Eight grade parents hold your kids back?

wls_color said:
I have a young 8th grade student. April 19th birthday, one of the youngest in his class that will be entering HS in the fall. The thought of holding him back has not even crossed my mind.

What is the reasoning behind doing this? To give him another year of football and baseball? To me, that seems to be the completely wrong focus and sends the wrong message.
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Kid i graduated with, one of the top athletes to go through the program, was a young un as well for his grade. He didnt turn 18 until the end of July after he graduated HS.
Cannot imagine if had another year to play!

I havent really seen this happen in our area. Personally I think it would be a tremendous embarrassment for the kid to be held back at that age. I would only do so if the kid was just not academically ready to move on, and if this was the case then there are more issues at hand than athletics.
 
nooks said:
I personally knew 2 kids (who came from "athletic" families...i.e had older brothers who were standouts) who were held back a year in grade school for reasons unrelated to athletics.
Both kids later graduated... 1 at 19, the other just turned 20 before graduation.
Both of those boys were full grown physically by either their Soph. or Jr. year. Both were exceptional players (all-state). Both better than their brothers.
Take-away...Yup, being held back made a difference...and a big one. Also, because of being "physically mature" earlier, both also had a much better HS experience in all other ways...wink & nod...
I knew several other boys, also good athletes, who were normal age (graduate at 17 or 18) and were "late maturing" ( weren't full grown until Fr. or Soph. year in COLLEGE, who went on to be as good or better than the hold-backs by the end of college.
Problem was the HS hold-backs got college scholarships and the late-bloomer non-hold-backs didn't...
Lesson: By all means, if you believe your kid is genetically apt to be a physically late bloomer...Hold them back and do it early (kindergarten if possible).
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Personally if I had plans to have my kids in athletics or had any inclination that they would be athletically inclined I would want them to be 18 before the start of their senior year.
 
ghsknightsfan said:
already looked into that. my grandson has relatives in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. if it gets to that point, he might go live with a family member if it would a good situation for him. it’s totally his decision, and i will support what he does.

oddly enough- if he moved to Missouri, he would be playing in Mike Mauks air raid offense as his relatives live in that same district
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Didnt a QB transfer from there to go to Kenton recently?
 
chs1971
I'm not talking about "filling out" a little, or adding that last inch of height...I'm talking about the kid who still grows 3 inches + and adds 30 lbs. of "good weight" AFTER HS...And I don't think this is the majority of college sophomores. I'm talking the kid who still looks 14 when he enters college...But I get what you're saying.
 
thavoice said:
Didnt a QB transfer from there to go to Kenton recently?
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www.news-leader.com

Who is Glendale's mysterious No. 7? 6,000-yard passer gives first interview

Glendale High School football quarterback Alex Huston gave his first interview when the Falcons opened practice Monday.
www.news-leader.com www.news-leader.com

Other way around: he attended Kenton, and then went to Missouri to play for Mike Mauk.

Huston played his freshman year of high school football in Kenton, Ohio, where Glendale coach Mike Mauk spent 31 years of his career. Falcons offensive coordinator Ben Mauk set national records playing quarterback for Kenton, as did his younger brother and former University of Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk.
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The Dock said:
www.news-leader.com

Who is Glendale's mysterious No. 7? 6,000-yard passer gives first interview

Glendale High School football quarterback Alex Huston gave his first interview when the Falcons opened practice Monday.
www.news-leader.com www.news-leader.com

Other way around: he attended Kenton, and then went to Missouri to play for Mike Mauk.
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I think you got it mixed up. Blaine Huston transferred from that missouri school to Kenton.

www.limaohio.com

Kenton looking to soar in 2019 - The Lima News

KENTON – The big question most Kenton fans are asking is who is going to be the new quarterback this season.While two prime candidates are vying for
www.limaohio.com www.limaohio.com
 
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thavoice said:
I think you got it mixed up. Blaine Huston transferred from that missouri school to Kenton.

www.limaohio.com

Kenton looking to soar in 2019 - The Lima News

KENTON – The big question most Kenton fans are asking is who is going to be the new quarterback this season.While two prime candidates are vying for
www.limaohio.com www.limaohio.com
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I didn't realize he had a younger brother that came *back* to Kenton!

If Eversole is still unable to go, Huston will get the call. Huston transferred in over the winter from Glendale, Missouri. Huston’s older brother moved to Missouri to play for the former Wildcat head coach Mauk and set numerous passing records.

Now Huston has returned to Kenton.
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Let's be real. This year is going to be a wash. We would like to think that all these kids are going to be educating on-line. That's totally not reality. If I'm a parent and my son or daughter had the chance to be held back one calendar year, it's a no issue, Hold them BACK! What's one year extra of free education. Most kids are behind to begin with. Your always going to have the 10% elite academic kids that can move on with no issues. The average student would do well to be held back. With the current economy the way it is ,and the 2020 college graduating class having little if any job opportunities. Keep these eight grade kids back until there's a big turn in the change of the current environment.IMO.
 
