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

If there is an incident about a specific team you can report it to the hoco administrators. https://www.ghclacrosse.com/page/show/5907152-about Please contact them here.

"The level of racism at games this spring has been horrible among the parents. The league needs to address this and clean up its act. Truly depressing to watch."

Wut? I haven't heard anything. What did you hear?

Just some NY Troll. Don’t be alarmed folks. They try this stuff all the time.

Does anyone how many teams make the playoffs for each division? Does anyone know what the league is doing this year?

I heard 4v5 as a play in. Then 1 v that 4v5 winner and 2v3 play that saturday.

Wow! Someone being rational down in Howard County.

Not sure what specific incident this refers to, but anyone who has a non-white player on their team has surely noticed that the reaction to hits, penalties, and the like take a very different tone depending on the player at issue. There are some teams in particular where this is really bad. Never seen it from a player, but you see way more often than you would think from parents and occasionally coaches on the other teams. It’s much worse than other area sports honestly.

I have been watching games at HOCO for 4 years and have never once seen or heard what you are mentioning. The only thing I hear parents getting upset and angry with are when a 6 kid hits a 5 foot kid. Never once a racial issue.

Agree. I have been on the HOCO sidelines the past 10 years through three kids and have never once heard or witnessed anything that could even be remotely construed as racism.

It is there. If people want lacrosse to grow beyond the point where the pinnacle of the sport gets lower TV ratings than a random NCAA softball game, the sport needs to grow beyond its head in the sand on this issue.

I have been watching games at HOCO for 4 years and have never once seen or heard what you are mentioning. The only thing I hear parents getting upset and angry with are when a 6 kid hits a 5 foot kid. Never once a racial issue.

+1: we've been at it for 5 years and have never seen a race issue in all of these years. We have multiple minority kids on our team and it's never been an issue internally or with the competition.

If it is so prevalent please cite a specific example. Clearly it must be all over the place.

You are looking to start an issue that isn't there. I am also a long time parent and coach in the HoCo league. I also have never once heard or witnessed anything. A complaint has never been filed within the league, nothing has ever been brought to the leagues attention before your post on an anonymous forum.

You are looking to start an issue that isn't there. I am also a long time parent and coach in the HoCo league. I also have never once heard or witnessed anything. A complaint has never been filed within the league, nothing has ever been brought to the leagues attention before your post on an anonymous forum.[/quote

It doesn’t do anyone any good to report specific teams because that unnecessarily puts the kid(s) and teams in the spotlight. The point is that people need to do better to make this a more inclusive sport. Denying it could ever happen just because you haven’t seen it and people don’t want the hassle that goes along with reporting it and the inevitable denials from the people involved is a bad look.

mmm. There was a vocal NL dad at the NL/91 2025 game last weekend who was complaining about the lack of diversity across both teams. In 9 years on the sidelines of this leagues games, that's about the closest comment to racism I've heard.

Why is it up to me to make it a more inclusive sport? I could care less if the team makeup is black, white, brown, blue or purple so long as the best kid's play or make the team. Don't twist equality into equity. This is how we get dense supremacist arguments when the reverse argument starts to happen. If that NL dad wants diversity, he can reach out to the coach at NL who does a lot of city work; purchase and build him a field/facility in NE or SE; and get to the hard work of building interest.

Been a long time HOCO participant and have never seen anything resembling what was described regarding racism. This is someone that is trying to stir the pot and make something out of nothing. Give us a specific example.

Just when I thought you couldn't say anything fooler......YOU TOTALLY RESEEM YOURSELF

It doesn’t do anyone any good to report specific teams because that unnecessarily puts the kid(s) and teams in the spotlight. The point is that people need to do better to make this a more inclusive sport. Denying it could ever happen just because you haven’t seen it and people don’t want the hassle that goes along with reporting it and the inevitable denials from the people involved is a bad look.


You are everything that is wrong in today's society. SAD

You seem to have the issue because no one is agreeing with you, they are defending the league, so either make a phone call or shut up.

