2026 Boys - Madlax or DCE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing mysterious or surprising, it is a known part of the landscape that a lot of lacrosse players reclass in 7th and 8th grade. The big four (NL, ML, VLC, BLC/DCE) will look different in the fall due to movement among them, plus re-classes.

When you say lot of lacrosse players reclass, do you mean actually repeat 7th or 8th grade? Solely to improve their positioning for lacrosse? I've heard of folks delaying entry to kindergarten or 1st grade to be the oldest in their grade, but are folks really having their kid repeat middle school grade just for club/private school lacrosse reasons? Guess I'm a little naive but can't imagine how parents explain to kid or others when they ask...

Yes typically at 8th grade. It’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, meant to write 2025 NL team was re-built with 2024 re-classes. And yes, same thing absolutely happened with 2026 Crabs team this past year. My expectation is we will see more of this over the summer with more 2026 teams including 2025 re-classes. The Crabs just got a head start.

My kid is is 2026 not on Crabs but knows several kids that are. Don’t think they got reclassified kids this spring but they are expecting them to show up for this year’s tryouts. They did cut a bunch of kids last summer and brought in new players.

some crabs players reclassed as 26s last summer and maybe more 25s will reclass this summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing mysterious or surprising, it is a known part of the landscape that a lot of lacrosse players reclass in 7th and 8th grade. The big four (NL, ML, VLC, BLC/DCE) will look different in the fall due to movement among them, plus re-classes.

When you say lot of lacrosse players reclass, do you mean actually repeat 7th or 8th grade? Solely to improve their positioning for lacrosse? I've heard of folks delaying entry to kindergarten or 1st grade to be the oldest in their grade, but are folks really having their kid repeat middle school grade just for club/private school lacrosse reasons? Guess I'm a little naive but can't imagine how parents explain to kid or others when they ask...

PP here. Yes, it sounds crazy but many kids repeat 7th or 8th grade, with one of the main objectives to become a hotter commodity in lacrosse. It is more common in private schools than public, and often happens when a student changes schools. (so less explaining is needed). So the roster of an elite travel team will often have at least half of the players a year older than you would expect them to be for that grade, consisting of "holdbacks," ie, kids whose families planned ahead and started kindergarten at age 6, plus "reclasses," ie, kids who repeated a grade. Personally I chose not to do it for my own sons, but after discussing the pros and cons at length, the idea is not as crazy as it sounds. It does wonders for some kids' confidence and self-esteem, which starts in sports, and then carries over to their academic and social lives. The private schools love it because they collect an extra year of tuition dollars, and the club lacrosse programs love it because it strengthens their teams. College coaches like it too because they get 19/20 year old freshman who are more physically developed and emotionally mature and ready to play varsity. Like it or not, it is a big part of the modern lacrosse world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing mysterious or surprising, it is a known part of the landscape that a lot of lacrosse players reclass in 7th and 8th grade. The big four (NL, ML, VLC, BLC/DCE) will look different in the fall due to movement among them, plus re-classes.

When you say lot of lacrosse players reclass, do you mean actually repeat 7th or 8th grade? Solely to improve their positioning for lacrosse? I've heard of folks delaying entry to kindergarten or 1st grade to be the oldest in their grade, but are folks really having their kid repeat middle school grade just for club/private school lacrosse reasons? Guess I'm a little naive but can't imagine how parents explain to kid or others when they ask...

PP here. Yes, it sounds crazy but many kids repeat 7th or 8th grade, with one of the main objectives to become a hotter commodity in lacrosse. It is more common in private schools than public, and often happens when a student changes schools. (so less explaining is needed). So the roster of an elite travel team will often have at least half of the players a year older than you would expect them to be for that grade, consisting of "holdbacks," ie, kids whose families planned ahead and started kindergarten at age 6, plus "reclasses," ie, kids who repeated a grade. Personally I chose not to do it for my own sons, but after discussing the pros and cons at length, the idea is not as crazy as it sounds. It does wonders for some kids' confidence and self-esteem, which starts in sports, and then carries over to their academic and social lives. The private schools love it because they collect an extra year of tuition dollars, and the club lacrosse programs love it because it strengthens their teams. College coaches like it too because they get 19/20 year old freshman who are more physically developed and emotionally mature and ready to play varsity. Like it or not, it is a big part of the modern lacrosse world.

I would think most of the benefit would diminish by the end of freshman year. Most kid’s are full grown by then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing mysterious or surprising, it is a known part of the landscape that a lot of lacrosse players reclass in 7th and 8th grade. The big four (NL, ML, VLC, BLC/DCE) will look different in the fall due to movement among them, plus re-classes.

