It is astounding that some parents would hold back their children in school so that they have an edge athletically.

Certainly, this could work to a student's disadvantage academically if, the second time around, he or she sluffs off on school work because it amounts to a review of previously learned material.

That attitude, if carried over to the terms that follow, could be disastrous, and perhaps even defeat the initial purpose in retaining the student in the first place.

In baseball, Little League imposes age limitations, and in some school systems there is a maximum age at which students can compete. Far too often, however, this is honored in the breach. Imagine if you will a 20-year-old lining a baseball back at a 14-year-old pitcher at well over 100 miles per hour.

Perhaps we should expect more from those academicians and coaches who turn a blind eye toward such situations for one more victory.

The cost of that victory may be more than it's worth.

There is so much wrong with developmental basketball programs, it's hard to start with any one issue. Holding kids back is certainly an ongoing problem that is condoned and applauded by the very scouts and shoe company boobs who've turned a beautiful and fun game into little more than a meat market.

In my home state, and the NCAA's home state, of Indiana, there are dozens of kids who repeated the eighth grade when they were unable to compete at the level of others. In many instances, almost immediately, they jump in rankings and to the top of recruiting lists for big time schools.

In one case, a kid who was a middling class of 2007 player as an eighth grader, was invited to the NIKE Camp after he repeated the eighth grade, and subsequently verballed to Tennessee. Is he a better player than he was as a 2007 kid? No, but playing against kids a year younger made him stand out.

Until the kids (and parents) who engage in this process are not rewarded for it, repeating the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade will be common.

The kids who do it right will continue to be recruited behind the 19 year-old seniors.

When basketball and football coaches are the highest paid state employees, there will be unwarranted focus on results. The governor of Indiana makes $95,000 per year. Kelvin Sampson makes $1.1 million. You tell me how that is not a root cause of all this nonsense.

I agree with the idea of sixth graders getting nationally ranked because if you are good in a sport no matter what age, you deserve recognition. It is very true though that giving children their age rankings could be a lot of pressure. Kids do not really know the significance of their ranking but they know that they are just a number. At this age, getting nationally ranked at such a low level could also be rewarding. It could be rewarding because it could be a huge confidence booster.

I also do not disagree with the factors that come along with children at such an age becoming nationally ranked. In this article it stated that the parents kept their child back in the sixth grade another year in order to raise his national ranking. I truly disagree with that decision. At that age, children who love or like to play basketball play because they really just want to have fun not for any rankings.

I don't think that a child should stay back for athletic reasons only. I was held back in the 8th grade for about 50% academics and 50% athletics. I was small for my age then and all I wanted to do was play football. Not to mention that my grades then were passing but not the greatest. So I stayed back a year and I did better with my grades from there on out through high school and I was bigger and more skilled in football. So like I said before I don't agree with a child staying back a year for only sports reasons, but if the child's grades aren't the best, they could use it as a way to mature themselves academically as well.

-Brett Seroka

Have we gone insane? Holding your child back for athletics? I was fortunate enough to have played in the Major Leagues. I graduated high school and started my college courses when I was 17. I was always the youngest in my class. With that being said, my father always introduced me to the theory of excelling and beating the odds. Do you know the odds of your child playing professionally and actually enjoying a comfortable lifestyle? Almost zero. Instead, let's tell our kids that we believe in them. Your child will know the real reason you are holding him/her back.

It was great to hear your comments Scott! Finally, an athletic success story from someone who was 17 when he graduated.

I have a son who is the youngest in his class. For a while, I beat myself up for not waiting a year before starting school. The problem is that he does not always get to go to the next level with his classmates b/c of his August birthday.

I would like to hear a little more from you Scott. I know you were the youngest but were you small, average, large compared to your classmates?

WOW! What have people come to be, when they think it is ok to hold back your child to gain a better ranking athletically. I believe setting athletic goals in life is a great part of growing up. Anytime you set goals, you push yourself to obtain those goals which teaches one discipline. Being competitive also helps with discipline.

Anyway, education should be the first priority for young children. Parents should be ashamed of themselves for holding their child back. One never knows when an injury could occur and that injury may put the child out of sports forever. If the child does not get the proper education needed when younger, then the child will have a lot of difficulty learning for the future. The lack of education can also show problems when trying to find a job.

