A topic that is not new to BGP, but something that is somewhat a reality check for parents.

 

Bigger, stronger, faster: How redshirting is changing H.S. sports

 

Reality check for parents with younger players is this from the article:

 

"If holding your kid back gives them a physical advantage and you're that serious about making your kid a big-time star, you're only getting rewarded for it," Farrell said. "Honestly, it's a very interesting strategy because (recruiting analysts) don't care. Colleges don't care. If you're a class of 2015 (prospect) and you're 19 and there's another 2015 kid who's 16 — they don't care."

 

I met a very nice guy at a college camp and he must have told me 5 times that his player was young for his class. I know of the player and he does have the size and has potential, but it seems from the gist of this article, colleges don't care.

 

Any insight from BGP on a college coach seeing youth as an advantage in the players recruiting prospect?

A topic that is not new to BGP, but something that is somewhat a reality check for parents.

 

Bigger, stronger, faster: How redshirting is changing H.S. sports

 

Reality check for parents with younger players is this from the article:

 

"If holding your kid back gives them a physical advantage and you're that serious about making your kid a big-time star, you're only getting rewarded for it," Farrell said. "Honestly, it's a very interesting strategy because (recruiting analysts) don't care. Colleges don't care. If you're a class of 2015 (prospect) and you're 19 and there's another 2015 kid who's 16 — they don't care."

 

I met a very nice guy at a college camp and he must have told me 5 times that his player was young for his class. I know of the player and he does have the size and has potential, but it seems from the gist of this article, colleges don't care.

Any insight from BGP on a college coach seeing youth as an advantage in the players recruiting prospect?

 

No clue about this guy, but the irony in all of this from my experiences is that these are also the same parents that made it a point to tell how "advanced" their little Johnny or Jane were at 4 when they started them in school.

I held both my boys back. Football or not, boys mature late. In regards to football, yes, the extra year to grow, mature, & develop does help them.

Athletically my oldest son would have benefited from being held back. Academically, it would not have been good for him. Each kid is different, and so very few kids get that athletic scholly...academics should be the first priority. Parents that redshirt for athletic reasons only have their priorities a little backwards.

I held both of mine back before they started school. I didn't want to do it after they started. I really don't like that unless it

is for academics or maturity.

So I am going to be completely candid here and go on a mini-rant:

 

Having moved away from the KY area and observing high school sports outside of the Bluegrass State one thing that has surprised me is how perspective on certain subjects varies, and how Kentucky generally seems to be several years behind in how they accept things, and before then topics that are viewed essentially as "par for the course" elsewhere is labeled with a negative connotation in KY.

 

This is one of those topics.

 

If you go to a traditionally strong football state such as Georgia, Florida, Texas, Ohio etc, holdbacks seemingly come with the territory. It would best be described as "rampant but ordinary"

 

Yet for most of the Bluegrass it is almost viewed as a form of cheating and looked down upon when a parent has an son or daughter they hold back who happens to play sports.

 

Whether holding a kid back or moving to a different school district, it's as if people demonize parents or athletes based off a bias. To hear people say "You should only play for the school district you were born into" or "A kid that was heldback should not be eligible their Senior year" to me are ignorant sayings. I am not saying anyone in here has said either, but I have heard both numerous times in my days.

 

A parent has the right to ensure the best opportunity for their child to succeed in all endeavors: Academically, Athletically, and Socially. If they have the means to improve their child's chance for success or chance to get a free college education, far be it from me to cast dispersion simply because it wasn't "my team" who benefited!

 

Now I do have an issue when an external factor spurs a decision such as a Coach recruiting a player to their school or encouraging families to hold their kids back for gains of a specific team. Yet when it comes to a specific family making a decision for what is best for their collective future, then more power to them.

Individual decision that should be the parents' choice.

 

But I do wonder when I see or hear of an entire class that is mostly holdbacks. Makes me think that it's an institutional thing.

Athletically my oldest son would have benefited from being held back. Academically, it would not have been good for him. Each kid is different, and so very few kids get that athletic scholly...academics should be the first priority. Parents that redshirt for athletic reasons only have their priorities a little backwards.

 

Kids can now take high school courses in middle school. So I see it being a great academic advantage to hold back. They can take their advanced courses the first year and set themselves up to then take high school courses while still in middle school. This enables the students to take dual credit courses their senior year in high school. Entering college with most of their freshmen credits earned, saving parents thousands of dollars, and giving parents an additional year with their children.

Colleges might not care, but NFL/NBA teams do.

Kids can now take high school courses in middle school. So I see it being a great academic advantage to hold back. They can take their advanced courses the first year and set themselves up to then take high school courses while still in middle school. This enables the students to take dual credit courses their senior year in high school. Entering college with most of their freshmen credits earned, saving parents thousands of dollars, and giving parents an additional year with their children.

