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

As a parent, I want the ability to make decisions about my son's safety. We do it every day, why not in sports. If someone asks my son to play up, I am making the conscious decision to allow him to play with/against older kids and accept the risk. It seems Edge Lacrosse is playing teams that believe them to be 2019 (13 year olds) when in fact they are at least one year older. The deception creates a situation that does not allow me as a parent to make an informed decision about my son playing against older kids, an inherently more dangerous endeavor.

Does anyone know how the parents of the injured 2019 player has responded? Have they posted on the board?

This practice needs to stop. Let everyone play straight up and see where your kid ranks. Gaming the system only puts kids...they are just kids... in jeopardy.

For anyone concerned about this issue, please contact US Lacrosse and voice your opinion - http://www.uslacrosse.org/about-us-lacrosse/contact-us.aspx

If you don't speak up, nothing will be done.

Well said. For the parents of middle schoolers this is all about safety. Any parent who has been on the receiving end of this nonsense knows the gut wrenching feeling when their kid is being knocked around by kids a full helmet taller.

Unfortunately, seems as nothing will ever be done

under what scenario are 11 yr olds playing against 15 yr olds even with grade based events? Are suggesting kids are being held back 3 times? exaggerating to make a point weakens the argument.

perhaps grade based tournaments should also have an age limit, ie to play in 2020 they have to be born after june 1, 2001, that would accommodate "reasonable" holdbacks. so the oldest and youngest would be 18 months apart...

It needs to be done by age group and dob
example
girls or boys U-11 have to be born in 2004
it's simple
if your left back sorry but athletics should not be your top priority and if your parents puy you in school late your playing on grade

I just heard of a youth wrestler in 6th grade who is a youth state champ his parents are attempting yo have repeat grade so he can get his weight up and have more years on varsity

RE: age verification

(I transferred this from another thread as I feel it may be of help to some...fwiw; our plan resulted in a top 5 2017 commit for an age appropriate player.)

We've been down this road so many times...

Yes it is deplorable that re-classed kids must use a younger venue to be able to become visible for recruiting purposes.

It's not going away anytime soon.

The only immediate solution is for dads of younger than 2017/2018 to get as much additional training as possible. Showing up for practice is not going to be enough.

Do what we did: invest in the best private coaching you can for your sons position.
Invest in an early age appropriate private conditioning program with a personal trainer.

Get him on the best team he can qualify for where he has a realistic chance of starting or at least get even playing time (those clubs are out there)

Maintain strict academic standards. No high grades = no lax or other sports. It's a privilege, not a right to play.

Look for any signs of stress. It's supposed to be fun. If it's not; find out why and try to work towards a solution.

Let him find his way; don't push.

Be 100% supportive; win or lose.

If he's good; he will kick the butts on the older kids who have to play down. Typically, their skill sets don't match their physical maturity advantage (why would they be playing down instead of with their peers?) and are easy prey for good players.

Be positive.

All of the Edge Players on 2019 were born in 2000. Get over yourself

edge 2019 all played bantam box lacrosse last summer which includes age verification. Bantam Box in 2014 was for players born in 2001 and 2000. A slight exaggeration saying these kids are in grade 10. NONE of them are over the age of 14

Yeah but being born in January of 2000 is a lot different than being born in October of 2000

2000 b-day belongs in 2018...that is the point

Omg 2000 is Grad year 2018..... 2001=2019

I think the point is "most" states allow ANY kid born after July 1 to play in the grade he/she is in, so long as they have their 19th birthday AFTER July 1.

The problem is "most" local/state educational boards "recommend" Dec 1 as the cut-off date for class designation to enter kindergarten.

But, what is a parent to do with the slower developing child that has a birth date between July 1 & November 30?

We have to get to a point where we say it's either age & weight, or grade qualifications for competition.

I think we can all agree, age & weight is the safest and most appropriate standard to grow our sport.

Identification cards, with annual, digital-update-ability as to what town & club team a player is affiliated with should be the goal. Photo, birth dates, etc.

Let's just create a standard and go with it. Talk to your local governing bodies, send emails and letter to US Lax, have conversations with those "in the know" and we can standardize competition qualifications.

Youth Lacrosse locally and nationally is BEGGING for this.

We have been through this before. You says "most" schools use December 1 as a cut off date when you enter kindergarten. You are wrong. See this link for a state by state cut off date listing: http://www.schoolsnmore.com/articles/article/107-kindergarten-cut-off-dates-by-state

Also, as we all know us lacrosse uses 9.1

That chart sure does put a huge hole in the whiner's theory. Looks like most states (as well as US Lacrosse) use a 9/1 cutoff. Next excuse please?

I don't think the poster is whining or trying to make excuses. It seems pretty clear he/she is trying to set the tone for an educated discussion to come up with a standardized set of qualifications for grade & age eligibility.

Less thumping of the chest, more open discussion and we might get there.

