I'd be interested to know of the kids who got scholarships in the last few years, how many were held back?

 

A former professional football player and now ESPN analysts once told me that it is a FACT the percentage of professional athletes who were held back in school and had that extra year of maturity is over 90%.

 

I held my daughter back because of a mid October birthday and it was the worst thing I ever did. She is a smart girl who found that once she hit middle school she was more mature than girls in her class and didnt have much in common with them. I wish I would have just started her at 5 in Kindergarten and she has the smarts to where she wouldnt have been behind but might have been less mature. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Wouldn't it be easier to just start them in school a year later?

 

They will be.

Well, you'll have to answer your own question there. You were the one that called my thinking (and it pains be to say this, as it's such a disgusting word) 'retarded.'

 

THREAD JACK COMING IN 3, 2, 1....

 

Is it rE tard or ru tard?? I personally favor the ru tard pronunciation after seeing The Hangover.:banana:

A former professional football player and now ESPN analysts once told me that it is a FACT the percentage of professional athletes who were held back in school and had that extra year of maturity is over 90%.

 

I held my daughter back because of a mid October birthday and it was the worst thing I ever did. She is a smart girl who found that once she hit middle school she was more mature than girls in her class and didnt have much in common with them. I wish I would have just started her at 5 in Kindergarten and she has the smarts to where she wouldnt have been behind but might have been less mature. Oh well, you live and you learn.

 

He wouldn't be a current resident of Cake Eater Kingdom would he???? Running back or WR?????

He wouldn't be a current resident of Cake Eater Kingdom would he???? Running back or WR?????

 

RB as his own son is a holdback but still only 5'3.

RB as his own son is a holdback but still only 5'3.

 

My daughter is in the same grade as this boy and they have the same birthdate, yet he is one full year older than she is and about 6 inches shorter. :lol: Maybe I should have held her back and somehow talked her into basketball where she would be an imposing force at about 5'7'' plus.

I was trying not to respond in this thread, but both my boys were held back at kindergarten and it had nothing to do with athletics. It has been the best decision I ever made, especially with my youngest as even the teacher has went on record about many improvements witnessed in the classroom. I would not do it any differently. Both sons now are doing well in the classroom while some of their younger classmates are struggling. Again it had nothing to do with the athletics but in my oldest son's case it is always he should be actually in the class above him and that he is an age exception and he might not have had the same success in sports if he was not more mature than others. A parent at a recent AAU game yelled you would be average at best in the class above you (real nice thing to say to a grade school kid). He is no superstar but he is progressing nicely and he keeps growing. IMO the entire topic is sour grapes and we will see when the boys get to high school. It doesn't bother me, as it was not the reason I did it, but he hears it and he plans on playing with that same chip when they get up in high school and our playing for the same roster spots in the 10th and llth grades he uses it as motivation. The thing is those that are so dead set against this IMO still are sour even when they were are held back when they are 5 or 6 years old :deadhorse:. I believe it is much better to worry about the academics and the athletics will be a bonus but why bring it up....! My boys will be older when they graduate but they still will be young enough to play sports all 4 years; and more importantly in our case be better in the classroom.

If you choose to hold your kid back, atleast have the common sense to play them at their true age in AAU to improve their skills- not to dominate against younger, smaller kids. If you want to hold a kid back for athletics, reap that reward in high school. Dont play your 12 year old against my 9 year old (who is playing up) just so he/she can be a superstar. Play them up, against better competition, so they can improve their skills so they wont be 'behind' in fundamentals when they make it to HS.

This example is fine. What I have a problem with is parents holding back a 6th grader with an A/B grade average so that their kid will graduate at 19 and have an extra year of athletics.

I held two of my sons back for the simple reason that they will not be going off to college at 17 years old. It has also helped them in the classroom as well as on the athletic fields.

I see discussion all the time in threads about basketball players being held back. I am not really sure why people are so emotional about this. My viewpoint is this. The only thing gained by holding a player back is another good year on his high school career. If anyone holds a player back because they think it will get the player a scholarship, they are disillusioned. Either you have the talent, size and athleticism to play at the next level or not. Playing an extra year in high school is not going to change any of those factors.

 

So why are so many people fixated on this and does anyone think it really will help a player get a scholarship?

 

IMO it is the "parent illusion". The majority of parents think their kid is a great athlete; with the huge increase in AAU, speed and agility training and other programs we get caught up in thinking there just may be a chance that the kid might go DI, D2 etc. With that said holding them back is another tool for the illusion to come true...

If you choose to hold your kid back, atleast have the common sense to play them at their true age in AAU to improve their skills- not to dominate against younger, smaller kids. If you want to hold a kid back for athletics, reap that reward in high school. Dont play your 12 year old against my 9 year old (who is playing up) just so he/she can be a superstar. Play them up, against better competition, so they can improve their skills so they wont be 'behind' in fundamentals when they make it to HS.

Kinda shoots your argument in the foot when you want to benefit your kid by playing them up yet want to pick and choose what kids at that level he plays? If you're playing your child up, and I commend you for it, I'll assume you are doing it to increase the competition he plays, then it seems counterproductive to whine about who that competition happens to be. Far too many times we hear folks groan in AAU tournaments that a grade exception picked on a kid 2 years his younger. AAU has built in it an age calculator to insure that kids are in their proper slot. If you don't like those parameters, then AAU isn't for you.

I was trying not to respond in this thread, but both my boys were held back at kindergarten and it had nothing to do with athletics. It has been the best decision I ever made, especially with my youngest as even the teacher has went on record about many improvements witnessed in the classroom. I would not do it any differently. Both sons now are doing well in the classroom while some of their younger classmates are struggling. Again it had nothing to do with the athletics but in my oldest son's case it is always he should be actually in the class above him and that he is an age exception and he might not have had the same success in sports if he was not more mature than others. A parent at a recent AAU game yelled you would be average at best in the class above you (real nice thing to say to a grade school kid). He is no superstar but he is progressing nicely and he keeps growing. IMO the entire topic is sour grapes and we will see when the boys get to high school. It doesn't bother me, as it was not the reason I did it, but he hears it and he plans on playing with that same chip when they get up in high school and our playing for the same roster spots in the 10th and llth grades he uses it as motivation. The thing is those that are so dead set against this IMO still are sour even when they were are held back when they are 5 or 6 years old :deadhorse:. I believe it is much better to worry about the academics and the athletics will be a bonus but why bring it up....! My boys will be older when they graduate but they still will be young enough to play sports all 4 years; and more importantly in our case be better in the classroom.

:thumb: Bottom line is it is the parents choice to do so if they want. Everyone else needs to worry about their own!

Kinda shoots your argument in the foot when you want to benefit your kid by playing them up yet want to pick and choose what kids at that level he plays? If you're playing your child up, and I commend you for it, I'll assume you are doing it to increase the competition he plays, then it seems counterproductive to whine about who that competition happens to be. Far too many times we hear folks groan in AAU tournaments that a grade exception picked on a kid 2 years his younger. AAU has built in it an age calculator to insure that kids are in their proper slot. If you don't like those parameters, then AAU isn't for you.

 

I totally agree with you spindoc my son is not even close to the high end age exception when you use the AAU calculator, in fact the age difference between my son and our youngest player is 9 months; I coach the team. He is playing with the right competition and is getting the playing time needed to be successful. In the top tier AAU programs as an age exception player you have to be very good and not a role player. Congrats for the boy that is playing up as 9 year old but why play up and then complain?? At the end of the day each parent is going to make the best decision in the interest of their child.