[RunItUpTheGut]

Let me answer this the best i can per the KHSAA.

First off, you need to remember that if a kid turns 19 years old before Aug. 1st of his senior year, he will be ineligible for that year, thus making his junior year the last year of eligibility for him. So only three years of high school ball.

Secondly, as long as the student isnt in high school, then you have nothing to worry about eligibility wise, meaning, you can hold middle school kids back (7th and 8th grade) but once your in high school, you only get FOUR years of eligibility meaning that if you child fails a grade in high school, or you try to hold him back in high school, it wont work. He will still only have 4 years of eligibility no matter what.

As for asking about holdbacks, personally i believe as long as the kid is young for his grade, or will meet the eligibility requirements for high school i see nothing wrong with it.
Contrary to what some believe, i have never seen anything negative happen maturity or educational wise from a kid thats been held back. Even if his studies are excellent, its noone business why your holding them back (even if he had straight A's and you only want to do it because of sports) and you have the right not to explain that.

However, i deeply encourage you to talk with you child and see what he thinks. Afterall it is his life. Try to see what hes thinking and talk to him instead of rushing into decisions without his approval.

Personally, I wish i would have been held back a year. My grades were fine. But i also turned 18 only a couple of months before i graduated and would have been eligible to play sports had i been held back in middle school. It would have helped me greatly in becoming much more mature and physically fit leaving high school, especially when i was on my way to playing college football. Long story short i blew out my knee my senior year and didnt go anyways, but trust me when i say the kid can only benefit, AS LONG as hes fine with it as well.