[footballfever]

Question????????????????What are we saying is holdback??????Anyone who graduates at 19? What if you start early then stay back and still graduate but could have had another year. What if you repeat 5th, 6th, 4th are you a HOLDBACK???? What if you are a c/d student, not mature as peers but athletic. WHAT IS A HOLDBACK?????

[footballfever]

I guess all the Whitley Faithful are forgetting that they have holdbacks too!! I know for a fact they have a bunch! What about last years Zach Mills?? O how soon we forget, but did you hear any Bell, Knox, or Pulaski people crying about Whitley holding kids back?? NO!!! QUIT CRYING, and do what's best for your kids, whether it be hold your kid back or not! It's each parents and kids decision and no one elses!!!

Mills held back 6th grade so IS that a holdback?????????????? What if he had just not started school until late????? IS a HOLDBACK ANYONE who graduates at 19 or turns 19 before Aug 1st???????????

[snapcat91]

I honestly dont know of any middle school holdbacks at Whitley playing in high school right now, can you name some?

Just because they don't hold back in middleschool doesn't mean they're not a holdback! Sometimes kids are held back before middleschool too!

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
I agree, and a lot of time kids FAIL a grade in elementary school, or get held back BY teachers, not parents.

[SEKYFAN]

Oh yea any kids that hold back in 8th grade this year will not be eligible to play next year. That rule has already in effect.

Kids who stay back in the 8th grade are ineligible to play their senior year of high school. How long has this been taking place at Bell? If someone turns it in to the KHSAA, the kids who have done this will lose a year of high school eligibility.

[snapcat91]

I honestly dont know of any middle school holdbacks at Whitley playing in high school right now, can you name some?

Kids who stay back in the 8th grade are ineligible to play their senior year of high school. How long has this been taking place at Bell? If someone turns it in to the KHSAA, the kids who have done this will lose a year of high school eligibility.

Better check your rule book again cause u don't know what you're talking about!

[eratia]

The simple solution in my opinion to the holdback issue is simply to limit kids to playing for only one year in ANY grade. They can holdback as many years as they want or need to reach academic and social maturity, but sports eligibility is limited to only one year per grade level... I'm constantly seeing this argument going back and forth, with some being for holding back for athletic reasons, and some being against it. Some schools clearly are using the lack of regulation regarding this hot topic issue to their advantage, and some schools forbid or frown upon the practice. There's never going to be a level playing field until a set of regulations that equally apply to everyone allows kids to play against other kids their age in their grade and the incentive to holdback strictly for sports by playing multiple years in grade 6, 7, or 8 is limited. I love middle school football, and I'm glad to be a part of it, but it's very clear what teams are holding back massively and what teams are not. The spirit of fairness and sportsmanship are suppressed by a desire to be dominant on the playing field, and the lessons being taught are not to work harder, or to commit stronger, but rather to be older and bigger than the competition in middle school. I applaud loudly the incredible teams in Kentucky, and hope everyone does well, but I truly hope that we're sending the right messages to all our kids about how to succeed in life, and using football as a means of teaching that lesson rather than saying win at all costs so we can add another shiny trophy to our middle school trophy case. Sometimes what's being told to them and asked of them are going to teach them what they need to do to get ahead, and is that going to help them or hinder them later in life? After all, football won't last forever for them. Just my opinion!

[SEKYFAN]

Better check your rule book again cause u don't know what you're talking about!

Yes I do, call and ask Julian Tackett. Some have gotten away with it, but others have not. The schools should report it, but most do not, but other schools or coaches may report them.

[Warriors Alum]

http://khsaa.org/handbook/bylaws/bylaw3.pdf


BYLAW 3. AGE BYLAW 3. AGE
Sec. 1) Age Restriction
Pursuant to KRS 156.070 (2) (e), a student who becomes nineteen
(19) years old before August 1 shall be ineligible for interscholastic
athletic competition. A student who becomes nineteen (19) on or
after August 1 shall remain eligible for the entire school year.
Sec. 2) Waiver Provision
The Ruling Officer and the Commissioner may waive the provisions
of this bylaw and the student shall be eligible for high school
athletics in Kentucky if the written documentation is provided to
clearly demonstrate that the student:
a) Qualified for exceptional children services and had an individual
education program developed by an admissions and release
committee (ARC) while the student was enrolled in the primary
school program;
b) Was retained in the primary school program because of an ARC
committee recommendation; and
c) Has not completed four (4) consecutive years or eight (8)
consecutive semesters of eligibility following initial promotion
from grade eight (8) to grade nine (9).
The Ruling Officer and the Commissioner shall not adopt
administrative procedures that allow for waiver of this rule under
any other condition.