What would you like the Howard County Park and Rec to do to resolve your issue. They can barely put toilet paper in the bathroom or clean the bathrooms

Refusing to provide specific evidence that something is happening, when other people don't see it happening, is a bad look for you. Telling people to "do better" to fix a problem, when you can't even convince anyone it actually exists, is a bad look for you. Makes you look like an irrational troublemaker.

"People need to do better" - so what are YOU, personally, doing to make lacrosse more "inclusive"? Or is your only job to tell people they are bad and need to try harder to be good?

This

This is the problem with those that don't personally experience something - they say it doesn't exist. I have had my black son have issues during HOCO. This was 2 years ago but I'm sure it didn't get out to every family and team in HOCO - even though we complained and we thought the league did a decent job addressing it. So just because you don't know about it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I can't speak for previous years, but I coach a diverse team in a '25 division. No issues whatsoever for me, my players, or families that I am aware of. We've won and lost some and all the teams/fans have been gracious winners and losers. It's been a great league for us.

This information was posted on another board, thought it would be relevant here:

playoffs are scheduled for May 14 – 16. If you have 9or more teams in your division, please plan on playing a Friday night play-in game (May 14). In addition, the 2028 elite division will also have Friday night games based on the way things went this season.

May 15 will be semifinals and May 16 will be championships.

We asked that programs leave the weekend of 5/22-5/23 open as we will use those dates for any games that are supposed to be played on championship weekend.

8 teams or less – Top 4 teams make playoffs (exception 2028 Elite)

9 teams or more – Top 5 teams make playoffs

Tie Breakers
1. Record/Winning percentage
2. Head to Head
3. Total winning percentage of teams you have beaten
4. Total winning percentage of all your opponents
5. Total goals scored against
6. Coin Toss/Card Draw

Please note: The online standings do not reflect the above tiebreakers. We’re working on placing standings in the correct order based on our tiebreakers.

What is the league going to due about games still labeled postponed or those that were never played (no scores provided)? When exactly is a game forfeited and when will the standings be updated with those forfeited games?

You are not helping what you think you are helping. In fact - you are making it worse.

Do better.

So one incident spells doom for all the players and coaches?? I was robbed in Howard County by a AA, does that mean all are AA are criminals in Howard County ? Of course not, but with the logic and overblown agenda we have here , seems so..

Nothing has happened to my 3 sons in 9 years of HOCO, but each one has experienced a quite a few things at tournaments. It becomes he said/he said if complained about and basically nothing is addressed on a formal level. (The offenders aren't wearing mics, no proff.) Only once was a kid dense enough to say something to my son near a ref. Ansyway, the stuff happens. A lot.

We've been playing HoCo for six years, and I have never heard anything racist said in the stands, and my son has never heard anything on the field. So "this stuff happens a lot" seems exaggerated.

STOP FEEDING THE TROLLS PEOPLE!
nothing happened...

It's because the libs in the DC area want to see racism everywhere. When some parent remarks a black kid is fast, the parents (white or black) immediately respond by thinking it's some racist remark rather than a compliment. That same logic never holds when it is reversed. If you want to be offended, you will be offended.

Fake news. I have been coaching for many years and never heard anything like this. Nice try, though.

Never said my sons were black.

To the PP: read that I said nothing has happened to us in the HoCo league and I actually defended the league. It plays in a very diverse area. But me claiming "Stuff happens a lot"... it's true. Happening just once should be considered a lot yes? Well it's happened more than once. Just can't get reported because nothing can be done about it unless an official witnesses. Otherwise it's not believed, you are the perfect example thank you!

The solution for now are my sons' loyal teammates.

HOCO is implementing a Diversity and Inclusion program that all parents and players must adhere to. Its only fair

About time. All of society should be on a plan. And of course all sports should be included , not just lacrosse.

You are exactly what the pp was referring to. White or black, you are offended by everything and report nothing because it won't rise to the level of a real issue.

Fair to what or whom? You are the perfect example of bowing to key words without even seeing what it entails. I don't need the HoCo lacrosse league dictating or teaching my kids. I need them to train refs on how to spot personal fouls and run a great league, which they do. If HoCo wants to ruin a good thing they should follow the CYO's example on how they ruined their athletic programs.