I am only using this school as an example because I saw this article yesterday. I have often wondered this....Why is it that 8th graders are allowed to play for a high school team? Is this a public school thing? Is there any type of KHSAA rule on this? Why would a school like Warren Central that has over 1100 kids (if I read the correct enrollment number) in it's high school need to use an 8th grader on the team?

I don't think that I ever seen this done within the private school system (Jefferson County specifically).

 

 

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/SPORTS05/703200482/1002/SPORTS

I am only using this school as an example because I saw this article yesterday. I have often wondered this....Why is it that 8th graders are allowed to play for a high school team? Is this a public school thing? Is there any type of KHSAA rule on this? Why would a school like Warren Central that has over 1100 kids (if I read the correct enrollment number) in it's high school need to use an 8th grader on the team?

I don't think that I ever seen this done within the private school system (Jefferson County specifically).

 

 

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/SPORTS05/703200482/1002/SPORTS

Many moons ago a state legislature decided that MSers and in some cases elementary students should have the right to tryout for the HS team.

 

So there is an actual KRS statue that protects this right.

 

It is not just a public school thing although I think it happens more frequently at small public schools. Katie Schwegmann at Bishop Brossart if my memory serves played as a MSer at Brossart. I believe St. Patrick in Mason County uses MSers. I would assume if it hasn't happened in a Jefferson County private school, the diocese(or whatever body makes the rules for the Jefferson County private schools that are not KHSAA rules) has some rule against it.

 

Sometimes, it is the talent level of the child. Jamie Walz at Highlands played in the championship game and I believed average double digits as a MSer.

 

In NKY, it happens a lot. In girls basketball it happens a lot.

 

One of the reasons for girls basketball is Title IX and fall basketball. Many years ago, some AD's were having gym space problems for basketball during the winter. So they moved girls MS basketball to the fall. Now girls play their MS season and move up to play Frosh/JV/Varsity basketball in the winter.

 

Camryn Whitaker who played at WKU played 6th grade on at Harrison County. So did her sister Noelle. Megan Gray at Georgetown, same thing. Brooke Faulkner at WKU, same thing.

First, I am glad that I don't/haven't seen this in Louisville within the private school system.

Second, I don't consider a high school of 1100 students small.

Third, Thanks for the info. :thumb:

First, I am glad that I don't/haven't seen this in Louisville within the private school system.

Second, I don't consider a high school of 1100 students small.

Third, Thanks for the info. :thumb:

First, In NKY what has happened is they play for a small public school as a MSer and then transfer as a freshmen to the private HS. Hasn't created the best of relationships between the publics/privates in this regard. Not sure if that is a similar scenario playing out in Louisville or not. When Iroquois made it to the state tournament 2-3 years ago with 2 8th graders in the starting lineup, there was talk during the Sweet 16 that the Jefferson County privates would be making a run to get them to attend school at their private school as a freshmen. I don't believe that happened and two years later those girls make a run at the state title.

 

Second, I would agree and would assume the move up was based on the talent of the player.

 

Third, No problemo!

In girls basketball it happens a lot.

 

 

 

Maybe there was a girl once upon a time named Beth Vice who played basketball as an 8th grader and later won a little known title attached to being one of the best players in the state and later played in a little known college conference called the Southeastern Conference.

 

This is my take on it. I feel like along with what lbbc already stated about fall ball, is that most 8th grade girls are as physically tall and broad as they will get in high school. Because of this they are able to compete against juniors and seniors. Now their skill as a player and maybe strength and footspeed may change, but physically they are as big as they will get.

 

On the boys side, Most 8th graders are not near as developed as they will be by the time they graduate but there are the exceptions who can play at a high level at a very young age. There are schools that may have 1000+ students and could very easily replace him with some Joe schmoe who will ride the pine but I am certain that coach is thinking, get him early, get him competing early and he will know what it is about when it is time to win as a jr. or sr. I as a coach am looking at doing that with one of my 8th graders next season, however I am from a small school.

When a kid gets this chance does it make them a 5th year Senior..in the Senior year of High School!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

It happens in Jefferson County as well.

 

I know of an instance where the 8th grade brother of a Trinity wrestler competed at the varsity level for Ballard because Trinity has chosen to only allow high school students enrolled at Trinity to compete for them.

 

I also know that Iroquois built their girls basketball program relying quite a bit on middle schoolers.

 

I also have to wonder about the potential for just plain burnout. My understanding is that this is the reason that the girl from Highlands didn't participate in the Kentucky/Indiana series several years back after being named Miss Basketball.

 

I also know the legislature has said that the KHSAA can't pass any rules to make pre-high schoolers inelligible across the board which begs the question of why so many seem to be opposed to the legislature taking action in the public/private situation.

I started running Varsity track in 7th grade. It's very common up here...

It's a good thing. It makes kids more mature more quickly but the ones that hate it are the juniors who get the snub. As sad as it sounds, that is just the way it is.

It's a good thing. It makes kids more mature more quickly but the ones that hate it are the juniors who get the snub. As sad as it sounds, that is just the way it is.

The real ones that hate it is the PARENTS of the juniors.

At Lexington Catholic, a middle schooler from one of the so-called feeder schools, cannot play up, unless the sport is not offered at the middle school level. For those of you that don't know, any middle schooler at a private school in the diocese is eligible to try out for and play for the Lexington Catholic Middle School team in the middle school sports- there's football and girls/boys basketball. There is no playing up in those sports for a student in those private schools(and obviously no one plays up in football). There is a girls basketball player at Lexington Catholic that I will not name(don't know if it would be right under the rules of the site) She played up as a 7th and 8th grader at Dunbar (her brother was at the time a student at Lexington Catholic), and any other player who would be comming to Lexington Catholic, but would be good enough, couldn't because of rules Lexington Catholic imposed on themselves. I know this isn't the same thread as that with proposal 2, but I think that a rule like this, if people don't know about it, may cause people to support proposal 2. Sure, people will be upset if a player plays up in one school, or system, then attends high school and plays for another. If Lexington Catholic did not impose the rule on itself, the idea of proposal 2 would not be an issue in this situation.

It's a good thing. It makes kids more mature more quickly but the ones that hate it are the juniors who get the snub. As sad as it sounds, that is just the way it is.

Why is this a good thing?

 

Kids are being pushed to "grow-up" earlier and earlier. Why is that a good trend?

Right or Wrong, it is exactly what you are saying; a trend. I as a coach do not let think there is anything wrong with it. To some degree I shelter the young ones as much as I can for example. When I go on overnight trips for tournaments and such, I put them in their own rooms with other fresh and that sort of thing. The key is to make them better players by surrounding them with better talent.

Take Micheal Jordan's kids. They have been around NBA players their whole lives and been attending MJ's camps since they were 14. I would say that they are less intimidated of superior talent than their 14 year old middle school counter parts would be.

But why is it a good thing? You said it was. I don't think it is. We no longer let kids be kids anymore.

But why is it a good thing? You said it was. I don't think it is. We no longer let kids be kids anymore.

I competed at a pretty high level at a young age and still had plenty of time to be a kid. It's really all about the coaches and upperclassmen and how they handle the situation. Maybe it's directly tied to my experiences in track and cross country but there were always kids at that age competing at a high level and still having a lot of fun. I think part of forcing "kids to be kids" is selling them short on the young adult growing inside. I'd say dealing with a lot of funerals by that age did a lot more to rob me of being a kid than competing against older peers in a sporting event...