My son is a legit 8th grader (Never been held back) and he starts for his varsity baseball team. He starts at second base and hits lead off. He is not starting on a team that needs to bring up middle kids. He starts over two seniors and several freshman. His team is currently 5-4. He is hitting .300 + with 5 rbi's.

 

Why would you punish a kid with the talent to play a varsity sport because of his age? If a kid works hard enough and delevopes the ability to play at that level they should be allowed to play!!!!

 

Just looking at it from my personal point of view, what would my son gain from another year of middle school baseball?

 

 

I agree!

Even though I am of the opinion that a kid should be in high school to play high school sports I don't see how this rule can survive a legal challange. As LBBC pointed out there is a law that says middle schoolers must be allowed to participate in varsity sports if the want and are able. I don't see how the JCPS can make a rule that supercedes state law.

Even though I am of the opinion that a kid should be in high school to play high school sports I don't see how this rule can survive a legal challange. As LBBC pointed out there is a law that says middle schoolers must be allowed to participate in varsity sports if the want and are able. I don't see how the JCPS can make a rule that supercedes state law.

 

 

The law states they can play in any sport but....Football and Soccer on a varsity level!

 

I agree with you All Tell, as I too think HS sports are for HS kids! Think the Prom, the student newspaper, the HS student senate. Those grade school kids turn will come when they get to HS. I honestly don't care if your son or daughter is the next OJ Mayo their turn will come. It isn't always about winning games as some think it should be, at the HS level!

 

Some seem to wonder why HS kids don't attend games any longer, or even play sports and I think a lot of it is due to letting the Super Kids play over the the kids who are actually attending the school. So why should they (the students) come and root for someone that don't even know?

 

Now I do understand and have no problem in some of the smaller schools, but at a school like with over 1300 students attending, why do they need grade school kids to play, and as I said I don't care how good the kids is!

 

BTW, when does it become the turn of the current players who have practiced and put their time in, to only have some hot shot grade school kid come in to play and they sit and then the grade school kid decides to play somewhere else for their HS years, which is there right per the rules of the KHSAA.

 

Sure the grade school kid might be better, but let him wait until he gets to HS, the shoe might be on the other foot by the time he becomes a senior!

 

BTW to answer the question before it gets asked, my daughter didn't play HS sports and CovCath never allowed grade school kids to play HS sports!

Anybody realize how many kids play in the girls high school golf championship and contend/win it.

Tennis, too ... back in the 90s, Jackie Trail of Reidland won her first state title as a sixth grader, I think.

My son is a legit 8th grader (Never been held back) and he starts for his varsity baseball team. He starts at second base and hits lead off. He is not starting on a team that needs to bring up middle kids. He starts over two seniors and several freshman. His team is currently 5-4. He is hitting .300 + with 5 rbi's.

 

Why would you punish a kid with the talent to play a varsity sport because of his age? If a kid works hard enough and delevopes the ability to play at that level they should be allowed to play!!!!

 

Just looking at it from my personal point of view, what would my son gain from another year of middle school baseball?[/QUOTE]

 

He would learn at a young age what it means to be a team leader. He would also learn what it takes to be the "one" and how to handle that pressure and expectations. And just as big to me is how to handle things when they do not go his way. How to handle adversity is critical to the success of an athlete. Now you throw out there the added resentment from others because he is playing up.

 

 

It really has to do more with the things that surround the game.

 

Also, from a high school coach point of view, who says that he will go to high school at the school where he is playing up at?

 

 

This opinion is from a parent who's daughter played up as a middle schooler.

Does anyone know how many middle school age girls started or played significant minutes on state tournment basketball teams this season? It was quite a few. This is an silly rule made by someone that has zero experence with athletics.

 

Don't worry l-ville I don't think this will last long, but I believe it's illegal. No way can the school district make a rule like this and have it stick.

 

A few years back I remember Iroquois making it the state tournament with either 2 or 3 8th grade starters.

I think that at some middle schools, the coaching his sub par and the kid actually gets more out of being coached by someone at the high school level.

In a perfect world, it would be great to keep a kid at the middle school level through the 8th grade, but I know for a fact that at some middle schools, the coaching and development isn't there.

I say if a player is talented enough to make a high school team as a 7th and

8th grader and get quality playing time than why not?

