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

If they are going to hold the kid back, better to do earlier and get the benefits he mentioned. Earlier than 5th, like 1st is what I hear the calculating lacrosse families do. Get him an edge early on and don’t look back. Gives opportunity for 2nd holdback year later. This is sad…. But, it’s keeping up with the Jones’s in lacrosse! Rules should be changed to make it fair in youth ages. Parents wouldn’t feel pressure.

Wrong. Playing down will give him a false sense a confidence. Kids get better by playing up not down. If he is doing fine in school, let lacrosse play out. Odds are he won’t play D1 anyway.

Let’s be very clear here. The rankings you mention are not age based it’s grade based, huge difference.

This response is hilarious. “When their holdbacks”. Dude, give it a rest. More like other teams start holding back and in some cases double holding back in 7th and 8th grade. Crabs are the most notorious. Still, I think hawks teams are literally all in the top ten except maybe one and most top 5. Could be wrong. I do not see madlax consistently in the top ten though.

Also, rec is still really strong in LI so I think club teams get better in middle school for them. Especially since most are summer clubs for the most part. Tourney teams. The Maryland and dc teams are year round and replace rec. so naturally they are better at earlier ages.

That’s why I say all the time, doesn’t matter how good your team/kid is in 3-7th grade. The holdbacks and LI teams who become more dedicated will be the great equalizer.

When it comes to holdbacks and double holdbacks the Maryland and Mass teams have a considerable amount more compared to the LI / NY state teams. It’s not even up for debate. You may detest the World Series or not but LI has proven when age based play is mandatory they’re dominating.

“That’s why I say all the time…” I have a take the other side of that statement, since your taking about how LI teams won’t be in the top 10 when the rankings come out.

Well I didn’t say that no LI teams would be ranked. I said none of it matters until the holdbacks (from any state) and the LI teams start becoming more dedicated to their club instead of rec.

That said 2029 won’t be ranked until fall of next year. So it’s a worthless convo. Not to mention the rankings are completely illegitimate anymore. They were already notIntelligent. But now that it’s 100% algorithm it’s a complete joke. I saw at one point several teams who don’t even compete at the “elite” level were ranked in the top ten.

Rankings don’t matter anyway. What happens when they actually play each other is what matters.

You said may not be ranked in the top 10-20.

You keep contradicting yourself.

I see no reason to not hold him back. Especially if he thinks he wants to play on a top club and has any chance to go D1 is there any other choice for the normal skilled good player. There are thousands like him on age, and an extra year puts him with the very good players of a year younger.

There needs to be a change of rules for youth, but I doubt that happens with Private schools loaded with holdbacks. So, hold them back for now, if you dont someone that has will fill your sons place unless he is some way above average player. Just the way it is

Someone else posted the comment about top 10-20. I was commenting on when I think everything will even out abs the real picture will emerge

There's a thread for this. Please take it there. It's such a tired topic.

It maybe a tired topic for the holdback parents and others but it is very real. To be honest, I enjoy watching my son and his team play against holdbacks. Only making them better playing up.

Relax holdback parent. No one will stop your son from playing down against kids a a few months to over a 18 months in age younger.

He had a legitimate question with some comments. Holding back is a big part of this age group, as in the next few years many players will go that route.

It’s grade not an age group if it were we, and every other thread wouldn’t be discussing it.

I’m with holdback daddy. There is a thread for this subject. Let’s get back to talking about how much better madlax and hawks are than the field. Am I right? No? I’m right….

Maybe you and holdback daddy should take it to the holdback page and talk about how your 12 year olds play vs 10 year olds.

Well, too bad. This subject belongs being discussed on all the youth age threads! It’s getting out of hand.

Agreed!

12 versus 10? Isn’t that a double holdback? Look I get it. I agree that the holdback situation is lame. And lax has allowed it to get even more lame. But that subject covers ALL graduation classes. Which is why it has its own thread. I mean what are y’all thinking is gonna happen on this thread? That all those parents who are holding their kids back who are born March through June are going to have a crisis of conscience and run to their schools to re enroll their kids in 6th grade? Give it a rest.

Lax is not the only sport using graduation class by the way. Club soccer does it too. And hockey (I think). Let’s all just face it, club lacrosse has its positives but it also is ruining the sport in many ways. Rec is dying in most states making it almost impossible for new demographics to join the party. It’s an elitist sport more than ever. And elitist stop at nothing to win. Hence, holdback, double holdback etc.

Your kid plays a sport where you either gotta swim or sink.

Again, can this thread be about the 2029 boys lacrosse programs again?

