[highschoolfan]

I have seen straight A student's held back for sports it is a huge advantage physically.This may make you look good in middle school but it will catch up to you. If I am a college coach and recruiting for 1 position say a quarterback and I am looking at 2 kids who are equally talented I will take the 17 year old over a 18 or 19 year old every time because I feel this kid may still have some growing to do physically & mentally. Just my opinion.

This is why your not a COLLEGE COACH, you would pick the Baby over the MAN CHILD....just sayin,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[LionEagle]

I have coached and still coaching. Look at the quote equally talanted, I guess I am taking the baby. 99.9 percent of coaches will play a equally talented sophmore over a senior to build a program. The senior better be better if he or she wants to play over the younger kid.

[barrel]

What do you people thank about a team with at least half of there kids being hold backs
had about 30 kids on the team i don't thank it was for academics but this isn't illegal so
what can you say we will get them in High School.

Its not against the rules and people will stand by or hide behind every reason given so far in this thread. I do have a problem with it. I've pushed for a number of years that if a child is repeating the grade he should not be allowed to play in the playoffs. As you can tell it has never been passed by the KMSFA. I the difference on the field is smaller in HS than it is in MS. In MS it can be huge and when half your starters or more are like that well that is a bunch of crap. It is what it is so we move on.

[wooohooo]

:Thumbs: Do it you will not regret it! When you think about things it is a no-brainer.

I held my son back a year in 4th grade before he ever started playing football. It was for the purpose of him maturing socially. I am so glad that I made that choice. He is so well adjusted, and is able to be more of a leader among his friends. Did it benefit him in sports in the long run? Yes, it did. That was not the intention of holding him back, it was an added benefit.

[OldBobcat]

Again I agree with you barrel.......playing twice in the same grade is my definition of a holdback. I just don't see how it helps the better athlete to remain in the same grade and play, for the most part, lesser competition. They learn bad habits and it doesn't prepare them for high school athletics. If a player stays back early in school or starts later into school then normally progress with his or her grade it seems those athletes fair better in the long run than the others.

[dawgbyte02]

As a parent who sent a 17 year old, 4.0 gpa, standout athlete to a D1 school to play I can tell you that we should have held them back. We have already held back our other two STUDENT/athletes and my advice to young parents is do not start kids in school so soon.

[Old Redhound]

If age didn't make a difference, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Hitters_Count]

Good or Bad, it is a moot point since it is legal. Currently there is no ruling on the matter and if an athlete meets the Aug. 1st rule, then they are fine until KHSAA or KYMSFA passes a rule saying otherwise. I agree that early in MS you see a big differnce most of the time, but some kids are late bloomers and will be bigger and better in HS and even beyond.

Some schools have been doing this for years and nothing was really ever said, now that others are doing it and having success, it is all of a sudden a major issue? I have seen the benefits that holding a child back has to offer. Social, Emotional, Physical maturating often translates into Self-Confidence and Leadership Qualities.

[voljacketfan]

Good or Bad, it is a moot point since it is legal. Currently there is no ruling on the matter and if an athlete meets the Aug. 1st rule, then they are fine until KHSAA or KYMSFA passes a rule saying otherwise. I agree that early in MS you see a big differnce most of the time, but some kids are late bloomers and will be bigger and better in HS and even beyond.

Some schools have been doing this for years and nothing was really ever said, now that others are doing it and having success, it is all of a sudden a major issue? I have seen the benefits that holding a child back has to offer. Social, Emotional, Physical maturating often translates into Self-Confidence and Leadership Qualities.

Here is my problem. My 12 tear old is playing against 15yr old boys. He has matured and gained at a level to compete with them for positions. He has seen the dedication of these player to get better, when they move up I do not see the competitiveness to improve. He already leads other seventh graders. Maturity does not have an age requirement. It is a learned trait. :biggrin:

[Old Redhound]

If only affects one year, as a freshman he can play with Seniors.

[FOOTBALLLUV]

Here is my problem. My 12 tear old is playing against 15yr old boys. He has matured and gained at a level to compete with them for positions. He has seen the dedication of these player to get better, when they move up I do not see the competitiveness to improve. He already leads other seventh graders. Maturity does not have an age requirement. It is a learned trait. :biggrin:

I totally agree .....so true!

