I've observed that most kids are starting 1st grade as a 5 yr old. That puts a boy 17 at graduation, which I think is too young for a boy. I started 1st grade as a 6 yr old which was normal back then. Some of these kids are not really being "held back" but are simply being put in the right class.

I disagree with this. These kids care as much as high school kids otherwise why keep score.

 

Middle school championships will never outshine high school championships so let them shine a little.

 

It's not that. It's just how serious people take middle school. That's where the majority of hold backs truly influence the outcome of games. Middle school success is cool at the time but at the end of the day middle school is preparing you for high school academically and athletically so why do people get so worked up over a middle school team that may have more hold backs than them? That's what I am getting at. I've seen more passionate and ignorant fans involving middle school games than I have in high school games. I'll also add that for all of the middle school teams that field a ton of hold backs more often than not opposing teams catch up to them in high school when the field evens out.

Because they are excelling because they are older not necessarily better. Thats not competition thats cheating. Might as well allow doping and steriods gor Ms and Hs.

 

Was it against the rules? Were there rules on it? No there were not, so how is it cheating if its not a rule?

 

Again to my point, we are arguing something that can not happen anymore so what is the issue.

Edited July 3, 201610 yr by plantmanky

Was it against the rules? Were there rules on it? No there were not, so how is it cheating if its not a rule?

 

Again to my point, we are arguing something that can not happen anymore so what is the issue.

 

Not arguing, just always thought it was very bush league.

My father coached high school football for almost 40 yrs. He had a coach on the 8th grade level who refused to run the same offense as the varsity; would take his biggest kid and play him at running back; play the best 15-16 kids and the other 20 -25 kids would never see the field. That coach's only goal was winning. Developing kids; keeping as many as possible in the program were not important to him.

 

I never played for my Dad, but my class was undefeated both as freshmen and sophomores. He would always tell me that not having lost was great, but the only thing that really matters is what your class does on the varsity level.

 

I currently have one child playing middle school football and the other will be a senior. I have found that the middle school parents are much more delusional re: skill level of the their child and the middle school coaches are more concerned with winning and have lost sight of the fact that their goal should be to develop kids and keep as many interested in football as possible. Fair to say that not much has changed over time.