I had the chance to attend the Trinity and Moeller game last fall here at Moeller. I had a chance to look at both teams up close and I was stunned at the level of physical maturity on both squads. Most players had full facial hair, complete muscle definition and definitely no baby fat. These guys were collectively a lot closer to their 19th birthday than their 18th. My son on the other hand, will have completed his high school eligibility at the ripe old age of 17 years and 4 months. He took his first varsity snaps while still 14 years old.

 

Somewhere along the line, we did not get the memo that says you are supposed to hold back athletes in school and we are paying the price now. He will be competing for scholarship opportunities with athletes that are 12 - 18 months more mature than he.I wish I could keep him in high school another year, but alas, I'm sure KHSAA would have something to say about it!

 

I am at a loss on how best to deal with the situation. Any suggestions?

I had the chance to attend the Trinity and Moeller game last fall here at Moeller. I had a chance to look at both teams up close and I was stunned at the level of physical maturity on both squads. Most players had full facial hair, complete muscle definition and definitely no baby fat. These guys were collectively a lot closer to their 19th birthday than their 18th. My son on the other hand, will have completed his high school eligibility at the ripe old age of 17 years and 4 months. He took his first varsity snaps while still 14 years old.

 

Somewhere along the line, we did not get the memo that says you are supposed to hold back athletes in school and we are paying the price now. He will be competing for scholarship opportunities with athletes that are 12 - 18 months more mature than he.I wish I could keep him in high school another year, but alas, I'm sure KHSAA would have something to say about it!

 

I am at a loss on how best to deal with the situation. Any suggestions?

 

That age advantage thing I think is much bigger in Middle School and the early high school years. By the time most kids are seniors, they are for the most part done growing (there are exceptions). Plus, with colleges regularly offering Juniors anyway, whether your son gets the offer in his junior or senior year, shouldn't be that big of a deal. If you're really worried, you could always send him to a prep school after he graduates. But really, if he's good enough to get an offer, he'll get an offer and going to a prep school probably won't help much.

I know each state is different on cut off date for starting school. When my son started school we lived in Indiana and he was not allowed to start Kindergarten when he would have in Kentucky. We tried to get him in but the red tape of starting was ridiculous so we just waited a year. Had we lived in Kentucky at the time he would have graduated a month before his 18th Birthday, but due to starting school in Indiana he Graduated a month prior to his 19th birthday.

 

I have seen many parents over the years lose their mind over not being allowed to hold back a student for athletic.."cough" academic reasons.

College football, on the line especially, is all about measurables, size and speed, footwork, and projecting how a player will fill out. They look at a Tate Nichols, who played tight end, and can see a good lineman's body. They'll look at your kid and project where his body will be in two years. If they like what they see, no worries.

 

Other option, if no offers that are acceptable, try a year of prep school.

College football, on the line especially, is all about measurables, size and speed, footwork, and projecting how a player will fill out. They look at a Tate Nichols, who played tight end, and can see a good lineman's body. They'll look at your kid and project where his body will be in two years. If they like what they see, no worries.

 

Other option, if no offers that are acceptable, try a year of prep school.

 

KHSAA does not even allow you to condition after you have played your senior season. How are you able to participate in a prep school program? Can you cite any regulations that could be interpreted to allow this?

Go out of state, some of the military academies, Fork Union, Culver, etc. There are PG programs in the northeast and elsewhere.

Go out of state, some of the military academies, Fork Union, Culver, etc. There are PG programs in the northeast and elsewhere.

 

Cut

Sports aside, my two children birthdays are in October and March and I did not think a child starting kindergarten before five years of age was a good idea. So, I waited until they were five, they turned six in kindergarden. My children will be 18 when they graduates high school. I feel that a child should be 18 when they graduate, or at least by the time they start college. Just a maturity thing as far as I'm concerned. I know some may be mature enough at 17 or 16, but I think 18 is appropriate, I was 18 when I graduated and I was never held back. As for the "holding students back", I never held my children back, both were five when they started kindergarden and both will be 18 when they graduate high school. Has nothing to do with sports, my son plays football and my daughter is not involved in any sport.

 

And my son is big, has a full beard and will be 18 and 7 months old when he graduates high school.

Hold em back....no sense in exposing these kids to school any earlier than you have too. Plus they can drive their classmates to school as Frosh/Sophs.

Don't most kids turn 18 during their senior year of high school?

Don't most kids turn 18 during their senior year of high school?

 

I would say that most do. I highly doubt that a majority of Moeller football players are

I think it helps alot if a boy is a year older- athletics, academics, and socially. Not as a big of a deal for girls because they mature sooner.

 

We graduate alot of kids that are 17. When they come back and see us in the fall, we usually see a substantially bigger, more defined, and more mature young man.

 

I do think for some guys it is the difference in a D1 scholarship or lower; 1st team all state versus honorable mention; getting to play versus sitting on the bench.

 

People don't like to talk about it and it is frowned on when you say you are doing it for athletics. But, I do think it helps and it is a competitive advantage if a school/program tries to have most of their boys held back.

 

I held back both of my boys and it has helped them substantially in school, sports, etc. It would have been a mistake for my daughter. Ultimately you do what is best for your child. But, I have never heard a family hold back a son and say it was a mistake. I have heard several say they wish they had done so but did not after the fact.

I think it helps alot if a boy is a year older- athletics, academics, and socially. Not as a big of a deal for girls because they mature sooner.

 

We graduate alot of kids that are 17. When they come back and see us in the fall, we usually see a substantially bigger, more defined, and more mature young man.

 

I do think for some guys it is the difference in a D1 scholarship or lower; 1st team all state versus honorable mention; getting to play versus sitting on the bench.

 

People don't like to talk about it and it is frowned on when you say you are doing it for athletics. But, I do think it helps and it is a competitive advantage if a school/program tries to have most of their boys held back.

 

I held back both of my boys and it has helped them substantially in school, sports, etc. It would have been a mistake for my daughter. Ultimately you do what is best for your child. But, I have never heard a family hold back a son and say it was a mistake. I have heard several say they wish they had done so but did not after the fact.

 

I was going to post my thoughts, until I read this. I TOTALLY agree with all of this. You nailed it.

There is a book titled The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It is a must read about successful people and the things that make them successful. One of the studies is about athletes and the fact that a higher than "normal" amount are born in certain months. These months lead the student/athletes to be the oldest in their classes and therefore bigger and stronger at a young age. Because they were the biggest and strongest at a young age they were invited to play select or AAU sports which gave them another leg up because they got more work in their sport. It is definitely a very scientific look at boys being the "oldest and biggest" in their class or group.

 

It also delves into academics and such but a big part is focused on the athlete.

Those guys from Moeller and Trinity probably had muscle definition and no baby fat because of their schools' training programs, not because of how old they were.