His age isn't an issue. So,,

 

Issue, no (though as you know the hold back discussion is another topic all to itself), advantage, yes. When a kid is a year, sometimes even 1 1/2 years older than many of the kids he is going against in middle school, it's a HUGE advantage. I coach 7th and 8th graders, I see it frequently.

 

With that said, this kid isn't going to be playing against middle schoolers as I assume he will be playing varsity, and rightly so from what I have seen, so the advantage he would have being older (not to mention better) than most of his competition if he did play middle school ball won't be in play.

Zion has played up a grade or three 90 percent of the time his whole life.

Zion has played up a grade or three 90 percent of the time his whole life.

 

Oh I don't doubt that a bit...if he's always been that much more skilled and talented than the kids in his equivalent grade then that's what he should have done to help further his skill and game.

The kid is a stud. But if he's in fact older, he probably isn't playing up by choice. The new AAU rules dictate that he play up. They're more age based than they've ever been. Especially at the 8th grade and below level.

He ain't playing up cause aau is making him. He is playing 17u cause he can. Eybl. Nybl. Adidas just about everything u play is grade based. Very few kids even play any aau events anymore. At least not the top talent.

He ain't playing up cause aau is making him. He is playing 17u cause he can. Eybl. Nybl. Adidas just about everything u play is grade based. Very few kids even play any aau events anymore. At least not the top talent.

 

Have you seen the team list currently playing AAU nationals? Check it out, full of EYBL and Gauntlet teams.

I don't know if he is eligible to play 13u or not. My guess is he has no desire to play 13u when he is playing in front of college coaches at the highest level of competition in the 17u eybl level. And from what I understand he is the first and only kid his age to do so. That is impressive!! He is eligible for 14u, 15u, and 16u, but he is choosing and excelling at the 17u level. Not because he is being forced to play up. That is why he is considered the #1 player in his class. I'm looking forward to following his progress.

Have you seen the team list currently playing AAU nationals? Check it out, full of EYBL and Gauntlet teams.

yes I have seen the team list. D1 nationals and d2 are being played at same time. this was never the case a few years ago. They simply do not have even close to the amount of teams. Having grade based back will help them draw some of the better teams back.

I don't know if he is eligible to play 13u or not. My guess is he has no desire to play 13u when he is playing in front of college coaches at the highest level of competition in the 17u eybl level. And from what I understand he is the first and only kid his age to do so. That is impressive!! He is eligible for 14u, 15u, and 16u, but he is choosing and excelling at the 17u level. Not because he is being forced to play up. That is why he is considered the #1 player in his class. I'm looking forward to following his progress.

He can not play 13u but he can play 7th grade.

yes I have seen the team list. D1 nationals and d2 are being played at same time. this was never the case a few years ago. They simply do not have even close to the amount of teams. Having grade based back will help them draw some of the better teams back.

 

Sorry, but I have never been a fan of this and much prefer the strict age requirements. And I know a lot of people of the same opinion. When you have a team of kids who are, lets just say 8th grade, and that's the grade they are supposed to be in, and you play a team full of hold backs who are 1 1/2 to even almost 2 years older than almost everyone on your team, that just isn't even fair. Age is a much better competitive match up than grade, with the choice to always play up, of course.

Sorry, but I have never been a fan of this and much prefer the strict age requirements. And I know a lot of people of the same opinion. When you have a team of kids who are, lets just say 8th grade, and that's the grade they are supposed to be in, and you play a team full of hold backs who are 1 1/2 to even almost 2 years older than almost everyone on your team, that just isn't even fair. Age is a much better competitive match up than grade, with the choice to always play up, of course.

Age may be the preferred way to go but it has really hurt AAU basketball by making the switch. 6 years ago 8th grade nationals in Orlando had around 140 teams participate in D1 alone. Now they will be lucky to get 50 teams participating.

Age requirement is best probably but its not the way even elementary, middle or high school ball does it. Its already changing to the best wont even play high school basketball. You will see middle school kids not playing for their school shortly. I know a few already doing it. girls soccer is this way already. The wear and tear on the kid thru eybl nybl gauntlet etc is enough. Its coming. been saying it for years

Age requirement is best probably but its not the way even elementary, middle or high school ball does it. Its already changing to the best wont even play high school basketball. You will see middle school kids not playing for their school shortly. I know a few already doing it. girls soccer is this way already. The wear and tear on the kid thru eybl nybl gauntlet etc is enough. Its coming. been saying it for years

 

This won't happen with basketball, in my honest opinion. Up until a relative few years ago, soccer was still a "fringe" sport...lots of schools across the country didn't even offer it as a varsity sport till the late 80's-early 90's, but yet there were a lot of kids playing it. That's how the travel/club soccer groups got their claws into the sport, they were on the scene before the schools were. But even with that most kids are still playing with their respective schools. Volleyball has the same club setup and I don't hear of girls abandoning their schools to play just elite/club programs. Now it may happen now and again, but not enough to affect anything.

So does Zion transfer after all of the exchange students play their one year at BG?

And... regarding the "club" situation with basketball...

 

School basketball won't take a hit. It's been the same for years. The reasons the "top" high school and middle school aged soccer players don't play for their high schools (in some cases) is because the skill training and exposure they get in the club world is much better.

 

In fact, the new "us development" clubs don't allow the boys programs to play high school soccer, limit the # of "competitive" games the clubs can play and force them to stick to a training/skills development program with a time commitment from the kids.