A bunch.

 

Lydia Gumm qualified for the state golf tournament as a 3rd grader.

 

That's a sad commentary on girls' golf.

Without commenting on the legal aspect, I'm cool with this rule.

I do not understand how this rule would be illegal?

I think that at some middle schools, the coaching his sub par and the kid actually gets more out of being coached by someone at the high school level.

In a perfect world, it would be great to keep a kid at the middle school level through the 8th grade, but I know for a fact that at some middle schools, the coaching and development isn't there.

I say if a player is talented enough to make a high school team as a 7th and

8th grader and get quality playing time than why not?

 

This is a great point!!!!! I have no problems with my son's middle school, but I know several other programs in the area. The best basketball players will not play for there middle school team if the coach is not compentent. Those "super athletes" as someone else called them will just play AAU basketball. That's when the HS program suffers because that kid has no connection to his school and will change schools when he gets to HS. The same thing happens in baseball. How many baseball players did not play middle school ball in Lincoln or Casey Co and opted to play summers with the Paul Morse Academy then transfer to play at Danville? More than the KHSAA would care to know about.

A few years back I remember Iroquois making it the state tournament with either 2 or 3 8th grade starters.

 

Anderson Co girls won the 8th region last season and started an 8th grader. The 6th man was a 7th grader.

 

Rockcastle Co girls won the 12th region and made it to the state semi's playing an 8th grader at PG. She didn't start, but came into the game 2-3 mins in and played the rest of the game. That was the normal rotation.

My son is a legit 8th grader (Never been held back) and he starts for his varsity baseball team. He starts at second base and hits lead off. He is not starting on a team that needs to bring up middle kids. He starts over two seniors and several freshman. His team is currently 5-4. He is hitting .300 + with 5 rbi's.

 

Why would you punish a kid with the talent to play a varsity sport because of his age? If a kid works hard enough and delevopes the ability to play at that level they should be allowed to play!!!!

 

Just looking at it from my personal point of view, what would my son gain from another year of middle school baseball?[/QUOTE]

 

He would learn at a young age what it means to be a team leader. He would also learn what it takes to be the "one" and how to handle that pressure and expectations. And just as big to me is how to handle things when they do not go his way. How to handle adversity is critical to the success of an athlete. Now you throw out there the added resentment from others because he is playing up.

 

 

It really has to do more with the things that surround the game.

 

Also, from a high school coach point of view, who says that he will go to high school at the school where he is playing up at?

 

 

This opinion is from a parent who's daughter played up as a middle schooler.

 

Excellent point --- but shouldn't those decisions be made better the parent and the head coach of the particular program???

The law states they can play in any sport but....Football and Soccer on a varsity level!

 

I agree with you All Tell, as I too think HS sports are for HS kids! Think the Prom, the student newspaper, the HS student senate. Those grade school kids turn will come when they get to HS. I honestly don't care if your son or daughter is the next OJ Mayo their turn will come. It isn't always about winning games as some think it should be, at the HS level!

Some seem to wonder why HS kids don't attend games any longer, or even play sports and I think a lot of it is due to letting the Super Kids play over the the kids who are actually attending the school. So why should they (the students) come and root for someone that don't even know?

 

Now I do understand and have no problem in some of the smaller schools, but at a school like with over 1300 students attending, why do they need grade school kids to play, and as I said I don't care how good the kids is!

 

BTW, when does it become the turn of the current players who have practiced and put their time in, to only have some hot shot grade school kid come in to play and they sit and then the grade school kid decides to play somewhere else for their HS years, which is there right per the rules of the KHSAA.

 

Sure the grade school kid might be better, but let him wait until he gets to HS, the shoe might be on the other foot by the time he becomes a senior!

 

BTW to answer the question before it gets asked, my daughter didn't play HS sports and CovCath never allowed grade school kids to play HS sports!

 

 

I couldn't agree more with you. It shouldn't be about winning. I coach a varsity girls basketball team, and I'm lucky because my superintendent and principal understands that athletics are more than just winning and losing. I love my job because of that. With that said, most of my peers are under significant pressure to win games.

 

How fair would it be for the principal or superintendent at a school tell a coach that they expect wins but the coach can't play the best players.

 

:idunno:

A coach should have the option to play the best players, period ... regardless of how old they are.