When you say lot of lacrosse players reclass, do you mean actually repeat 7th or 8th grade? Solely to improve their positioning for lacrosse? I've heard of folks delaying entry to kindergarten or 1st grade to be the oldest in their grade, but are folks really having their kid repeat middle school grade just for club/private school lacrosse reasons? Guess I'm a little naive but can't imagine how parents explain to kid or others when they ask...

PP here. Yes, it sounds crazy but many kids repeat 7th or 8th grade, with one of the main objectives to become a hotter commodity in lacrosse. It is more common in private schools than public, and often happens when a student changes schools. (so less explaining is needed). So the roster of an elite travel team will often have at least half of the players a year older than you would expect them to be for that grade, consisting of "holdbacks," ie, kids whose families planned ahead and started kindergarten at age 6, plus "reclasses," ie, kids who repeated a grade. Personally I chose not to do it for my own sons, but after discussing the pros and cons at length, the idea is not as crazy as it sounds. It does wonders for some kids' confidence and self-esteem, which starts in sports, and then carries over to their academic and social lives. The private schools love it because they collect an extra year of tuition dollars, and the club lacrosse programs love it because it strengthens their teams. College coaches like it too because they get 19/20 year old freshman who are more physically developed and emotionally mature and ready to play varsity. Like it or not, it is a big part of the modern lacrosse world.

Wow. Thanks for the explanation and info, appreciate it - pretty illuminating (and yes does still sound little crazy). Though I guess I can see the "spend 8th grade in public school, then transfer to private and repeat 8th grade there" path - as you say, there would be less explaining needed that way. That's much different than "here's Kenny again in 8th grade history class..."

If elite club teams are ~50% holdbacks/reclasses, wonder what percentage of private school teams are - like 80%??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:could be right, but I think VLC is going to be really strong. I think a bunch of BO folks are going to end up there from the other clubs.

It's all sideline whispers and rumors now but at least sounds like VLC is really recruiting some good talent.

VLC 2026 recently announced a new head coach, who is an assistant coach at PVI, and will be using the summer to recruit players for VLC 2026 based on position needs. Any rising 8th grader interested in PVI will want to get that call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing mysterious or surprising, it is a known part of the landscape that a lot of lacrosse players reclass in 7th and 8th grade. The big four (NL, ML, VLC, BLC/DCE) will look different in the fall due to movement among them, plus re-classes.

When you say lot of lacrosse players reclass, do you mean actually repeat 7th or 8th grade? Solely to improve their positioning for lacrosse? I've heard of folks delaying entry to kindergarten or 1st grade to be the oldest in their grade, but are folks really having their kid repeat middle school grade just for club/private school lacrosse reasons? Guess I'm a little naive but can't imagine how parents explain to kid or others when they ask...

PP here. Yes, it sounds crazy but many kids repeat 7th or 8th grade, with one of the main objectives to become a hotter commodity in lacrosse. It is more common in private schools than public, and often happens when a student changes schools. (so less explaining is needed). So the roster of an elite travel team will often have at least half of the players a year older than you would expect them to be for that grade, consisting of "holdbacks," ie, kids whose families planned ahead and started kindergarten at age 6, plus "reclasses," ie, kids who repeated a grade. Personally I chose not to do it for my own sons, but after discussing the pros and cons at length, the idea is not as crazy as it sounds. It does wonders for some kids' confidence and self-esteem, which starts in sports, and then carries over to their academic and social lives. The private schools love it because they collect an extra year of tuition dollars, and the club lacrosse programs love it because it strengthens their teams. College coaches like it too because they get 19/20 year old freshman who are more physically developed and emotionally mature and ready to play varsity. Like it or not, it is a big part of the modern lacrosse world.

Wow. Thanks for the explanation and info, appreciate it - pretty illuminating (and yes does still sound little crazy). Though I guess I can see the "spend 8th grade in public school, then transfer to private and repeat 8th grade there" path - as you say, there would be less explaining needed that way. That's much different than "here's Kenny again in 8th grade history class..."

If elite club teams are ~50% holdbacks/reclasses, wonder what percentage of private school teams are - like 80%?

Depends on the demographic too. You will see way more kids that have been reclassed at GZ, GP, Landon, or Bullis then you would at O'Connell, PVI, or even SSSA. Those that have the extra 40-60k lying around to spend for an extra year in the Bethesda, Potomac, Great Falls or McLean areas have become the top offenders in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Yes the perfect time to reclass is when switching schools. There is no harm in giving your kid an extra year to mature, academically, physically, and emotionally. The physical maturity may all even out by late high school, but the academic and emotional maturity can help for years to come and even translate into a more mature and successful college experience. Signed, parent who wish we had done this for our very bright but emotionally immature sophomore.

