My season started -> Girls Middle School

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

In our local rec league (we don't have school teams below HS level) we have to combine 3rd/4th, 5th/6th and 7th/8th grade girls only because we don't have enough of them sign up to have separate teams at each grade level. On the boys side, we have enough so that each grade has separate teams. If we had more girls sign up, we would separate them, also. This season, we are playing "interlocking" schedules with two neighboring city rec leagues so we have had a series of officiating meetings to come to a "meeting of the minds" (which leaves me out) to agree on rules for these games. Each of the three organizations has slightly different rules at the different grade levels. We start with HS rules, then modify for grade level. Pretty much, the other two have agreed to use our rules since we have been around doing this for over 30 years and they are both under 7 years in existence. I think next year, they will just adopt our rules for all their games.

Our local Rec Leagues are similar to what you describe. Boys have no problem fielding teams. One league has a G13-18 Division, which as you can imagine, has a real disparity in size, maturity, and level of play - 30 point blowouts are to be expected.

And, I only wish (seriously) we had as many coordination meetings and training sessions as some of you discuss on the Forum. Some of our leagues are not run as efficiently or effectively as I would like to see and could learn from....and yes, I have volunteered, and sometimes, even been taken up on my attempt to assist. Oh well.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by grunewar

One league has a G13-18 Division(

So that's college thru grad school? Oh, wait, those are ages, not grades.

Since the season occurs entirely during the school year, we use grade level, not ages. That way, we don't have to go through all the crap other sports do regarding verifying birth certificates, etc. Believe me, if a kid claims to be in a lower grade than they actually are, we know it within about 5 seconds after they register because they'll get "outed" by the other kids. Actually, it's never happened, to my knowledge. Plus, if a kid is good enough to "play up", we direct him to a competitive league. Ours is purely recreational.

BTW - how do you get "held balls" in a girls game? Was Hillary Clinton playing?