[Newjacket]

Here is my problem. My 12 tear old is playing against 15yr old boys. He has matured and gained at a level to compete with them for positions. He has seen the dedication of these player to get better, when they move up I do not see the competitiveness to improve. He already leads other seventh graders. Maturity does not have an age requirement. It is a learned trait. :biggrin:

Hey voljacket, I can attest that your boy is indeed a muture 12 year old. He is a fine young man all around and he earned his starting spot the old fashioned way, he earned it. I believe he will do fine in life, school, and athletics whether he is held back or not. However I think he is the exception rather than the rule. As you said, he is 12 competing against 14-15 year olds. Most of the 12 year olds on the team just can't compete against kids that much older than them. A couple of years makes a big difference at this age.

[Panther Thunder]

I wish I could have been held back another time. Another year of the best years of one's life!

[Coach Howard]

This my 21st year of coaching/teaching and I can say that holding a student athlete back is not a bad thing. I held my son back in the 1st grade last year and he was a fine student but he was shy and not very social. The extra year has made him a leader and the teacher that told me that I should not hold him back now says it's the best thing that I could have done for him. My son is now in the 2nd grade and he brings nothing home below a 90 or 95% on all of his classwork, he is very social and he thrives on being the leader of his class and grade. I wasn't sure if he wanted to be an athlete or not but this hold back year has given him the confidence he needed and he is chomping at the bit to go out for pee-wee football next year. I know this is a little different than what some of you are talking about but I also coach 7th/8th grade kids in football and it makes a huge difference in them as well. The hold-backs that I have are the leaders in the hallways, classrooms and in the community and my teachers love having them in class. I agree that holding one back for football and football alone is not a good idea but I have yet to see a 7th or 8th grader that was held back on my team not become more social, better leader, gain more self confidence and become a better student. This is just my story and some other coach may have some horror stories but not in my county or on my team. Why not give a young man one more year at home to develop into a man before they are sent off to college. College and the real world is rough enough so why not give these young men every advantage that we can give them before they have to grow up and become adults. The same people that are saying that it's not right for my 13 or 14 year old little Johnny to be playing against 14 or recently turned 15 year old kids will be the same ones that complain that their 14 year old doesn't get a fair chance as a freshmen to play on the varsity team with 18 year old players. This is a horse that we beat to death every year on BGR and ultimately it really doesn't matter what you or me think about the situation because it's a parents personal decision that they have to make for their child. Currently the only rule in Kentucky is that a student can't turn 15 before August 1st of their 8th grade year along with not being able to turn 19 before August 1st of their senior year. Football/basketball/baseball is just a child's game, if we can do something like holding one back and giving them an advantage in the real "game of life" why shouldn't we do it. I'm sure I will get some negative feedback for posting this as a coach/teacher but my job is to make life easier in the long run for these kids that I am working with. I will be holding my daughter back at the end of this year (1st grade) and I'm not sure if she will play sports or not but I will sleep well at night knowing that I will not have to send her off to college while she is 17 getting ready to turn 18, I like the idea of her being 18 and turning 19 in just a few months after she enrolls as a fresh in college. Wow I wrote a small book and I apologize for that but this is an issue that I am passionate about and I may see it a little different than some folks but I feel strongly that this should be a private issue that should be made by a child's parent and not someone else with an idea that wedges someone under a blanket statement of saying that "Holding a child back is a mistake and shouldn't be done EVER."

[voljacketfan]

This my 21st year of coaching/teaching and I can say that holding a student athlete back is not a bad thing. I held my son back in the 1st grade last year and he was a fine student but he was shy and not very social. The extra year has made him a leader and the teacher that told me that I should not hold him back now says it's the best thing that I could have done for him. My son is now in the 2nd grade and he brings nothing home below a 90 or 95% on all of his classwork, he is very social and he thrives on being the leader of his class and grade. I wasn't sure if he wanted to be an athlete or not but this hold back year has given him the confidence he needed and he is chomping at the bit to go out for pee-wee football next year. I know this is a little different than what some of you are talking about but I also coach 7th/8th grade kids in football and it makes a huge difference in them as well. The hold-backs that I have are the leaders in the hallways, classrooms and in the community and my teachers love having them in class. I agree that holding one back for football and football alone is not a good idea but I have yet to see a 7th or 8th grader that was held back on my team not become more social, better leader, gain more self confidence and become a better student. This is just my story and some other coach may have some horror stories but not in my county or on my team. Why not give a young man one more year at home to develop into a man before they are sent off to college. College and the real world is rough enough so why not give these young men every advantage that we can give them before they have to grow up and become adults. The same people that are saying that it's not right for my 13 or 14 year old little Johnny to be playing against 14 or recently turned 15 year old kids will be the same ones that complain that their 14 year old doesn't get a fair chance as a freshmen to play on the varsity team with 18 year old players. This is a horse that we beat to death every year on BGR and ultimately it really doesn't matter what you or me think about the situation because it's a parents personal decision that they have to make for their child. Currently the only rule in Kentucky is that a student can't turn 15 before August 1st of their 8th grade year along with not being able to turn 19 before August 1st of their senior year. Football/basketball/baseball is just a child's game, if we can do something like holding one back and giving them an advantage in the real "game of life" why shouldn't we do it. I'm sure I will get some negative feedback for posting this as a coach/teacher but my job is to make life easier in the long run for these kids that I am working with. I will be holding my daughter back at the end of this year (1st grade) and I'm not sure if she will play sports or not but I will sleep well at night knowing that I will not have to send her off to college while she is 17 getting ready to turn 18, I like the idea of her being 18 and turning 19 in just a few months after she enrolls as a fresh in college. Wow I wrote a small book and I apologize for that but this is an issue that I am passionate about and I may see it a little different than some folks but I feel strongly that this should be a private issue that should be made by a child's parent and not someone else with an idea that wedges someone under a blanket statement of saying that "Holding a child back is a mistake and shouldn't be done EVER."

