April 3rd / April 4th

Playoffs
▪Playoff / Championship Weekend – May 15th (Semi–Finals) / May 16th (Championships)
▪Consolation Game swill be available based on who would like to participate ($100)

On Field Rules and Points of Emphasis
▪The Crease Dive is ILLEGAL–The crease dive will NOT be implemented at any age group.
▪Significant hits to the head should be considered for EJECTION.
▪The Substitution box will stretch 10 Yards (Based on 2019 NCAA Specs)
▪Shot Clock: There will be no shot clock for 2026-2030.
▪Standard 80-second shot clock for 2025 Elite Division only. Shot clock begins when a team clearly gains possession. Teams will have 20 seconds to clear the ball over the midfield line.

Thank you! I usually come to BOTC for trash talk and entertainment but this is actually useful!

Sweet! 2 months to go!!

If this legit, 2021 is looking up!

Did Team MD merge with 3d MD?

I commend the HoCo managers for organizing a league even though play is currently shut down. They are showing the high schools how it should be done and are at least trying to earn their paycheck.

The HOCO league show be commended for Hall of Shame for lacrosse. They started a grade based league years ago that gave the club teams a reason to explode with holdbacks. Every league in Howard County at the time was based on age except the new formed HOCO lacrosse league based on grade, of course run by a guy whose son was a holdback in MIAA.

How's the wah burger and french cries taste buddy? Your son is on a bad team and that stinks for him, don't come here and take it out on HOCO

Truth hurts doesnt it Mr Howard County holdback apologist. Son needs to play down to compete? Bet he feels good knowing that

My kid plays up. But the holdbacks on his team dominate your son and his team and he benefits from it. The lax world needs ditch diggers to. Thanks for being a speed bump in the road. Tell your boy to dream big, he'll get their one day.

Hilarious, Plays up only in your delusional mind. Got to sting knowing your son cant compete against players his own age .