Maryland's cutoff to enter kindergarten in a public school is 9/1. If you are not age 5 by 9/1, you do not begin kindergarten until the following fall.

Actually makes more sense that way!

9.1 is the cut off date for the majority of states. Ny and Hawaii are the latest dates. Read that link in the earlier post

Well, if Sep 1 is the current cutoff in the majority of the states, the let's get this some nationwide.

Write letters to US Lax AND to your local organizations. Let's get standardized photo ID's with birthdates, town & club affiliations clearly stated.

Then we need to put the pressure on the "Tourney Circuit" and demand higher standards.

Nah, I will just come here to thump my chest when my kid wins and whine when my kid loses to "older" players

Ya about 9 months different while US Lacrosse has 24 month cohorts. Calm down. That Edge team already has kids with offers. I don't think Canadians are making the NCAA because of grad year manipulation. They are making it because they have advanced stick skills and tough courtesy of box lacrosse. Time to evaluate how our kids play the sport.

Us lacrosse uses 9.1 as their cut off date. Most age based tourneys go by us lacrosse rules. However, most tourneys are moving towards grade based not age based. Us lacrosse can't do anything about this. It is up to the tourney director to determine their own rules. Us lax has nothing to do with private tourneys. Finally, having grade based tourneys makes it easier for colleges to recruit because they dont have to guess what grade the kid is in.

Canada is Jan 1st
So the Sept to Dec Canadian born kid is one whole year behind the American kid.
Edge not looking like cheaters now!!

I really liked the guy that stated separate them by size and weight.
Lets see I am a College Coach - do I go to field #3 and watch the 5'5" 140lb and under game or do I go to field #1 and watch the 6 footers?

Lol I think it's fair to say that is just not a option- but it does speak to why proper age verification is paramount in all sports

No LI dad is going to respond to this because you just exposed their B.S.

[quote=Anonymous]I really liked the guy that stated separate them by size and weight.
Lets see I am a College Coach - do I go to field #3 and watch the 5'5" 140lb and under game or do I go to field #1 and watch the 6 footers?
/quote]

In that sentence you don't capitalize "College Coach."

What position are you in to verify the birth dates of the Edge program players?

I think some posters are missing the point of the Edge Lacrosse program issue. The program, not the parents, is structured so that their rosters are one year older than the teams they play against.

Obfuscate the point all you want. The fact remains their business model centers around organized and purposeful cheating which endangers players without parents having the ability to decide if they want their child playing against older kids.

School cutoff dates, weight, height....its all a smoke screen that I must believe is being sent up by an Edge employee or director.

My sons coach has already confirmed they will not register for tournaments that allows the Edge teams to participate. He's an old school Syracuse alumni who is hyper competitive but thinks the Edge program policy is dangerous and completely unfair. I think he has some pull with a bunch of larger tournaments through his college relationships. Hopefully it has the desired effect.

Is he going to avoid Sweetlax, 3d, Crabs et al? They are all doing it. Are you LI people that slow?

Edge Parent. All players born in 2000. All players 14 yrs old or younger.

How are they all in full puberty then? Is that a Canada thing? Please??

My son is a 2002- 7th grader and will be 13 in the early part of this new year - So the 2000 kids will be 15 starting in about 1 month. Aren't most kids turning 14 in 8th grade - the 2019 year???? Our 9th graders turn 15, not our 8th graders. Are we talking about 2019 Edge being 2000 yr born?

It seems to me that the slow LI people are trying to bring some sanity to a dangerous and unethical situation. While the Wendy whiners in the greater Balto area that have clearly flouted the rules for years are upset by any push to right the ship.
Canadians are following the lead of the cheaters south of the 49th, but they have always followed big brother. You can't blame them.

Let's all agree, September 1 cutoff date. If kids aren't 5yrs old by 9/1, they don't have to enter kindergarten.

Let's get the US Lax, CLA, OLA, etc, to show some leadership and mandate birth certificate verified photo ID's.

All of the side-bantering, including mine, doesn't mean a thing until we have organized, mandated standardization of age verification.

I have friends who are affiliated with the Edge program, and I Iove the lacrosse they produce, but the language on their website is disturbing. It illustrates the need for standardized age verification.

play by grade only - stop the BS - 2018's play against 2018's

That is great for your old kid, but seems unfair to have barely 14 year olds playing against 16 year olds because they "decided" to repeat 8th grade twice or just "reclassified" (maybe do a PG year 4 years from now).

Cheating is cheating.

Cheat - act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage , especially in a game or examination

That is from the dictionary. Does that hit a little close to home?

Some American clubs started this practice. How can we blame Edge for following. Btw the CLA does not sanction and have nothing to do with Canadian club teams. They sanction box lacrosse and national and international field teams and tournaments.

You don't think the best lacrosse players in Ontario have started puberty by 14? They are the too players for their area...of course they are going to be big.

So Edge parent if the are all 2000 birthdays then you should be playing in the 2018 and NOT the 2019 division. I believe that is the point everyone is trying to make.