Thanks for the honest answer. As a parent, I respect your decision.

[Noble]

I have seen straight A student's held back for sports it is a huge advantage physically.This may make you look good in middle school but it will catch up to you. If I am a college coach and recruiting for 1 position say a quarterback and I am looking at 2 kids who are equally talented I will take the 17 year old over a 18 or 19 year old every time because I feel this kid may still have some growing to do physically & mentally. Just my opinion.

I think these will vary from coach to coach. Many of the college coaches I know prefer the older kids for many reasons. I have known a few students who were hold backs that benefitted from being older their senior year. I know a couple who would not have gotten any looks from college if they had been a year younger but that extra year of maturity (both physical and mental) helped them catch the eye of a recruiter. There are many kids who do not fully mature until they are 18 or 19 and if they were 17 year old seniors they would be overlooked and most colleges are not going to take a chance on a kid because they have no idea what they are going to be like in a year or two. If they are 18 or 19 they know what they are getting. Of course if you are a stud at 16 or 17 it doesn't really matter but there are a lot of players out there who are fringe players that may or may not being able to compete at college who do not fully come out till 18 or 19.

[Saratoga_86]

This my 21st year of coaching/teaching and I can say that holding a student athlete back is not a bad thing. I held my son back in the 1st grade last year and he was a fine student but he was shy and not very social. The extra year has made him a leader and the teacher that told me that I should not hold him back now says it's the best thing that I could have done for him. My son is now in the 2nd grade and he brings nothing home below a 90 or 95% on all of his classwork, he is very social and he thrives on being the leader of his class and grade. I wasn't sure if he wanted to be an athlete or not but this hold back year has given him the confidence he needed and he is chomping at the bit to go out for pee-wee football next year. I know this is a little different than what some of you are talking about but I also coach 7th/8th grade kids in football and it makes a huge difference in them as well. The hold-backs that I have are the leaders in the hallways, classrooms and in the community and my teachers love having them in class. I agree that holding one back for football and football alone is not a good idea but I have yet to see a 7th or 8th grader that was held back on my team not become more social, better leader, gain more self confidence and become a better student. This is just my story and some other coach may have some horror stories but not in my county or on my team. Why not give a young man one more year at home to develop into a man before they are sent off to college. College and the real world is rough enough so why not give these young men every advantage that we can give them before they have to grow up and become adults. The same people that are saying that it's not right for my 13 or 14 year old little Johnny to be playing against 14 or recently turned 15 year old kids will be the same ones that complain that their 14 year old doesn't get a fair chance as a freshmen to play on the varsity team with 18 year old players. This is a horse that we beat to death every year on BGR and ultimately it really doesn't matter what you or me think about the situation because it's a parents personal decision that they have to make for their child. Currently the only rule in Kentucky is that a student can't turn 15 before August 1st of their 8th grade year along with not being able to turn 19 before August 1st of their senior year. Football/basketball/baseball is just a child's game, if we can do something like holding one back and giving them an advantage in the real "game of life" why shouldn't we do it. I'm sure I will get some negative feedback for posting this as a coach/teacher but my job is to make life easier in the long run for these kids that I am working with. I will be holding my daughter back at the end of this year (1st grade) and I'm not sure if she will play sports or not but I will sleep well at night knowing that I will not have to send her off to college while she is 17 getting ready to turn 18, I like the idea of her being 18 and turning 19 in just a few months after she enrolls as a fresh in college. Wow I wrote a small book and I apologize for that but this is an issue that I am passionate about and I may see it a little different than some folks but I feel strongly that this should be a private issue that should be made by a child's parent and not someone else with an idea that wedges someone under a blanket statement of saying that "Holding a child back is a mistake and shouldn't be done EVER."

