BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Age Verification

My team ages up to U13 on September 1 (2021s). 4-5 of my midfielders weigh 75-80 lbs, which is around 25% for an 11 1/2 years old per the above chart. Compare to a kid who is 12 1/2 years old and in the 75-90% range (not unusual for a travel team) and weighs 110-130 lbs.

Not complaining my team is small - that's who made the team - but one can see how much safer it will be for my kids to play other kids their age. Playing in 2021 divisions should provide that, barring a bunch of hold-backs and I've only heard of one 2021 team accused of that. But, at least in my case, I will seek tournaments that have a 2021/U12 division and avoid those tournaments who don't enforce their own age rules.

PS - Last Fall was a mess with the new U.S. Lacrosse age rules going into effect and some smaller tournaments seemingly being clueless. Saw a 4th grade team play a 6th grade team in one championship. Hopefully, that won't reoccur this year.

well said
player passes should be standard for all travel teams regardless of sport

Have to admit that my kid was one of the kids asked to fill a spot on an established travel team. Walking thru the tournament area with all the tents set up, half the kids know him and know he does not play for the uniform he has on. He looked at me and said he will never do this again. That was one of those moments where you realize your not as wise as you think and maybe the kid has a clue. I will take his advice, never again.

Fortunately this was only a single tournament for your son. I could not imagine holding back my 6th grader and having him walk through the halls for the rest of his academic career in front of kids who know he is "wearing a uniform for a team he doesn't play for."

At the Express tryout a goalie who was a 2018 last year is now a 2019. Give me a break.

I think most people would agree that there should be player ID's except for the win at all cost coaches and little Johnnys dad that likes watching his 6th grader dominate in a 4th grade league...

Yup...he is repeating 8th grade. He was on Terps two years ago, Wolverines last year. He was on his way to Chamminade, but probably was 3 on the 9th grade depth chart.

how many other hold backs does 2019 Express have. Or better yet how many boys born in 2000 or sooner Including Sept - Dec months?

I would like to see lacrosse adopt the same system that youth hockey uses. It is done by your birth year thats it plain and simple. When you play in other parts of the country it doesnt become an issue when the school cut off is. Until then its really just cheating .

what does a player or parent get when we pay for a US Lacrosse #? What is the benefit?

You get that garbage magazine.

I believe hockey teams have a binder that has each kid's Hockey ID and a team roster that can't change every tourney (or mid tourney). Makes sense as does the age thing. That said most hockey players go to juniors before HS so they enter HS at 20 or so, but it is expected. You are allowed to play up but not down. All in all it makes sense, is consistent and is fair. Right now lacrosse has gotten off the rails, there is at least one large national club with regional and national teams that plays musical players so they ensure wins. A few of the kids are playing at two age groups claiming they will take a PG year when they play down.

I am all for a player playing as much as he or she wants on as many teams as he/she is physically capable of . Some like to play on an off weekend, why not? So I can see a player playing on multiple teams. A child should not be restricted.

These are open tournaments not set leagues and a roster can and should be able to change.

Now did I understand you claim a player was playing down because they said they will eventually PG? Now I'v heard it all,

Eventually I intend to hold my child back..Not sure what grade , maybe do a PG...I want to play down a year, my child has a late birthday..Shouldn't my child get the benefit of all these kids that have been heldback, started late, etc...Why do these select players get an advantage the majority of players dont including mine....Club Youth lacrosse forward will always have this black cloud hanging over it due to the consequences of letting these select players play down..It will start a bigger movement to hold your child back like the epidemic going on in private schools in Maryland.

Some people are saying that kids are being held back multiple years. This is not the case (at least in Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC). The very oldest a kid can be as a senior in these private school leagues is 19.

MIAA (Baltimore/Annapolis) and IAC (DC/MD/VA) both say "A student who has attained his/her 19th birthday before August 31 of a given academic year is not eligible to participate."

This is happening. It is completely unfair when team A registers one set of players then stacks the NewEngland Team A (for example) with kids from multiple states to win games.