Youth basketball is grade based too

The most popular sport in the world is NOT garde based and it sure isnt in this country. It is by age with a Jan 1 to Dec 31 limit. Just like high level club Hockey is in most areas. So please stop the other sports are grade based excuse..

No major youth sport is grade based except lacrosse, which has the influence of the so called character based private schools dominating in many areas. It frankly is disgusting the amount of holdbacks playing down in youth lacrosse .

Ok we get it. That’s why it got its own thread. Because it’s a big issue.

But can we use class specific threads to discuss those teams? I don’t see anyone accusing any team in 2029 of having holdbacks here. So until then, why not discuss something positive?

Best goalie:
Best defense:
Face off man/men:
Attack units:
Midfield depth

Anything except complaining about holdbacks that haven’t happened yet. Lol

Pipeline, Coppermine, Old Line etc are by birth year but by all means, carry on.

Never heard of any of them. Carry on.

Hockey is age based
Soccer is age based
Baseball is aged based
Football age based with weight restrictions
Lacrosse no rules

Like the LI teams don’t holdback their players…….it seems as all the top players in LI the past 5 or so years were holdbacks so stop crying LI daddys.

Now I saw it. 2 gigantic kids playing today. They both had multiple goals and 1 team had the nerve to send the 27 out for a shootout. What recourse is there to complain without getting blackballed by Madlax?

Nothing wrong with that , it is the way of the useless youth lacrosse rules enforced by nobody at this time. Crazy stuff.

Because, now LI has to keep up with the other regions who have been doing it forever!!!!! You know who you are!!!

Let’s take holdback conversation to it’s proper thread. Can we just discuss teams etc without mentioning holdbacks especially in 5th grade?’

So again. We’re still talking about holdbacks in a class that no one is currently claiming any holdbacks. Save this convo for the graduation classes that are actually doing it. You are complaining about an issue that isn’t an issue in 2029 right now. Christ man.

Someone say something about the actually lacrosse in this age group

I’ll start. Does anyone know if next level got any upgrades? They went to the ship last year, got smoked but they beat madlax to get there. Anyone know if they got better?

I'd like to know more abou the Madlax box league and just how many 27's are playing in a 5th and 6th grade division. So far, there are 2 and I know who they are and what rosters they are on.

No! Because it is a “real issue” even and if not more do in 5th grade. You sed the bigger players and a couple kids doing a little better than the rest? Probably not “on age”. Do, if you want we will not call it holdbacks and we can discuss “on age”! It’s the youth levels, that need to be fixed ti “on age”, do it furs to get out of hand later and then a kid is a 2 or 3 year hold back! It effects 5th graders and deserves ti be discussed here. Parents need to get the rules changed! Yiu want to change convo ? Maybe your kid a little older than the other 5th graders?

Are all the kids on your kids 5th grade team “on age”? Staying back younger is even more important for the advantage. Get the advantage early on, go from there. Get on best teams, get noticed, play more, etc. More time to develop skills and confidence. Become a leader young is a clear advantage. I don’t think you like that discussion? Do you disagree being year older is an advantage in 5th grade?

I definitely agree. Do you consider kids who have late summer birthdays and parents who chose not to send them to kindergarten to be holdbacks? Those
Kids aren’t “a year” older. There is some grey area in this convo. One thing I have heard of that makes me Nauseous is that parents are holding back those kids after already not sending them in kindergarten. I heard some private schools are even seeking those kids out and suggesting it. It’s crazy.

I don’t know anything about the Madlax league but in box playing up against older kids is rather normal.

Terrible

Again, my point is that this is an important topic which is why it has its own thread.

But to your question above. I have no idea who is on age or whatever from either of my kids teams. But I do know there are no kids who held back to play on them. At least not yet.

There is gray area in this convo. Many parents don’t send their august baby to kindergarten becuase they feel they are not mature enough or ready. Some just don’t want them to be the youngest kid in the grade. But they certainly aren’t thinking at at 5 “this is really gonna help him in club lax in a few years”.

Of course I’m sure the thought of being the oldest instead of youngest gives them some security or something but it’s a far different convo from those who chose not to go to middle school and redo fifth grade just to reclass for sports. Even then, if your talking about a late summer birthday I can see why parents may do that.

That being said, I personally would not. And if my kid had a birthday in the middle before July I would never consider not sending them to kindergarten either.

But again. There’s a thread for this very important topic. I would love to actually hear about lacrosse teams soon.

A student isn't a holdback if they didn't repeat a grade and merely started kindergarten at an older age. And for that matter, why so hung up on the kids held back for athletics?

Yes they are. A holdback can be either a delayed entry or a repeat of a grade. It's a sin of the worst kind for anybody in the lacrosse world outside of NY. It's just a regular sin for those parents in the MD area whose kids play on the same team.