:Thumbs: Coach , my family and I , thank you for this post ... You're a class act ...:Thumbs:

[Noble]

I have spoken with many parents, coaches and teachers about hold backs. I have always said there are 3 things to consider when holding a child back.
1. Academics
2. Maturity
3. Atheltics

If a child can benefit from 2 out of the 3 it's a no brainer. My wife and I held our oldest back even though his teachers did not agree with it fully. (He was very immature physically and emotionally and was one of the youngest in his class). 9 weeks into the new year both teachers said it was the best thing we could have done for him. He is very happy that we did it as well now. (We gave him the choice)

I also think a boy going off to college at 17 or as a young 18 year old is a recipe for trouble. I was 17 and in college. It was a waste of a year because I was not ready.

[blackcatfootball2016]

Okay are you referring to HOLD BACKS in school just to play football? IF that is what you mean...I am so CON! I mean I love football....I breathe it all season. I bite my tongue saying this..but football isnt everything. But if holding Jared back to play the game.....oh that is unforgivable. That is something we would never ever do! What good does it do the child. What about the child.... (that is what they are afterall!) What does that do to them mentally, emtionally, and socially!
If proven..I think a TEAM an ENTIRE team should have to withdrawl!
We all want to have our kids play this game to upmost! But dont lose sight on the goal and prize here....our CHILDREN growing into mature and EDUCATED adults. :Cheerlead

As I sit here and read some of these ridiculous statements with my 13yr. old 7th grade holdback son, I find it very irritating to see such judgemental people. If for some reason you dropped the ball on raising your son and made bad decisions for him.....thats no reason for us to be bashed publicly, naming specific individuals and embarassing our kids.If in fact this was your intent, you probably need to keep your mouth shut and your computer on idle!!!!

[blackcatfootball2016]

:Thumbs: Coach , my family and I , thank you for this post ... You're a class act ...:Thumbs:

My thoughts exactly SARATOGA!!!

[mr bojangles 007]

i think its wrong to hold them back for football or any other sport. if you want your kid to shine in sports then start training ur kid at a early age to play the sport. greatness is not accomplished by sitting on couches playing x box. its called putting the work in.:lmao:

[Fantastic]

[quote=FOOTBALLLUV]Okay are you referring to HOLD BACKS in school just to play football? IF that is what you mean...I am so CON! I mean I love football....I breathe it all season. I bite my tongue saying this..but football isnt everything. But if holding Jared back to play the game.....oh that is unforgivable. That is something we would never ever do! What good does it do the child. What about the child.... (that is what they are afterall!) What does that do to them mentally, emtionally, and socially! If proven..I think a TEAM an ENTIRE team should have to withdrawl!
We all want to have our kids play this game to upmost! But dont lose sight on the goal and prize here....our CHILDREN growing into mature and EDUCATED adults.

Maybe if your parents would have held you back you would not be on a sports forum calling out young kids, you would have been given an extra year to mature. You're trying to live vicariously through your 12 or 13 year old child. By the way, how old is Jared? Your pouting because some of the "hold back" kids are better....You stated yourself...It's about the child afterall.. IF you choose not to hold your kid back.. good for you... It's none of your business what other parents do with their children... I would just about guarantee you have a few boys on your team that either started school late or held back at some point and time..If you don't you are an exception. I know you're just stating your opinion, but just like in your other posts when you say you're going to win because you have beta students and your God fearing, come on, your ridiculous. You need to think before you type... Let the kids play... That's what they are kids..even if they held back a year in school.

[Coach Howard]

Not all kids have parents that can give or get them that extra training, shoot some don't even have parents period. Just because a kid is a holdback doesn't mean the sole purpose of holding that kid back is for sports and sports alone. Sure a football player that is a holdback will reap the benefits of that holdback year but some of them need the extra time for the natural maturation process to kick in, some need the extra year academically, you don't have to be a "F" student to need the extra year academically. Some kids are just to immature to move on to the high school level and not all holdbacks spend their time playing X-box and kicking back on a couch. Sometimes that extra individual training a kid needs comes in the 7th/8th grade. Once your in high school the coaches do not have the time go back and do the little things individually for a child that is just behind and that child suffers because they somewhat fell through the cracks and entered high school unprepared academically and athletically. I can see that your 100% against holding a child back but if it's in the child's best interest we as adults should support them anyway possible. Greatness as you called it is not always defined as being a superstar, sometimes greatness to different kids is just being able to compete at an average level and it takes different kids different amounts of time to reach the level of being average, holding back is not always the correct answer for all kids but it should be an option for the kids that needs it. Not all parents have the foresight to hold their kid back in 1st or 2nd grade or to just sit them out an extra year before they go into school and is it really the kids fault that their parents didn't think about it when they were younger.

