BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2029 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

I've witnessed in person the 29 ML parents actively rooting for / scheming this matchup and it is delusional at best. Though, yes, 29 ML is very, very good. There is no MD/DC/Phila 2029 team at any level I can think of, that could beat their 2028 roster, except for maybe 2029 LTLC vs 2028 LTLC last year.

I love the public school parents thinking that D1 former McDonogh (example) kids are just out there "applying for jobs" on monster.com or whatever. From pre-first to bachelors, these parents have used every opportunity to create every advantage for their kids, spending $400-700K along the way. Do you think those parents just shut off those opportunities and "on ramps" when Braydenn Jr. gets his finance degree? Obviously they'll help him get placed in a job that starts in the $60-80Ks, and probably let him live in one of the parents' rental houses for discounted rent, and have Mom's old Volvo SUV.

I'm not saying it's right, or it's fair. I'm just saying, get a clue. This is not a meritocracy. Like Duke lax alumni are out there searching for gigs on usajobs.gov...........Cmon man.

Preds

The 29’s would give them a game. I don’t think they could win, but def would not be 15-0. In fact it don’t think any of the elite 28 teams could beat them 15-0

This is laughable. There are ML 28 players that would run roughshod over them. Would not be a game at all.

Good point. Story I heard was that they scrimmaged and tied last year. Both squads are allegedly improved this year but "we'll see" on that.

Correct, Predators team to beat and talk of Baltimore

FCA 2029 scrimmaged and tied FCA 2028 White.

Addressing the previous poster who said “29 Hawks and Madlax teams can compete against 2028 teams”

Sure, maybe against bottom level 2028 teams. The statement was overly generic… point was, they’d get run off the field by a top tier 2028 team.

this outcome would look like 20-1 2028’s winning, and likely 2-3 kids on the 2029 team in the ER

If you want an on age game then Madlax 2029’s should play 2028 Long Island teams.

And this is exactly why holdbacks shouldn’t be allowed and is under consideration for change… anyone who says differently, I ask, then why even have grade based leagues. Just take the best teams in 2-3 age brackets and play each other. 2028-2030. Why not 🤷‍♂️

Grade based let's kids play with their classmates. Keeps teams intact thru their recruiting years.

Grade based let's kids play with their classmates. Keeps teams intact thru their recruiting years.[/quot

There are cases where a playoff-caliber elite team can beat a lower level elite team. At the 2028 level, however, a collection of kids hit puberty and the size differently can be severe. Also, the shooting velocity really kicks up (several goalies deal with broken thumbs ever year at 7th and 8th grade levels.) I’d be shocked if ML 2029 could hang with ML 2028. Not a dad of either team, just being realistic.

ML 29 is one of stronger classes while ML 28 isn't. But the 28s would pummel 29s in a head to head game.

Per this board, there was a scrimmage that ended in a tie. So what is it??

28’s probably missing their double holdback.

Oh no you're going to bring out the ghost of Madlax Past, and he'll show you a tomb stone reading, "You Know Nothing, Clown, he's 13 and he's been 13 for 3 years! SCRAM!"

The 29’s wouldn’t score on the 28’s. It would be 20-0 and several 29’s would be in the infirmary

I know the USA Club Lacrosse rankings have no meaning or merritt....however it is pretty fool to see 6 2029 HOCO elite teams represented in the top 40, let alone the top 3 teams.

Madlax #1
Next Level #2
Hawks #3
VLC #22
FCA #28
True Chesapeake #39

Your reaction isn't uncommon and I get the skepticism, and yes, of course USCL lol, but I have to go ahead and tell you that the idea coming out from national coaches and USL magazine and the gear manufacturers that lax is being played at a high level all over the country and it's just exploding, future D1 players everywhere!!!!.....that idea is not correct. MD/VA/Philly lacrosse is well-played, sorry-not-sorry.

Some club directors have deluded themselves into believing that there are lonely laxxers just standing around on every street corner from WA to TX and they'll "scoop them up" but a) it's really enough to fill about 3 WCS rosters and 2 Mad Dog rosters, and b) they don't ALL want to come to your outdoor training camp in Maryland in February lol. Most of the WCS teams pull from 40 states!

You could definitely get into the nitty gritty of, OK, is FCA really better than Laxachusetts or Shore 2 Shore or Team 10 or the other handful of NY, CT, MA teams that really have something going on. But I am here to tell you that especially pre-8th/9th holdbacks, the MD/VA teams listed are quite good. I have complaints about each of them (directors/coaches/parents) but that's off topic....... those are solid lacrosse teams.

Be proud of the local 2029s. They're good! And when they have to face off against True Idaho All Stars or "Utah Lax Xtreme" or whatever, the MD/VA boys will do just fine.

Good observation True Dad.

