[Lambert #1]

The issue of holdbacks in Letcher County is different than most counties. It seems that it's not happening at the 8th grade level. It's almost like the community knows that it turns into a problem at that level so they go ahead and do it when they are younger. For instance this year's team had only two holdback 8th graders, one of them was from Whitesburg Middle and one from MJP. These two were outstanding athletes, one was a running back and the other a two way starter on the line. However, several of the 8th graders could have been in their freshmen year but were held back somewhere along the way by parents for various reasons. I think I looked at the program and saw that there were 10 or more of the boys that were already 14 years old in football season which meant that most of them would either turn 15 before they next year started or shortly after which means that they had to have been held back somewhere along the line. It seems to be working for Coach Howard though, no problems in county with people complaining anymore since they are a consolidated team now and the fact they went 11-2 and won the Big Sandy Championship will hopefully only help our situation with holdbacks. I think it's a parents decision and that the administration of the individual counties should stay away from it. KHSAA rules states that if a child does not turn 15 years old before August 1st of his 8th grade year his eligibility is fine as long as that child is not promoted to the high school level, at which his 8 semesters of high school football begins. You cannot let the school promote that child at the endof thier 8th grade year, you must complete the papers well before then to insure his 8th grade/high school eligibility. A holdback 8th grader cannot play up on any high school team during that holdback year but they can play at their own level. The individual systems that are not letting holdbacks play would not have a leg to stand on if a parent took them to court. I for one am holding my son back in lower elementary school, hopefully it will pay off on the football field, classroom, hallways and in the community. Girls develop earlier than boys do with their maturity, I graduated at 17 and went off to college, all the freedom was way to much for me to handle and I struggled my first two years and it took me a while to develop the maturity needed for being on my own at college. I want to give my child the best opportunity to be successful and if holding him back for one repeat school year is one of those opportunities it should not be interferred with by a school board, superintendent, principal or site based committee.