Yes, I personally know a few players playing 2 years, claiming they will PG at a later date.

So which government agency is policing this to ensure no kids are actually older? Come on really? I'm sure these win at all cost private schools are "self" policing, right?

They probably self police the way the SEC does. Find out about a violation on the opposing team, then disclose it the week before you play them to get that player out for the week while they are under investigation.

Quick question: If a LI player does a PG year, is it still cheating? Or does that only apply to the rest of the country? Isn't that taking away a legitimate opportunity from a deserving 2016?

"No. 6 senior @BrianWilletts, A, Smithtown East (N.Y.) has decommitted from Carolina. He just told me he will PG and play for @NDlacrosse."

lets get this started - my son is a 2018 and I verify his birthday is 3/19/2000 - who's next

On the age verification, the reason why some kids are a year to 2 yrs older is the school cut off date, New [lacrosse] is December and i believe the other states start in September. So if your in 9th grade in another state and your held back you can be two years older then that kid from long island in 9th grade. depending on where his/her birthday is.

Likely for ND the kid had to do a PG year to get his academics squared away because while he could make it grades wise in Carolina, he could not in ND. And at the College level, it (a PG year) is not an issue. He isn't going to play next year as a 2016, is he? No, this kid is doing it the right way!

Why are you assuming that a PG year will be good for his GPA? He might do well but he might also struggle at a boarding school. What happens to the ND opportunity if he struggles? There's no guarantee that his grades will improve.

AAU just implemented new age requirements to cut down on cheating and double hold backs
You will need picture ID with age on it to play in tournaments

AAU has about as much influence over youth lax as USA Lacrosse does - none !

My 2018 son is 8/1/2000. [cb]

Let's start with age verification on BOTC. These posts are getting ridiculous!

I just signed son up for a tournament where the registration system cross-referenced the birthdate with the U.S. Lacrosse database based on the number. (I had typed in 2/21 instead of 2/12 and it kicked me out until I fixed.) Pretty nifty. I doubt many parents used a fake birthdate when they signed up for U.S. Lacrosse in the first place and, regardless, let U.S. Lacrosse require proof of birth once and let tournaments rely on that.

I like the idea but seems meaningless without names, no?

2019 - 6/23/2001

One of the players on my sons 2019 team had his arm broken today by a giant player from Edge Lacrosse out of Canada in the 3D fl$ tournament in MD.

Parents on sideline were saying the kids are in 9th grade and some in 10th.

Talk about unsafe and unfair. My son is a decent size 13 year old and should NOT be playing against these beasts one and two years older and that's assuming none were held back!!!

Im sure it has written in a prior post
but all players should have players cards with -photo -jersey # and Date of birth

Too much money involved for the travel programs controlling the game. Never going to change. Every year its the same thing on both the boys and girls side. It absolute bullcrap. The largest youth sport in the country soccer does it with zero problems.

is that the team with that middie someone said was committed as a 2019.

Rediculous

Yes they do
make it club responsibility
no cards no games
the idea is simple

Lacrosse is living in the stone ages when it comes to this. How in this day and age do not they not play in age brackets vs "school years" is beyond me. In addition @ any given tourney outside of a once in a while USLacrosse registration (still dont require birth certificates to register) requirement, you can have upper class kids fill roster spots for teams. To sum it up, you can have a kid get "left back" 2x's and be 2 years older than the kids in his age group and be legitamely eligible.

Unfortunately it will take one good lawsuit or a fatality on the field for US lacrosse to make any changes. Let's hope it's the latter.

The 800 pound gorillas in the travel world don't want it so it wont happen. US lacrosse is just happy the travel teams keep forcing the kids to register for US lax

Spot on
all youth sports should and need to be done by date of birth
period end of story

just played this weekend at a girls tournament. We had 3 different age groups on the team and it appeared that some teams had kids playing down again

YES! Play up at your own peril but no playing down. But certain clubs love it! You will never see this at a 3D tourney.

In 8th grade it is hard enough when some of the boys have hit puberty and are 180 lb men and some boys are skinny 80 lb boys.