You make good points, but at the same time if a kid is good enough why hold them back? How awful would it have been if OJ Mayo played middle school basketball as an 8th grader. It would not have been fair at all. My theory like in basketball is that if you move a kid up he needs to be a great player that is basically a can't miss high school guy. I just can't see not letting anyone who is in middle school play HS sports in middle school.

 

 

I'm sorry...but I feel high school sports should be for high school students. It has nothing to do with the abilities of a middle schooler, or whether they're better than a high schooler.

 

I simply do NOT see the need to potentially deny a legitimate high schooler a spot because there's a kid that doesn't even go to school there who is better.

My feeling is that we should focus on and recognize young people at the level they are currently at.... STOP RUSHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

 

Examples:

 

-Folks hyping middle school kids for playing a high school sport

-Folks (on this website) being critical of Ky High School All Stars because "they won't be playing major college basketball"

-Folks criticising the Duke-Butler championship game "because neither team has an NBA lottery pick"

 

Let's let young people slow down, relax and enjoy the moment. Quit pushing so hard for the "next level".

 

Very well said!

After you hold them back 2 or 3 years like some kids, they should already be high school kids so coaches want to move them up, this should not be allowed. If you want your kid to play high school ball, don't keep holding them back then. Let them be a freshman and then they can play. I think kids being held back for sports is ridiculous and is getting worse every year. I do agree with the golf argument in this situation though, would be tough to have a middle school league. But all other sports, I don't see it being an issue.

I'm sorry...but I feel high school sports should be for high school students. It has nothing to do with the abilities of a middle schooler, or whether they're better than a high schooler.

 

I simply do NOT see the need to potentially deny a legitimate high schooler a spot because there's a kid that doesn't even go to school there who is better.

 

I believe you play the best player regardless of what grade they are in if they are in the same school system. Bell County's girls team this year won a lot of ball games because of a great 7th grade girl they had. I also had a family member finish 2nd in the state cross country meet a few years ago when she was in the 7th grade in 2A. I can remember Ty Proffitt at South Laurel being a key part of their regional championship when he was an 8th grader. Its really a bigger deal in girls sports.

I'm sorry...but I feel high school sports should be for high school students. It has nothing to do with the abilities of a middle schooler, or whether they're better than a high schooler.

 

I simply do NOT see the need to potentially deny a legitimate high schooler a spot because there's a kid that doesn't even go to school there who is better.

 

I would not have a problem with it either providing JCPS provided appropriate programs for each Middle school which they do not. Most JCPS middle schools do not have baseball, football, softball, golf, soccer, or quality soccer programs. This will also hurt girls athletics and bring title IX into the equations. Most JCPS schools cannot field girls softball and basketball without 8th graders. Fairdale HS only had 11 girls in their whole girls basketball program and 2 were 8th graders. One 8th grader played quality minutes. It is very hard for JCPS to even have JV girls in basketball. There are virtually no freshman teams now. Most schools have enough participation for varsity and some JV. If you are good enough you should be able to play at the highest level. It is not youth league any more. As long as its aloud out in the state it should not be limited in Jeff.co either

After you hold them back 2 or 3 years like some kids, they should already be high school kids so coaches want to move them up, this should not be allowed. If you want your kid to play high school ball, don't keep holding them back then. Let them be a freshman and then they can play. I think kids being held back for sports is ridiculous and is getting worse every year. I do agree with the golf argument in this situation though, would be tough to have a middle school league. But all other sports, I don't see it being an issue.

 

I believe often times holding kids back benefits in a lot of ways other than sports. Kids are more mature when they get out of school and it almost always helps academically. I am all for that. Obviously sports is a huge reason for kids staying back, but it is definitly not the only benefit. I graduated high school when I was 17 and I definitly was not ready for the real world myself.

I believe often times holding kids back benefits in a lot of ways other than sports. Kids are more mature when they get out of school and it almost always helps academically. I am all for that. Obviously sports is a huge reason for kids staying back, but it is definitly not the only benefit. I graduated high school when I was 17 and I definitly was not ready for the real world myself.