Brian-I agree that education should be the top priority. I have seen outstanding athletes not succeed after sports b/c they are not prepared academically. One particular guy who set state athletic records is now struggling both financially, but more seriously mentally. He had so much success on the field but was not prepared to continue that success in life.

But I also think you are missing something here. Much of the child retaining (holding back) is coming from the middle and upper class. Many times these are students doing very well academically; so the argument I am trying to make is not academics vs. athletics. It is more of... should I hold my child back in order to level the playing field for him b/c 50% of the kids that will he will be playing against his senior year will be 19? He will be 17 b/c of late b-day.

Great insight by most. I was searching for answers on whether to hold my son back. He is currently in the 7th grade and 11 years old. The only football league available has him playing with kids his own age which happen to be in the 6th grade. The dilemma we face is that when he enters high school he will no longer play with his age group but rather his grade. His grades are good, and I don't want him to repeat the 7th grade so I'm looking at different options or ways for him to learn new things for a year. Friends say it will improve his social life as well, because he will be driving and dating sooner. I don't know about all that, but I do want what’s best. The boy is dedicated to football. I never have to push him on game day or at practice. I would like to present him every opportunity to excel at the sport, but at what cost? That's the answer I'm searching for.

This ranking for athletes in basketball is getting ridiculous. 6th grade is way too young to rank or rate an athlete. But I don’t have a problem with students being held back to mature in athletics. But I do have a problem with parents holding their children back for political reasons.

Education should be a top priority. In some cases, students repeating a grade may allow them to be more prepared for that grade the next go around and their maturity level and brain will grow, which will allow them to become more advanced. They will become more advanced, not only athletically, but also in academics. This shouldn’t have anything to do with politics and rankings. The athlete’s future in the NBA shouldn’t be projected at the elementary level or middle school level. It just causes uncertainty and puts more weight on a young child’s shoulders than need be.

Mike, what did you decide for your 7th grade son?

I also have considered holding my son back. He is in the 8th grade and 13 years old now and will graduate high school as a 17 year old. He is a very good basketball player but at 6'3, 130 lbs he lacks the strength that an extra year of maturity will offer. My fear is that the lack of strength from maturity might not come soon enough for him to have success at the next level. He has become an above average student and my thought was to take him to a private school that would take his education to the next level as well. My goal would not be to have the oldest kid on the court. I would just like for him to have the opportunity to play with kids his age for as long as his talent and desire allow. I first mentioned this to my son two years ago and he didn't like the idea. About a month ago he approached me on the subject.

Watch for a kid named Patrick Haynes,from ILL.The kid can play(Baseball or Basketball)

I'm so sad to see a friend of my 12 year old son, who makes all A's and B's in school, who's birthday is near Christmas, being held back in 6th grade because his dad thinks he might do better in High School and College basketball and Baseball teams. His dad played in college, and is now a new coach in our school district. It seems to be a common practice in our community with coaches from the schools and local colleges. And the sad thing is they are open about why they are holding their boys back. They want the college scholarships, and they think their children's height and body development will give them the advantage. It seems they don't care that their child will be completely bored repeating a year of school. I could understand if the child had summer birthdays, or didn't do well academically having to repeat a grade. But is this the new alternative to steroids? Just hold them back a year and they'll be taller and bigger?

Friend's Mother:

I wonder how the kid feels about being detached
from his friends and the stigma of repeating a grade? What does your son think?

Retention for athletics is becoming an issue. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Same goes for me - I will play the role of the bad dad here. I am contemplating all that has been said here. My son is 13 and will graduate at 17. He plays competitive baseball. Last year he played with his grade, not his age, and did better then average. This year he played baseball with his age and not his grade. The results are incredible - it is like steroids. He is big for 13 so he is overpowering on the mound and has hit 7 HR while know one else on the team has hit 1 as of yet. I am flustered with the thought of holding him back for athletic reasons. I think if he was held back for academic reasons it would help. Also he is about a 2.7 GPA student 6th grade. If I was to ever hold him back it would have to be his choice first and it would be at a private school or I would move altogether so that the social issue was not a problem. My 2 cents. I am sure the majority of these parents who can’t believe we are having this discussion were not athletes nor do they have children that are. I still appreciate their advice and it seems to be good but I am not sure if they can truly understand.