 

My oldest son did all that you mention, entering college 1.5 semesters ahead of the game. That stuff is available whether you hold back or not. Holding him back still would have required him to repeat the vast majority of course material for whatever year he was held back, unless we had started him a year late from the get go. And if a kid killed it the first time around, what's the point in making him do it agai and how does that advance his academic career?? In addition since he did so well academically, he would have had to have changed schools since his current school district would not have allowed us to hold him back.

 

So my choice would have been to,either start him late on the off chance that he might benefit athletically, or hold him back year, while forcing him to,change schools on the chance that he may get an athletic scholly down the road.

 

My son still enjoyed a solid high school sports career in two sports, graduated in the top 15 in his class, and got the vast majority of his college paid for academically.

 

Every kid is different. Some benefit, some don't. I don't believe in holding back a kid that is doing well academically to possibly give him an athletic benefit. To me that's flipping priorities.

Colleges might not care, but NFL/NBA teams do.

 

NBA I even question after the Thon Maker incident on Draft Day...

 

Maker may be 3-4 years older than he says but still didn't slip far

 

But you are right..a college team is still getting a player on the upswing. where it matters is when a professional team is making multi-million dollar investments ona product that has a shelf life.

NBA I even question after the Thon Maker incident on Draft Day...

 

Maker may be 3-4 years older than he says but still didn't slip far

 

But you are right..a college team is still getting a player on the upswing. where it matters is when a professional team is making multi-million dollar investments ona product that has a shelf life.

 

I believe Thon was proven to be on the younger spectrum according to a passport. But then you have guys like Brandon Ingram who is 2 weeks older, and even months younger than some certain KY HS Ballers. The pros want young, colleges don't. If anyone wants to look at interesting ages look at long distance runners in college, not uncommon to see 25yo freshman.

Ok a little rant. A couple things I have noticed/experienced with this subject.

 

In the South it has been around a long time. I know a guy who the school asked him to hold his son back in middle school for sports reasons. This was in the early 90's. Holding back was around well before then. Ky is behind in this type of behavior but as word gets out it will become more the norm. All for sports reasons.

I feel for the other kids on a middle school field with some of these beasts who are holdbacks. As in the story above of Josh McKenzie, he was smashing kids he should not have been on the field with. In my experience with my boys, their major growth spurt was at 13-14-15. Putting basically a Freshman on the field with a seventh/eight grader is wrong IMO. Too much growth potential and size/speed difference.

As for the parent who was mentioning his son was young for his grade, I would bet he is mad he did not get the memo about holding back. Too bad.

And as was said above and could not agree more. Every parent does what they think is right for their kid. If you can give them an edge you do it, whether it is academically (better schools, camps, tutoring, etc) or athletically (hold back, camps, coaching, etc.).

Repeating a grade should be for academic or maturity reasons. If a kid repeats and does not meet this criteria then they need to go to a different school. No need to waste taxpayer money.

Overall I am not a fan of it but it is here to stay. It will be that if a kid shows ANY athletic potential in elementary school they will be advised to repeat a grade just to have a fair chance to compete. Sad, but it is the nature of our country at this point.

Do all states have the same rule on high school eligibility age?

My oldest son did all that you mention, entering college 1.5 semesters ahead of the game. That stuff is available whether you hold back or not. Holding him back still would have required him to repeat the vast majority of course material for whatever year he was held back, unless we had started him a year late from the get go. And if a kid killed it the first time around, what's the point in making him do it agai and how does that advance his academic career?? In addition since he did so well academically, he would have had to have changed schools since his current school district would not have allowed us to hold him back.

 

So my choice would have been to,either start him late on the off chance that he might benefit athletically, or hold him back year, while forcing him to,change schools on the chance that he may get an athletic scholly down the road.

 

My son still enjoyed a solid high school sports career in two sports, graduated in the top 15 in his class, and got the vast majority of his college paid for academically.

 

Every kid is different. Some benefit, some don't. I don't believe in holding back a kid that is doing well academically to possibly give him an athletic benefit. To me that's flipping priorities.

 

That's great and your son was definitely farther ahead academically at an early age. However, I was trying to state that the kids that aren't at the top of their class can still take advantage of this. Our middle school (7-8th) offers Basic Math (7th grade), Pre-Algebra (8th grade), Algebra (9th), and Geometry (10th grade). Usually the majority of advanced kids only test up 1 grade level. It's rare when incoming 7th graders test out of basic math and pre-algebra. So most advanced kids end up getting Algebra done in middle school which speeds up their math courses in high school. I was referring to the opportunity for those kids to take pre-algebra as a 7th grader, Algebra as a holdback 7th grader, and geometry as an 8th grader. This can be done with other subjects I'm just familiar with the math. This ensures the student can begin with Algebra 2 as a freshman and Calculus as a sophomore which would allow dual credit courses as a junior. As you said all kids are different, but there are definite advantages.