 

Then why not just start your kid later from the beginning? Why wait till they hit middle school? Maybe it's because the parents didn't know they would turn out to be a good athlete? Just sayin.........:idunno:

Then why not just start your kid later from the beginning? Why wait till they hit middle school? Maybe it's because the parents didn't know they would turn out to be a good athlete? Just sayin.........:idunno:

 

Is an extra year of education a bad thing? Obviously sports is a huge motivator for hold kids back. But one thing parents can look at as they get older is:

1) How are they doing academically?

2) How are they doing maturity-wise?

3) Will my child benefit more by being held back?

 

Its hard to answer those questions when we are talking about a 5 year old.

Fact of the matter is very few kids are ready to play at the next level and if a school is constantly putting MS kids on the HS level, well their program and program development isn't very good.

 

 

No HS school with over 200 boys should be playing MS kids on a consistent basis.

I believe often times holding kids back benefits in a lot of ways other than sports. Kids are more mature when they get out of school and it almost always helps academically. I am all for that. Obviously sports is a huge reason for kids staying back, but it is definitly not the only benefit. I graduated high school when I was 17 and I definitly was not ready for the real world myself.

 

Isnt this called redshirting and is illegal to do. I know in Jeff. Co if you hold kids back they cannot play at the Middle school level. If you are in middle school more than 3 years you are ineligible to play. Quinten Snyder at Fern Creek is an example. He could not play for Ramsey Middle school. So he got to play at Fern Creek which was his home school. I still think if you play for your home school in Jeff. Co then that becomes your home school and if you decide to go elsewhere you have to sit out. That would eliminate some of kids playing up and it would not be as big of a deal taking the spot of an older kid because you will be at the that school anyway. This was a rule proposed but never got passed.

Is an extra year of education a bad thing? Obviously sports is a huge motivator for hold kids back. But one thing parents can look at as they get older is:

1) How are they doing academically?

2) How are they doing maturity-wise?

3) Will my child benefit more by being held back?

 

Its hard to answer those questions when we are talking about a 5 year old.

 

 

You answered all of your questions in a previous post. You said they would almost always do better academically, they would be more mature, and of course they would benefit from athletics if they are bigger than all of the other kids in MS. So why not just guarantee it, and hold them back from the beginning? You don't need to answer those questions when they are 5. You already know the answers, right?

Fact of the matter is very few kids are ready to play at the next level and if a school is constantly putting MS kids on the HS level, well their program and program development isn't very good.

 

 

No HS school with over 200 boys should be playing MS kids on a consistent basis.

 

Are You assuming that all 200 kids are athletes? I can assure you they are not. Most middle school boys that play up in Jeff. Co are at the Freshman and JV level. Very few freshman boys get a lot of time on varsity squads in Basketball. They are not aloud to play varsity in Football. A lot of the minor sports are able to field Fr/Jv teams using 8th graders especially in Baseball. JCPS really has no plan for all the Middle schools to have these sports. Only a select few that have the parents to run it provide it. Only 8 teams will have football in middle school next year. Only about 8 teams have a baseball team. 99% of JCPS middle schools do not have facilities:Track, football field, baseball/softball fields and have no room to build them.

You answered all of your questions in a previous post. You said they would almost always do better academically, they would be more mature, and of course they would benefit from athletics if they are bigger than all of the other kids in MS. So why not just guarantee it, and hold them back from the beginning? You don't need to answer those questions when they are 5. You already know the answers, right?

 

Not necessarily. If a kid is a straight A student and is mature for their age then the only reason then to hold a kid back that I see would be athletics. Its hard to get much better academically if a student already makes All A's. Thats just the way I see it.

Then why not just start your kid later from the beginning? Why wait till they hit middle school? Maybe it's because the parents didn't know they would turn out to be a good athlete? Just sayin.........:idunno:

 

That is what I did with my daughter and going to do the same thing with my boy. I waited to start her and going to do the same for the boy. I do not want them to start and get in with a grade and then turn their world upside down by holding them back. If they play sports great but if not I think waiting will benefit them in so many other ways as well.

That is what I did with my daughter and going to do the same thing with my boy. I waited to start her and going to do the same for the boy. I do not want them to start and get in with a grade and then turn their world upside down by holding them back. If they play sports great but if not I think waiting will benefit them in so many other ways as well.

 

IMO, you did it the right way. Good for you.

 

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