Mark, when I was 12, I was 5-7 and 165 pounds. I hit 11 home runs in a 21-game regular season schedule and struck out 15 batters in a six-inning game on three separate occasions. There weren't many people who didn't think I had a huge baseball future ahead of me.

Things went well for the next few years...I won 15 games on the mound at the age of 14 for one of New York's premier travel teams and then spent two summers playing for the Bayside Yankees, one of the best amateur programs in the country.

Slowly, but surely, I was not the best player on my team anymore. When I got to Brandeis, a Division III school outside Boston, my coach thought my resume would make me a star on the field for four years. I hardly played in my first three years and didn't get significant playing time until my senior year.

I was a sure bet, but everyone caught up. I always concentrated on school and I truly believe that should be the priority for all kids. You never know what's going to happen.

Josh,

Great to hear your story! Despite not making it to the big leagues you have created memories that will carry you for a lifetime. That's all I am trying to do for my son by retaining. I have no expectations that he will even play college ball let alone get a chance at pro ball.

I got to ask. Do you regret spending most of your youth chasing the dream?

I agree with you that academics must be top priority. But it bothers me when folks think that parents are sacrificing academics for athletics by retaining kids. I can't argue that retention does not impact the child in some way, but it can be positive. A loving adult and a willing kid can make the move work.

Scott –

I spent every day of every summer playing baseball growing up. When my parents weren’t driving me across the country, I was pitching simulated games against the schoolyard wall in the winter and taking a hundred cuts off my tee every day. I don’t regret one second of it.

You’re a father and I’m not, so I’m certain I don’t know exactly what you and your son are working through. I think chasing the dream is a good thing, but slowing down progress in other areas doesn’t sound like a good decision to me. Essentially, retaining your child slows him down for a year of his life. If he needs that time to mature personally and academically, that’s different to me than trying to have him grow on the field at the expense of his personal growth.

I think 12 year olds should be ranked - they do it in tennis and other sports also. So be for real about it. But to hold a kid back because of sports in stupid and unfair to the child. We tend to take some things too far and this is one of them.

Hi I'm twelve and am currently playing for the Harlan Green Dragons 7/8 grade basketball team. I play a lot of holdbacks and don’t think it's fair. They always push you around because they're so big. They also make us feel like we can't do anything because their skills are better than ours. That would greatly affect our rankings (even though we don’t do rankings. So I don’t think athletes should be ranked until high school.

I have one of those bigger kids who has been a phenom at baseball. We have not held him back as he is larger than average (at 14 he is 5'11", 195 lbs) pitches 80-82, a 6.75 60 yd dash and hits it over the high school fence at 375+. Both me and the wife are larger than average. If your kids are small, chances are they won't have a chance anyways, so holding them back is really dumb if they are doing well. We have one of these "better" players on our varsity as a soph, should be a jr. He is 2 years older than my son and my son throws just as hard, outruns him and can almost hit as far....only not quite as good an infielder and reading pitchers. Just think of what my kid will be in 2 years....we won't need to be holding him back for sports reasons. He also has a 3.6+. Do I think he has a shot at MLB, I am unsure, but for sure he has Div I possibilities and lower division schools are certain. But if he goes MLB directly, they would much rather have a younger kids with more of a future and the package price will reflect this I'm told.

Our friends held their basketball child back one grade, he has blossomed into 6'10" and is now a sophomore, should be a jr. he is being scouted by UCLA and Stanford. He is also Straight A student, so maybe this helped his GPA? Will he make the NBA? Lots of physical injuries kill BB players, knees, etc. He will be Div I and maybe this alone is worth it.

The quarterback family that placed their sons at Tennessee and Notre dame, held them back 1-2 years each. No wonder they did so well, but the TN one did not make it to the NFL. Will the second child make it?