Saw the title of this thread and thought "that belongs in the youth baseball thread, doesn't it?"

{apologies to Jeff Foxworthy}

If, when a global pandemic strikes and proves that most of our elected officials an unable to react beyond simply mimicking each other, unemployment reaches record levels, universities close because their business model is so unsound they can't absorb 90 days of interruption and you think about holding your kid back so he's more likely to make 1st team all league/county vs just Honorable Mention in a few years, then you might be a [deleted].
 
From what I’m gathering on reading this thread is that some senior classes are going from 300 to 600 the next year when all the parents hold their kids back.
 
I would strongly consider it. Not just for 7th or 8th and/or w/ sports in mind, but elementary for sure. The effectiveness of remote teaching at those ages is dubious at best.
 
I’m hopeful that savvy school administrators - mindful that extra students means hiring extra teachers - would say, in effect, “thanks for your suggestion, but your child will be moving up a grade just like they’re scheduled to”.
 
A lot of schools do this to load up a class. Seemed like every school at state in basketball had 19 year olds
 
serpico said:
I’m hopeful that savvy school administrators - mindful that extra students means hiring extra teachers - would say, in effect, “thanks for your suggestion, but your child will be moving up a grade just like they’re scheduled to”.
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This has nothing to do with athletics, but we took in a student a couple of years ago who had missed a ton of school and I talked with the guidance counselor about whether it would be more beneficial to hold her back a year to get caught up ... she was a junior who credit wise was still a freshman. The counselor was adamant that they would get her caught up through credit recovery. They did and she graduated last year and now is in college.

There are going to be a ton of kids who will fall behind because they aren't physically in a school building. I think credit recovery programs are going to swamped next year as districts try to keep kids in their regular graduating class, regardless if parents want to hold them back. I can see some regular teachers being shifted over to overseeing some of those extra credit recovery classrooms until all the students are then back where they should be.

Then again, that probably varies by district/school. I'm sure some would welcome getting a senior season out of a 19 year old who would've been fully capable of contributing as an 18 year old if this pandemic didn't throw everything off.
 
wls_color said:
I have a young 8th grade student. April 19th birthday, one of the youngest in his class that will be entering HS in the fall. The thought of holding him back has not even crossed my mind.

What is the reasoning behind doing this? To give him another year of football and baseball? To me, that seems to be the completely wrong focus and sends the wrong message.
Click to expand...
How physically mature is he? If he is physically mature, then don't sweat it. If he is an exceptional athlete but not physically mature, you might consider it.
 
40 years ago holding back was VERY uncommon. When it happened it was usually in grade school and for academic reasons.
Recently, in the last 10 or so years, two things have changed that have made it much more common...
First, the cost of a college education has quadrupled or worse and amplified the need to pursue scholarship money, if at all possible. Any athletic advantage that can be employed toward that end has become more meaningful.
Second, much more research in athletic development and genetics has become available & accessible and for "some...particularly physically late developers..." has cemented the value of playing HS sports at a year older than what was previously considered normal.
Where I digress from this trend is the "when" part. Certainly, waiting until 8th grade to "redshirt" is ridiculous. If it is to be done at all, it should be done as early as it appears needed. Like kindergarten maybe. My 2 cents...
 
thavoice said:
Kid i graduated with, one of the top athletes to go through the program, was a young un as well for his grade. He didnt turn 18 until the end of July after he graduated HS.
Cannot imagine if had another year to play!

I havent really seen this happen in our area. Personally I think it would be a tremendous embarrassment for the kid to be held back at that age. I would only do so if the kid was just not academically ready to move on, and if this was the case then there are more issues at hand than athletics.
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Am I right or wrong? I do not know, but I can not imagine holding a kid back just to play sports. Check that....I can and did for a second when my son was in the 8th grade. He was very small for his age. I am 6'3" and 260 lbs. My wife is 5'10" and when my son was in the 8th grade he was less than 5' and under 100 lbs. I will admit I gave it a thought. Then common sense took over and that was the end of it. Work hard, get better and be proud of the work you put in. My son did grow quite a bit in HS but still not near physical maturity. Fast forward 5 years and he just completed his freshman year in college and he is just fine although he still does not shave more than 10 blond hairs on his face every week or so. It all works out and if you are making a decision based on a sport my less than professional opinion is you are nuts. This is HS. If you are a D1 kid, then you are known long before your Sr year. If you are not a D1 kid that is perfectly acceptable. If we worried as much about the development of the person and the academics as we do about what MIGHT happen in "recruitment" the world would be a way better place. As I stated I may be wrong but that is my 2 cents.
 
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