[Anonymous]

The below shows that if you play for Madlax, you are only concerned with being the best 14u player in the country or ranked nationally as a 12yr old and have zero regard for teaches/mentors your children.

Owner's Resume
Arrested and kicked out of Hobart for anger management issues and forced to seek counseling.
Fired from McLean High School for allowing underage drinking by his players.
Fired from St. John's for kicking a player.
Fired from Potomac for threatening an 8th grade Potomac student for switching clubs.
Sent the following email to an 8th grade Landon student for switching clubs: "Hey ungrateful quitter....Your former teammates and coaches, who detest you now, can't wait to get a piece of you Saturday when we play vlc."
Creates an IG story bullying 8th grader that switched clubs.
Attempts to sabotage school admissions
Multiple instances of roster cheating

By partaking in his program, you are only condoning his behavior and sending a terrible message to your kid that this is acceptable behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The below shows that if you play for Madlax, you are only concerned with being the best 14u player in the country or ranked nationally as a 12yr old and have zero regard for teaches/mentors your children.

Owner's Resume
Arrested and kicked out of Hobart for anger management issues and forced to seek counseling.
Fired from McLean High School for allowing underage drinking by his players.
Fired from St. John's for kicking a player.
Fired from Potomac for threatening an 8th grade Potomac student for switching clubs.
Sent the following email to an 8th grade Landon student for switching clubs: "Hey ungrateful quitter....Your former teammates and coaches, who detest you now, can't wait to get a piece of you Saturday when we play vlc."
Creates an IG story bullying 8th grader that switched clubs.
Attempts to sabotage school admissions
Multiple instances of roster cheating

By partaking in his program, you are only condoning his behavior and sending a terrible message to your kid that this is acceptable behavior.

I've heard all this a million times now, and honestly I'm sick of hearing about it.

And no my kid is not on ML.

[Anonymous]

I think his resume is appealing, but to be fair he doesn’t coach the 2026s. It’s a good team. Maybe the boys and families on that team really value the coaches despite the owner.

[Anonymous]

Meant to say “appalling”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes the perfect time to reclass is when switching schools. There is no harm in giving your kid an extra year to mature, academically, physically, and emotionally. The physical maturity may all even out by late high school, but the academic and emotional maturity can help for years to come and even translate into a more mature and successful college experience. Signed, parent who wish we had done this for our very bright but emotionally immature sophomore.

Let's be frank. What teenager is not somewhat immature? That's called being a teenager. And when I see how some of these holdbacks at private schools behave, I really wonder if they are so much more mature. (I do chuckle every time I see a freshman driving.) Also, the academic, emotional, etc. argument is baloney. The foundation for the reason is simply to be bigger than your competitors in the recruiting process. That other stuff people mention is just to rationalize it in their minds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes the perfect time to reclass is when switching schools. There is no harm in giving your kid an extra year to mature, academically, physically, and emotionally. The physical maturity may all even out by late high school, but the academic and emotional maturity can help for years to come and even translate into a more mature and successful college experience. Signed, parent who wish we had done this for our very bright but emotionally immature sophomore.

Let's be frank. What teenager is not somewhat immature? That's called being a teenager. And when I see how some of these holdbacks at private schools behave, I really wonder if they are so much more mature. (I do chuckle every time I see a freshman driving.) Also, the academic, emotional, etc. argument is baloney. The foundation for the reason is simply to be bigger than your competitors in the recruiting process. That other stuff people mention is just to rationalize it in their minds.

I was not an athlete, but I was definitely not emotionally ready for college at 18. I should have done "something else" for a few years first.

That said, if the main reason is to be bigger than your competitors (and have an extra year of lacrosse experience), there's nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes the perfect time to reclass is when switching schools. There is no harm in giving your kid an extra year to mature, academically, physically, and emotionally. The physical maturity may all even out by late high school, but the academic and emotional maturity can help for years to come and even translate into a more mature and successful college experience. Signed, parent who wish we had done this for our very bright but emotionally immature sophomore.

Let's be frank. What teenager is not somewhat immature? That's called being a teenager. And when I see how some of these holdbacks at private schools behave, I really wonder if they are so much more mature. (I do chuckle every time I see a freshman driving.) Also, the academic, emotional, etc. argument is baloney. The foundation for the reason is simply to be bigger than your competitors in the recruiting process. That other stuff people mention is just to rationalize it in their minds.

I was not an athlete, but I was definitely not emotionally ready for college at 18. I should have done "something else" for a few years first.

That said, if the main reason is to be bigger than your competitors (and have an extra year of lacrosse experience), there's nothing wrong with that.

no objection about taking a gap year to prepare for the rigors of college for folks that are marginal but it's lame to be playing high school sports as an overaged player/adult.