[footballfever]

The simple solution in my opinion to the holdback issue is simply to limit kids to playing for only one year in ANY grade. They can holdback as many years as they want or need to reach academic and social maturity, but sports eligibility is limited to only one year per grade level... I'm constantly seeing this argument going back and forth, with some being for holding back for athletic reasons, and some being against it. Some schools clearly are using the lack of regulation regarding this hot topic issue to their advantage, and some schools forbid or frown upon the practice. There's never going to be a level playing field until a set of regulations that equally apply to everyone allows kids to play against other kids their age in their grade and the incentive to holdback strictly for sports by playing multiple years in grade 6, 7, or 8 is limited. I love middle school football, and I'm glad to be a part of it, but it's very clear what teams are holding back massively and what teams are not. The spirit of fairness and sportsmanship are suppressed by a desire to be dominant on the playing field, and the lessons being taught are not to work harder, or to commit stronger, but rather to be older and bigger than the competition in middle school. I applaud loudly the incredible teams in Kentucky, and hope everyone does well, but I truly hope that we're sending the right messages to all our kids about how to succeed in life, and using football as a means of teaching that lesson rather than saying win at all costs so we can add another shiny trophy to our middle school trophy case. Sometimes what's being told to them and asked of them are going to teach them what they need to do to get ahead, and is that going to help them or hinder them later in life? After all, football won't last forever for them. Just my opinion!

I agree with you. The rule is in effect for high school now. If an outstanding 7th grade girl starts for the varsity basketball team and then decides to repeat 7th grade she could NOT play varsity the 2nd 7th grade year but could still play for her middle school team.
I think the KYMSFA will eventually put the rule in where you CAN'T compete in middle during holdback year

[RichBrooks]

The rule now prohibts holding back after 8th grade and everyone hold back in 7th or 8th. If the rule says no holdbacks in middle school then kids will hold back in 6th or 5th. Age is the only fair way to determine who is eligible. A 14 year old 7th grader who was heldback in 1st grade is no different than a 14 year old 7th grader playing his second year of 7th grade.

[SEKYFAN]

The rule now prohibts holding back after 8th grade and everyone hold back in 7th or 8th. If the rule says no holdbacks in middle school then kids will hold back in 6th or 5th. Age is the only fair way to determine who is eligible. A 14 year old 7th grader who was heldback in 1st grade is no different than a 14 year old 7th grader playing his second year of 7th grade.

If you stay back in the 8th grade, unless the school does not promote you for academic reasons, your 4 year eligilbility clocks starts at that time.

[goBIGblue82]

The rule now prohibts holding back after 8th grade and everyone hold back in 7th or 8th. If the rule says no holdbacks in middle school then kids will hold back in 6th or 5th. Age is the only fair way to determine who is eligible. A 14 year old 7th grader who was heldback in 1st grade is no different than a 14 year old 7th grader playing his second year of 7th grade.

Is there any difference between a 16 year old sophomore who has had playing time on JV and Varsity as a freshmen compared to a 16 year old freshmen entering his first high school action?

[goBIGblue82]

I'm pro hold back and when the time comes I will hold my children back. I wish the same opportunity would have been given to me by my parents. With that said there is a little bit of an edge to the kids who wait until 7th or 8th grade to hold back. Playing at the same grade level for multiple years allows the kid to get accustomed to the speed and physicality change that happens from each level of football to the next. You see the same advantage out of the kids that are privileged enough to play up on the 8th grade teams while only 6th and 7th graders. If all of this is within the rules at your school than by all means take advantage of it. My only wish is that it was a set rule for all of the state so there would be consistency.

[goBIGblue82]

You have to admit though it's a little weird that some schools who allow holdbacks to play in their hold back years could have kids winning 4 state championships at the 7th and 8th grade level. I know their are some schools that have kids that play as a 6th grader, 7th grader, 7th(hold back year), and finally as an 8th grader. Allowing them 4 years of middle school ball.

[colonelking69]

Well i held my child back in 7th grade due to the fact he missed the first 2 weeks in school. He got behind due to a butthole teacher . But he just turned 13 1 month ago. And my child thats in high school has been 16 for 2 months .Hes a junior .

[snapcat91]

Well i held my child back in 7th grade due to the fact he missed the first 2 weeks in school. He got behind due to a butthole teacher . But he just turned 13 1 month ago. And my child thats in high school has been 16 for 2 months .Hes a junior .

And you are the one who started all this crying about holdbacks on this thread! Good for your son that you held back and unfortunate for the one you didn't!