My daughter started school at age 4, her birthday is Aug 30. She is now in the third grade, and ha average grades. I do not think her grades are because of her age. A kid that young will adapt to what they are being taught, she does not try to get good grades and thinks school is social hour. My oldest 2 kids both are on the honor roll, not becasue of their age but because they put forth the effort. Well my middle one is near the top of her class on all tests and her iq is very high, but she has the athletic prowess of a rock.

It is very common for some of the MAC schools to do this. If Marion or Coldwater make the finals, count how many 18 year old players are listed in the program. I am not saying they do anything like this for sports reasons, I think it is more of a decision made by the school administration that kids should be older to start kindergarten.

gamauter wrote:

Cthelites wrote:

september63 wrote: IF you had an 8th grade athlete who was not only good in sports, but enjoyed playing them. The rules allow you to do this because of his age and birthday. You would consider doing it. End of discussion. A scholorship is worth est 75K. If otherwise you couldnt afford his college, how is this a bad thing? You are giving him a better chance. I rarely agree with massillon arguements but this time IF it isnt your child you have no right to criticize the parents that do this.

I would? I just went thru this last yr since my son is a frosh.
The discussion came up because he had to wrestle kids that were sometimes almost 2 yrs older than him as an 8th grader. He asked why kids would stay back in ms if they are supposed to go to hs.
I told him why and he thought that was sort of cheating but he didn't want any part of it. I wanted to see what his reaction was and I was glad to hear his response. How in the world could I possibly hold him back being an honor student taking AP classes. I don't think the school would go for it either.
BTW he LOVES playing sports and played 4 different sports during ms.

It doesn't matter now, he is wrestling against kids his weight and they could be 3-4 years older.

Never said it did. That's how my son found out about redshirting.
Some kids he knew didn't wrestle in the state tourney so they could wrestle in it next yr because they were going to red shirt.
It really only helps that final yr and sometimes the Freshman yr.
MS is totally different in those advantages strictly from the physical maturity factor.

This type of thing is almost always parent generated. How many kids ask their parents to be held back an extra year because there may be a chance at a college scholarship? They will be separated from the class where their peers are located and when your friends leave school, you are still there. (and 9 times out of 10, without any better chance for a scholarship than when your parent selfishly held you back so he could say..."That's my son out there"), when he, in fact, should have been celebrating his child's graduation on time and helping him or her make the transition from high school to college. Stage mothers and pseudo "jock" fathers do a lot of harm sometimes.

I know several who have asked their parents to hold them back.

I would never have my kid held back for sports. That to me is idiotic and asinine.
If the kid was held back for academic reasons because their head was up in the clouds and not because he literally couldn't make the grade, he wouldn't be rewarded by be allowed to play sports anyway.
If the kid was held back because even though they applied themselves to their studies and still couldn't make the grade, then sports shouldn't be a focus anyhow.