MadLax 2029 is dominant and 2028 is not, that is true. But come to think of it, all the MadLax teams above 2029 seem to be in decline. Is there a single one that is doing great in its class?

And don't forget Bethesda Blue ranked 81st and Team Maryland ranked 91st overall. And two teams that didn't have the six games required for the rankings, but with the points based on the games they did play that would put them at 59th (LTLC) and 73rd (Team 91 MD). And Preds MD finish with only one fall loss, and ranked 119. No doubt the 6 teams ranked top 40 will be in the top HoCo division. Will be interesting to see who the other two teams in the division will be.

So Madlax, Next Level, Hawks, VLC, FCA and True Chesapeake are ELITE definites. LTLC is got to be a definite which leaves one slot. I'm assuming that Team MD, Predators, and probably even Bethesda Blue all asked to be in AAA.....which would leave Team 91 MD with the final slot.

MADLAX
Next Level
Hawks
VLC
FCA
True Chesapeake
LTLC
Team 91 MD

91 in elite is a really bad look for those kids, but if you know 91, you know it's not about those kids. It's about marketing the club as "elite" to other "elite" parents. The goal is to have them play elite, and for the next 2 years, elite kids disgruntled with other clubs will cycle in and out of 91 as what amounts to a fundraiser for the HS teams. Then, mid- 8th grade, the "player development" stops when the coaches tell most of the kids they should hold back and go to a lower tier MIAA school (as a 2nd year 8th grader), then maybe the year AFTER that, transfer to an upper MIAA school in 9th grade....that is.....if they want to play for 91 in HS. Which is branded as "we advise our players on the best fit for them in elite high schools."

To be fair, is sticking with that program any less silly than believing that "playing for FCA means BK will give him a pass at Calvert Hall tryouts in 9th grade!" ? I guess it's the same thing.....selling to parents.

The Madlax 2028 team won NAL and NLF this summer. They beat all of the teams in the top 5, went something like 35-5. Hardly in decline, unless you count the fall when they were down half their team to football and injury.

Things do start to change in 7th grade as puberty starts to hit.

Yes, those 13yr olds looked great.

Actually I do count the fall, because all teams play with depleted rosters in the fall, and Madlax did substantially worse than others. Their over-reliance on one player and general lack of depth was exposed. for example, most top 20 teams at this age carry two goalies, but MadLax has been unable to recruit a second one and it caught up to them. I also factor in their under-performance in HoCo, and the trajectory of the ML 2026 and 2027 teams and seeing the parallels. The 2027 team has dropped from where it was a couple of years ago, and parent coaching is the main reason; parent coaching works fine through 6th grade, but not in middle school. If MadLax 2028 were a stock, smart investors would have sold 6-12 months ago.

The MLC summer team is incredible.
The majority of the kids are holdbacks.
The same holdbacks don't play in the fall because they are busy playing football.
When they come back in the summer they'll win again.
Anyone that doesn't understand the difference in ability between a holdback and on age kid is delusional.

Holdbacks are simply kids that couldn’t cut it against their peers anyone who doesn’t see that is “delusional”

How did you come up with this?

My experience has been that the kids that I know for a fact are recent holdbacks were top players on their on-age teams. I personally don't know of any hold backs who were even mediocre when they were on age.

Can the ML moms please take their conversations to the ML thread? BTW, all the teams parents and kids get a kick out of the lack of class and sportsmanship you lady’s show during games. Keep it up, it’s all recorded.
Let’s get back to 29’s!

Nonsense.

I watched the kids in question play multiple times with their on-age team. They reclassed this year and are now on a younger team. My kid is on-age and not one of them. How is this nonsense? It certainly could be out of the ordinary but I'm only relaying what I've observed first hand.

Most of the holdbacks at this age are pre-k holdbacks. The parents that reclass their kids again in 8th grade are on another level of disgusting.

Anyone know any good reclass schools in Baltimore area?My kid is average at best so I’m thinking let’s reclass this kid so atleast he has a physical advantage over his peers. I held him back in Kindergarten so reclass next year should do the trick. He rarely practices and isn’t very fast but If he hits puberty 2 years before his peers that should level the playing field for him.

Try BL . Heard they don’t mind you paying extra 33K . Just don’t Expect him to play in high school when boarders come to town.

Several of the kids I have coached at rec-travel, AA, and AAA at one point or another, have reclassed over the years, and part of the (maybe mis-) calculation is usually that yes, they are excelling on their current team, but in many cases they were *previously* cut from an elite team, or at least relegated to low playing time and the coach made remarks about "size" or "physicality."

The difference in national player rankings by holding back a year is about 30. The difference for a AAA level player would be D3 vs mid/lower D1 (several already-reclassed 2029s/2030s come to mind here).

A talented AAA or elite player who holds back 2 years, has good size/speed, and has good rapport with coaches, virtually guarantees a top 25 national ranking.

You want to know why they do it, this is why they do it.