This argument could go on & on & on because no one will ever agree to disagree!! I understand that many have tried hard to argue their point by giving a million different analogies & hypotheticals, but we're not talking about apples & oranges or even apples & bananas for that matter. This is a basketball thread. There are many other sports besides basketball where youth have an advantage over older girls for the physicality purposes (for example Cross-country or Track consistently have top runners winning Varsity meets that are middle schoolers), but this is basketball not softball...not soccer & not volleyball!! Right or wrong this MS trend is here to stay so you best just learn how to deal with that fact!! No matter what age the player is people (especially overzealous parents) will never be satisfied. The lesson to teach here is if you are a high schooler on a high school team, you better bust your tail & step up your game because you can be replaced no matter how many years you've played or what grade you are in. Those players moved & playing up should also remember to watch their backs because come senior year there just might be a 7th or 8th grader taking their spot on that Varsity team!!! Wonder if those in support of MS playing up will still feel so strong when their kid (former MS star that played up) as an upperclassman loses that Varsity spot to a 7th or 8th grader?? It happens & more than likely will happen!!

 

My daughter started her 1st varsity game at PG near the end of her 8th grade year. She is now a JR and if you stay close to bball, you know that HHS has an outstanding 8th grader that played a lot as a 7th grader last year. Also a few other outstanding players behind her. I use it as motivation for her and remind her everyday those girls are looking over her shoulder. She could fold up shop and pack it in or use it to continue to strive to get better. She uses it as motivation at every practices, which in turn makes her work harder and that is exactly why its a good thing. Heck, I have an 8th grader that would be pushing her senior sister next year, if she wasn't a PG. My 8th grader is not a PG. But if she was, I would be going thru this under the same roof!

 

If a parent gets mad at a MS kid taking their spot, then that is a parent that encourages entitlement. There are no entitlements in competitive sports. If you want entitlements and ribbons, sign them up for rec league. Because if a MS kid takes that older kid's spot, the very first place to look is in the mirror. What did that kid do to keep the spot? What did you as a parent do to ensure your kid was working hard enough to keep the spot? It has nothing to do with that other kid taking the spot, it's about what are your doing to "keep" it. Whats the difference between a MS taking your daughter's spot vs a stud freshman that just came to the school? Why would you be mad at the 8th grader and not the freshman that just moved into the district? Sports are real life and if you are a high school JR or SR, you are only 1-2 years from being out in the real world. What is that kid going to do when they lose a spot to someone in the real world. Call mom and dad and ask them to come talk to their boss? It's almost comical we are talking about a MS taking a JR or SR spot because they are better...Why are they better???

8th grader better than a Jr or Sr.. The world of girls sports. I think it is simple practice, practice, practice! I know it happens but most of the young ladies in this thread have worked at their craft. Players are made in the offseason. My son came home last week cut from the academic team. He didn't cry, he said Dad while I was out dribbling a ball, Johnny was hitting the books. He didn't cry foul or say it was about the middle school experience. Life isn't fair a lot of blood, sweat and tears in success. Problem of parents in this generation work for it!!!

My daughter started her 1st varsity game at PG near the end of her 8th grade year. She is now a JR and if you stay close to bball, you know that HHS has an outstanding 8th grader that played a lot as a 7th grader last year. Also a few other outstanding players behind her. I use it as motivation for her and remind her everyday those girls are looking over her shoulder. She could fold up shop and pack it in or use it to continue to strive to get better. She uses it as motivation at every practices, which in turn makes her work harder and that is exactly why its a good thing. Heck, I have an 8th grader that would be pushing her senior sister next year, if she wasn't a PG. My 8th grader is not a PG. But if she was, I would be going thru this under the same roof!

 

If a parent gets mad at a MS kid taking their spot, then that is a parent that encourages entitlement. There are no entitlements in competitive sports. If you want entitlements and ribbons, sign them up for rec league. Because if a MS kid takes that older kid's spot, the very first place to look is in the mirror. What did that kid do to keep the spot? What did you as a parent do to ensure your kid was working hard enough to keep the spot? It has nothing to do with that other kid taking the spot, it's about what are your doing to "keep" it. Whats the difference between a MS taking your daughter's spot vs a stud freshman that just came to the school? Why would you be mad at the 8th grader and not the freshman that just moved into the district? Sports are real life and if you are a high school JR or SR, you are only 1-2 years from being out in the real world. What is that kid going to do when they lose a spot to someone in the real world. Call mom and dad and ask them to come talk to their boss? It's almost comical we are talking about a MS taking a JR or SR spot because they are better...Why are they better???

I agree that the best player should play no matter the age & I have seen some MS moved up to Varsity with great success, but for every 1 middle schooler that succeeds, you'll find 5 that didn't. If a middle schooler tries out for HS team & earns the spot, they deserve to play. What drives me crazy is when I hear about parents going over coach's head to force the kid on a team. Since it would be huge recruiting violation for a coach to recruit players from another school, the coach isn't the one asking for a middle schooler to move up, its the parent. So if the middle school player wasn't chosen to play up/tryout by the coach, what makes you think she's really ready to play up? Why force the issue, stir up all kinds of drama & insist your kid plays on that Varsity team? I seriously doubt there is a coach out there that wouldn't take offense to that & how is that not going to effect how the coach treats that player?? It is better in the long run for a parent to steer their child & not walk ahead paving the way for them!! And it is my opinion, that if a parent goes over a coach's head in order for the kid to play then they don't belong playing up. That style always seems to backfire & seldom turns out the way the parent thought it would. Let the kid be a kid, sit back & enjoy watching your kid succeed all on their own. Start being a supportive parent & stop trying to be your child's sports agent!!!

