Changes to age groups

[Unregistered]

From another state and that’s what happened on our team. 11 ‘01 seniors had to be added to 19 ‘02 players (seniors and juniors) to form one u18/u19 team. They made a new u18/19 B team and demoted half the players.

Happened at our club too. It’s sad. So many ended up quitting. Colleges don’t care what month a student is born. All colleges in every state go by graduation year. Soccer should follow the popular choice of LAX and go to grad year too. Way more kids are redshirted for academic reasons than to get an edge in sports. It all evens out by high school and if you’re worried about it, then redshirt your own kid. It doesn’t really give any advantage by the time they’re in high school anyway.

[Unregistered]

Happened at our club too. It’s sad. So many ended up quitting. Colleges don’t care what month a student is born. All colleges in every state go by graduation year. Soccer should follow the popular choice of LAX and go to grad year too. Way more kids are redshirted for academic reasons than to get an edge in sports. It all evens out by high school and if you’re worried about it, then redshirt your own kid. It doesn’t really give any advantage by the time they’re in high school anyway.

Maybe you should just have your kids go play LAX since that is all you can talk about. Imagine how much growth LAX would have then by adding a few more kids? Next year it will say LAX had a 20% growth in 2020 and all due to you signing up your kids.

[Unregistered]

Happened at our club too. It’s sad. So many ended up quitting. Colleges don’t care what month a student is born. All colleges in every state go by graduation year. Soccer should follow the popular choice of LAX and go to grad year too. Way more kids are redshirted for academic reasons than to get an edge in sports. It all evens out by high school and if you’re worried about it, then redshirt your own kid. It doesn’t really give any advantage by the time they’re in high school anyway.

just to be clear, lax nominally goes by grad year but still has age cut-offs. the ct/ny program (conny lacrosse) has a 9/1/XX to 8/31/XX+1 date range, which ironically for ct and ny can mean later birthday kids can either be playing "down" a grade, with their grade, or forced up a grade if they were held back for kindergarten. conny does allow for expansion in 8th grade to a 3/1 birthday to help capture the "trapped" kids.

it's all a sh*tshow no matter what you try and do.

[Unregistered]

Happened at our club too. It’s sad. So many ended up quitting. Colleges don’t care what month a student is born. All colleges in every state go by graduation year. Soccer should follow the popular choice of LAX and go to grad year too. Way more kids are redshirted for academic reasons than to get an edge in sports. It all evens out by high school and if you’re worried about it, then redshirt your own kid. It doesn’t really give any advantage by the time they’re in high school anyway.

Same problem with all the clubs in ECNL. Not being able to have a U18 team and having to combine juniors and seniors into one U18+U19 team has caused big problems. The seniors displaced 8 juniors who were just getting going on the new recruiting timeline.

[Unregistered]

just to be clear, lax nominally goes by grad year but still has age cut-offs. the ct/ny program (conny lacrosse) has a 9/1/XX to 8/31/XX+1 date range, which ironically for ct and ny can mean later birthday kids can either be playing "down" a grade, with their grade, or forced up a grade if they were held back for kindergarten. conny does allow for expansion in 8th grade to a 3/1 birthday to help capture the "trapped" kids.

it's all a sh*tshow no matter what you try and do.

Soccer was the same before - still was a birthday cutoff but because it was so close to the school start dates it didn't leave out many kids. CT and NY are unusual with their late kindergarten cutoffs. Most other states are earlier so they have many more trapped 8th and 12th graders

[Unregistered]

Same problem with all the clubs in ECNL. Not being able to have a U18 team and having to combine juniors and seniors into one U18+U19 team has caused big problems. The seniors displaced 8 juniors who were just getting going on the new recruiting timeline.

Too late for my kids but hope they come to their senses and switch to grad year. It’s been a mess since they switched and won’t getter better because there’s nothing you can do with systemic problems caused by birth year.

[Unregistered]

Too late for my kids but hope they come to their senses and switch to grad year. It’s been a mess since they switched and won’t getter better because there’s nothing you can do with systemic problems caused by birth year.

Yes there is you can just move to CT instead of posting nonsense in CT soccer forums.

[Unregistered]

Doubt any changes will be made this season. But I could see this implemented starting in 2021 with ECNL.

[Unregistered]

That’s what I heard. ECNL and probably USYS will go back to grade based or new graduation year based for 2021-22 season. ECNL possibly even this year.

[Unregistered]

I heard they are going to combine age groups like in middle school and high school. Basically just have a varsity and JV team for ECNL.

[Unregistered]

That’s what I heard. ECNL and probably USYS will go back to grade based or new graduation year based for 2021-22 season. ECNL possibly even this year.

Heard this too.

[Unregistered]

Heard this too.

Just fix it now. The waiting only creates anxiety for the kids and serves no purpose. Kids can always play up so in actuality, it’s almost like grandfathering those kids in. No sense in waiting to fix a broken system

[Unregistered]

Just fix it now. The waiting only creates anxiety for the kids and serves no purpose. Kids can always play up so in actuality, it’s almost like grandfathering those kids in. No sense in waiting to fix a broken system

Yes these kids are so anxious about this because their psycho parents can't stop obsessing over it. Even to the point of posting in every states soccer forum even the ones that are in no way affected by the rule.

[Unregistered]

Yes these kids are so anxious about this because their psycho parents can't stop obsessing over it. Even to the point of posting in every states soccer forum even the ones that are in no way affected by the rule.

I live I this state. My kids did not start school here so I have two potential trapper 8th graders. Why are you so against it? Help me to understand.

[Unregistered]

Just fix it now. The waiting only creates anxiety for the kids and serves no purpose. Kids can always play up so in actuality, it’s almost like grandfathering those kids in. No sense in waiting to fix a broken system

I disagree. If they're doing it the following year and tell people well in advance, it gives them more time to digest and plan. Outside the limited group of industry insiders and readers of soccer blogs, most are completely unaware it is being considered. If they had approved it now for this fall, it would be much more of a bombshell to consumers. Even for clubs it would be somewhat of a scramble with tryouts and planning.

It's also possible they're trying to figure out a graduated plan that lessens the impact. As long as it happens in the next 1-2 years it's good.