So if they have the size and ability, then holding them back may not be so smart. If the parents are small, chances are the kids will be smaller and they won't make it in college or pros anyways. I might consider holding them back to play in HS if they were blue-collar, because it will probably be their last chance to play organized sports. But this sets them a year behind in starting their careers too and this could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. If they are phenoms, why would anyone hold them back if they are cutting it in school? They will get scouted no matter what, even if they have the raw talent and are not polished. Life is short, don't waste it on low percentage bets.

Steve

I have been thinking about holding my 13 year old son back in the 8th grade. He is an honor roll student, he is the youngest in his grade. He has a late Aug. birthday. The only social group he has ever had has been with his baseball teammates. He has never met the age requirements to play baseball with kids in his own grade. He is a very good player, but has always taken slack that he plays down. Which is not the case. He was opposed to this idea a few years ago, but has now approached us and is asking to do another year. We don't know if the public school will allow this based on his high academic performance. Anyone with this experience, I'd love to hear your story.

I'm another one of those parents considering holding back my son for maturity and athletic reasons. My son just completed the 7th grade and turned 13 the last week of school (June b’day). When my son was younger he was about the same size as his peers. But now with the approach of puberty the other kids are starting to outpace him (size, social maturity, overall athletic ability). I'm struggling with this debate because he normally makes straight A's, is in the National Jr. Honor Society, in the Gifted & Talented accelerated learning program of the local public school District, and has always been one of the most athletically talented kids (on previous baseball teams).

This Spring he competed on a relatively intense traveling baseball squad and a couple of things happened that made me start thinking about holding him back:

Firstly, for the first time ever he made 3 B's on his last 9 weeks report card. He normally has all A's and fortunately squeaked out A averages for the Semester.

Secondly, he has been sick a lot over the last few months. I suspect the added pressures of being a young student athlete had a lot to do with this. I’m thinking we need some time to figure out what is going on with this.

Thirdly, over the course of the Spring he did not grow as much as his peers and now finds himself on the bench. Today he is a skinny kid, 90 percentile in height & 50% in weight. Until the last few months he was usually in the 90 percentile in height & +80% in weight. He has gone from one of the most talented leaders both academically and athletically to, well, a kid struggling to maintain historical performances. Yes, as his father I’m struggling with this. I certainly do not want my ego to get in the way with what is best for my son.

Finally, he seems to be a late bloomer. I’m starting to see some signs of the male hormones kicking in (enlarged feet & hands), but physically he seems to be 6-12 months behind his peers.

As mentioned on one of the blogs, “the argument I am trying to make is not academics vs. athletics. It is more of... should I hold my child back in order to level the playing field for him b/c 50% of the kids that will he will be playing against his senior year will be 19? He will be 17 b/c of late b-day.”

My fear is that the lack of strength from maturity might not come soon enough for him to have success with his peers. My goal would be to just give him every opportunity to compete athletically with kids his own age for as long as he wants to and to give him a chance to graduate high school in the top of his class (academically).

Also, I’m concerned about the social impact. Maybe we need to consider a move?

Am I getting all worked up over nothing?

Should I wait another year to see what happens?

I would like to hear multiple opinions. Thanks in advance!

This is becoming a problem through out the US and it needs to be stopped. We just moved from NC where it was starting to be a problem in Texas where it is just out of hand. Some of these kids are giants and no way is it an equal playing field. I blame the colleges al ot for taking the easy way out on recruiting, only looking at the kids on the traveling teams (which is a money gimmick for certain ones to get rich) My son just finished the eighth grade here, where his class is filled with star athletes and they finished at the top in every sport. Now the seventh grade class is not too good in the sports. Well my son’s at the gym, where one of the coaches is working a summer job, he talks about how bad the seventh grade is and tells my son how he could be the man if he was in the seventh grade. The next day this same coach tells my son "I looked up your birthday and you know I have several kids your age in the seventh grade." This is so discouraging - my son is not a bad size for kids his age but that’s the problem most of the athletes in his grade are not his age because here in Texas they have made a grade between Kinder. & 1st plus some are even held back more than that. I also worry for lower income families that their children do not stand a chance the more this goes on they have to start their children in school on time because they do not have the money for childcare. Something needs to be done about this we are teaching the wrong thing here!!!!