[Old Blue]

Several schools in the area are dealing with the same issues. There is more to bringing up a 6th, 7th, or 8th grader than just playing them because they have good skills. A coach should take into consideration what playing younger kids does to the dynamic of the team. A young kid may be a very good player, but when her being on the court causes the older players to lose moral, lose respect for the coach and team, then she is not the best player at that time. The players shouldn't dictate who plays, but when kids spend 4 or 5 years in a program, only to be benched for 12 and 13 year olds, that program can decline very fast.