[delton fms]

no students in jefferson co from 6-8th grade can repete or be held back in same grade or will not be able to play!!!!

[Coach Howard]

delton fms,
That's an individual school systems rule, I would be curious to see how that would hold up with a lawyer if a parent were to push it since the KHSAA rule is that can't turn 15 before August 1st of their 8th grade year. Now if the child is held back because of failure or "retained" because of grades they are automatically ineligible but if a parent files the appropriate forms to hold back because of maturity for instance I'm not sure that rule would hold up???????

[kentuckynole]

i think its wrong to hold them back for football or any other sport. if you want your kid to shine in sports then start training ur kid at a early age to play the sport. greatness is not accomplished by sitting on couches playing x box. its called putting the work in.:lmao:

It is funny how everyone makes such a big deal about hold backs in middle school.
However when athletes get to college then don't hold back they become redshirts or grayshirts.

It is a parents choice if you hold them back before they begin school or in middle school. If you do choose to hold them back then I believe every child can benefit socially or academically.

[Hitters_Count]

Does the added year really matter with maturity? My son is 12 and in the seventh grade.

With most kids the extra year will show big dividends with maturity and confidence. The difference between a 12 yr. old 7th grader and a 13/14 7th grader is pretty big 99% of the time. I do agree that in HS kids will catch up and even pass kids, but this isnt true most of the time. We have all seen that kid that is a monster in 5-8th grade, only to have several kids catch and pass them by their Jr. season. I am all for abiding by the rules and more times than you may believe, that extra year in MS will produce a better student/athlete due to the increase in maturity and confidence.

[Hitters_Count]

I disagree with this part of your statement, if it helps that child get BFS(bigger, faster, stronger) and help earn them a scholarship, then holding them back is well worth it IMHO. I have seen kids physically develop up to their Soph. yr. in College and if they were held back it may have made a diff. in the attainment of an athletic scholarship.

[BoondockSaint]

I totally agree .....so true!

Most women would agree with u on all that you've said...that's why men should make these decisions.

[FOOTBALLLUV]

[quote=FOOTBALLLUV]Okay are you referring to HOLD BACKS in school just to play football? IF that is what you mean...I am so CON! I mean I love football....I breathe it all season. I bite my tongue saying this..but football isnt everything. But if holding Jared back to play the game.....oh that is unforgivable. That is something we would never ever do! What good does it do the child. What about the child.... (that is what they are afterall!) What does that do to them mentally, emtionally, and socially! If proven..I think a TEAM an ENTIRE team should have to withdrawl!
We all want to have our kids play this game to upmost! But dont lose sight on the goal and prize here....our CHILDREN growing into mature and EDUCATED adults.

Maybe if your parents would have held you back you would not be on a sports forum calling out young kids, you would have been given an extra year to mature. You're trying to live vicariously through your 12 or 13 year old child. By the way, how old is Jared? Your pouting because some of the "hold back" kids are better....You stated yourself...It's about the child afterall.. IF you choose not to hold your kid back.. good for you... It's none of your business what other parents do with their children... I would just about guarantee you have a few boys on your team that either started school late or held back at some point and time..If you don't you are an exception. I know you're just stating your opinion, but just like in your other posts when you say you're going to win because you have beta students and your God fearing, come on, your ridiculous. You need to think before you type... Let the kids play... That's what they are kids..even if they held back a year in school.

Well...the age of my player is 12 and he is a starter and one of the tallest, fasstest, and strongest on his team. I however stated...that sports in NOT the only reason a player should be held back! Why dont you read an entire statement before opening yourhuge mouth. I did not CALL out KIDS! I did however give my opinon. That is what a forum is entended for. Living through my kids....no thanks. Had a great childhood, loved it, won my awards then. Now I am winning the award for best mom and aunt! But thank so much for your concern!
I will state my opinon again. CHILDREN should not be held back solely hoping they would mature in sports and have an advantage.