[OldBobcat]

A "holdback" in my book is a student/athlete that is allowed to play in the same grade twice........this is different imo than a kid that starts school late or stays back early in their school career. At this point, and i do totally agree it is between the parents and the student, the parents are taking a chance on the kid growing and developing into a tremendous athlete. Once they enter middle school athletics i feel they should move on with their class and continue on. If you have an 8th grader that has developed tremendously by the 8th grade and you hold him back and let him play again in the same grade i think that does the kid and injustice. If he is that good, let him move on and develop with kids his own age......i have seen this happen on many occassions however, kids are held back in middle school in hopes on developing further only to see many times other schools and players catch them and pass them up and they never really develop and succeed at the level they hope too. Maybe the year being held back doesn't teach them anything playing against younger competition after all. Bottom line though, it is a parent/child decision, and furthermore, it is a local school board decision to allow them to compete in school athletics at that point. Like it or not, as long as their is middle school athletics you will eventually have to compete against kids that are older, held back, or started later in school or something. As long as the athlete is eligible by their senior year then they are eligible to play middle school athletics. And i do agree with the maturity part whether it is for grades or athletics or whatever the reason. A kid can make straight a's for 4 years and not be ready for the world that awaits them after high school, especially at 17.