Funny.OSVAlacrosse wrote: ↑Thu Nov 17, 2022 3:32 pmsmoova wrote: ↑Thu Nov 17, 2022 11:24 amWe are on the same page here, but I see downsides for two groups: (i) wealthy parents would lose an easy way to purchase an advantage for their unexceptional offspring and (ii) college coaches would be forced to evaluate and coach more players who are further from full maturity. As we've both noted up-thread, the entire club lacrosse system exists to serve those two groups.
I think another issue is enforcement. Tournaments can barely run schedules and parking. I am sure anyone with a kid who played club lacrosse would trust clubs completely with "self" regulation. I think it is an issue at youth and needs to be monitored. I think for HS age teams the juice is not worth the squeeze. If a coach wants to watch a team why not just have HS divisions and let kids play where the coaches will be. I think age based HS teams would just make the high dollar showcases and prospect camps the defacto recruiting platform. My son is finished with recruiting so no horse in the race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJfbRj3L38o
On the serious topic, enforcement is actually quite simple, done by most every other sport.
Gotta produce a birth certificate, coaches gather and submit, no birth certificate, no play.
Coaches do so before the season, so not scrambling come game time.
Phony certificate can get coach expelled, team expelled, as well as kid.
Rarely, but sometimes, happens.
We needed to do this with youth football (also needed to validate weight), and I understand that serious soccer requires birth certificates as well.
My understanding is that this is done in most sports.
Can play 'up' but not down.