Edited November 5, 201411 yr by FastForward

Now I don't have any kids in this situation yet, but at our schools they only bring MS kids up if they need the players to fill a team. Even in Cross country. Someone made the comment about the younger kids being better even though as a high school we seem to be the top in the state in the girls CC. Our coach says we don't have MS kids run high school because they will have their time to show they can compete. I guess our schools don't have the mentality of win at all cost. Yes we don't win state titles in basketball but very few from up here do.There are plenty opportunities to challenge these kids outside of high school. I just don't buy the "my kids not challenged in MS" reason. Like i tell my son who is on a bad school team. Challenge yourself in practice and in games working on the parts of his game he lacks instead of trying to move him up. I don't see moving him up an age group as the answer because he can play outside of school ball to play better competition. Just my option. Move them up to fill a team and not move them up to beat out lesser skilled players. Bash away. :popcorn:

You're exactly right & happy to hear your school stands ground not allowing it to happen. I've said all along I find it appropriate to move MS up 1yr & play freshman ball or to fill a roster. Kids grown up way too fast so why hurry your 12yr old into the high school environment?? Let them be kids & if you want them challenged, go play 1 on 1 in the driveway & challenge them yourself!!!

You're exactly right & happy to hear your school stands ground not allowing it to happen. I've said all along I find it appropriate to move MS up 1yr & play freshman ball or to fill a roster. Kids grown up way too fast so why hurry your 12yr old into the high school environment?? Let them be kids & if you want them challenged, go play 1 on 1 in the driveway & challenge them yourself!!!

 

I don't have a problem with my kid staying down and part of it is what you're talking about...everyone moving up. Because here is what we are up against this year as an 8th grade team. I'm not being arrogant or cocky when I say this, if you know anything about that grade, there were two dominate teams with a couple others that had some nice players.

 

HHS and Conner has dominated this age group for the last two years. Head to head, Conner is winning the battle 3-1. But when healthy, no one else is within 20 points of HHS or Conner and most much further than that. At HHS, our coach has become extremely creative on how to have the girls not score to keep from rubbing it in on the other team. NOW add the fact that any decent 8th grader has been moved up in most schools. So the decent to good 8th graders are gone at almost every school and HHS (who was dominating already), has 7 of their top players left. You say challenge them outside of MS ball. Well we do. That's how they got where they are. But what in the world are they going to do to get anything out of their 8th grade bball experience? If they were beating teams that bad and the best players on the other teams are now playing up and HHS is now going to be playing against the kids that were not even starters in the past, it's going to be ridiculous and not fun for ANYONE involved.

 

So I am in agreement that on the ones that are at varsity skill level and can handle it mentally should be moved up and much evaluation should go into making those moves. But not all of them.

Im amazed at the interest in this thread. Its not rocket science. The best players should play. If coach, parent and player agree then let her play. Now how hard is that?

Im amazed at the interest in this thread. Its not rocket science. The best players should play. If coach, parent and player agree then let her play. Now how hard is that?

 

I think the interest comes from a combination of things and I by no means feel that the ones posting are affected by any or all of it, but I think its because of this:

 

*Younger players taking spots of older kids and parents and kids aren't happy about it.

*More and more pressure to move kids up. It's almost like a recognition of who the decent/good players are. If you aren't moved up, you aren't keeping up with the Jones'!

*Boone County's rules have been challenged in recent years and I think it's adding more exposure to the issue.

 

Kids have been moved up in girls sports since I can remember. I think with the evolution of select sports, it's just becoming more prevalent. You see younger girls "picking" a sport to really focus on and her skills develop much faster than the avg player...regardless of age. Now you have kids that have typically been semi-competitive at their age group getting passed up by the elite kids from grades below.

I was going to suggest, if middle kids are talented enough to play up at a school and can't, Transfer to a school and play, then transfer back to your high school your Freshman year (if you want).

 

Let me throw a wrinkle at you guys on this topic. If an 8th grader plays up on the varsity team, should that player be able to go to a different HS the next year and not forfeit a year of eligibility?

 

In this case the 8th grader took the position of some other HS player and the varsity experience that would've been gained only to have the 8th grader go to another HS the following year. Is that fair?

I think you are correct academically. But should a 13 yr old be exposed to a 17 yr olds ( probably age appropriate ) conversations? Kids have plenty of time to grow up. Why fast track it an expose them

to inappropriate age level conversations. kids should be playing sports for what it teaches them. What should be the most important thing in consideration is helping them grow into solid productive adults.

I think to many adults (meaning parents)preasure kids moving up so the adult can feel better about themselves and lose site of the bigger prize.

 

I agree, its a parent thing......and coaches really only need to bring up any kids they really need...not a whole group of middle schoolers...once you bring them up parents want there kid to play and practice...taking high school girls time to develop also....more problems awaiting...