Holding Students Back For Athletics

**lawrencefan** · 10-30-2007, 03:56 PM

Does this go on alot at your schools? Is it good or bad?

**DevilsWin** · 10-30-2007, 03:58 PM

At Russell, Never.

Dawg@heart · 10-30-2007, 04:36 PM

If it doesn't have an academic benefit, I am generally against it.

~~Kayaker~~ · 10-30-2007, 05:45 PM

DevilsWin Wrote:At Russell, Never.

Dont kid yourself. This goes on at every school. I see nothing wrong with it if it benefits the child or they make the choice to do so.

**phs1986** · 10-30-2007, 06:45 PM

PERSONALLY, I have a child who will graduate when he is 17 years old.... by this I mean he won't turn 18 until the May (of the next year) AFTER he graduates in May or June. He has NOT been held back and makes excellent grades and is good at sports. Some parents do hold back their children because of the age. I DO NOT agree with holding back for athletics only. IF they struggle academically or are not mature enough because of age, then hold them back while they are in primary (K-3rd).....

Possum Bait · 10-30-2007, 07:48 PM

In most cases, holding kids back is beneficial to the kid. There is reason to be out in the real world any sooner than you have to. The more mature a kid is at graduation, the better.

**phs1986** · 10-30-2007, 08:11 PM

Possum Bait Wrote:In most cases, holding kids back is beneficial to the kid. There is reason to be out in the real world any sooner than you have to. The more mature a kid is at graduation, the better.

Yeah but you don't want a "20 year old kid" taking part in graduation UNLESS it is beyond their control!!

**BasketBallonlyfan** · 10-30-2007, 08:17 PM

I agree with PHS 1986 on this topic. My son will be 17 when he graduates. It isnt like when kids graduate high school that they are thrown out in the world. Most live at home for at least a year or two unless they are in college. Then they live at home during the summer and holidays. I personally think it is better if a kid is good enough for college sports to be red shirted his freshmen year and get a extra year of college for free than to repeat 7th grade twice. Maybe I better say 6th grade now that the county has passed that rule that if you are a holdback in middle school you dont play the second year of the same grade. If the state would step in and say you cant get your drivers license until you are a junior in high school, regardless of your age, I bet that holdbacks would be cut back a lot.

**phs1986** · 10-30-2007, 08:22 PM

BasketBallonlyfan Wrote:I agree with PHS 1986 on this topic. My son will be 17 when he graduates. It isnt like when kids graduate high school that they are thrown out in the world. Most live at home for at least a year or two unless they are in college. Then they live at home during the summer and holidays. I personally think it is better if a kid is good enough for college sports to be red shirted his freshmen year and get a extra year of college for free than to repeat 7th grade twice. Maybe I better say 6th grade now that the county has passed that rule that if you are a holdback in middle school you dont play the second year of the same grade. If the state would step in and say you cant get your drivers license until you are a junior in high school, regardless of your age, I bet that holdbacks would be cut back a lot.

AMEN!!!!

NEXT · 10-30-2007, 09:10 PM

BasketBallonlyfan Wrote:I agree with PHS 1986 on this topic. My son will be 17 when he graduates. It isnt like when kids graduate high school that they are thrown out in the world. Most live at home for at least a year or two unless they are in college. Then they live at home during the summer and holidays. I personally think it is better if a kid is good enough for college sports to be red shirted his freshmen year and get a extra year of college for free than to repeat 7th grade twice. Maybe I better say 6th grade now that the county has passed that rule that if you are a holdback in middle school you dont play the second year of the same grade. If the state would step in and say you cant get your drivers license until you are a junior in high school, regardless of your age, I bet that holdbacks would be cut back a lot.

Your son would have probably benefited most from being held back because of his size and physical maturity and it will probably make a difference in him going to a NAIA school or a D-1 school, thats just MHO though and your his father and you know whats best for your son.

I think that is the thing, it should be up to parents not the school or BOE. In reality I have never seen a child hurt by being held back but have seen many helped, like the SV kids, Harmon from Pikeville, Case From Belfry last year, the Paintsville kids, the kids from Rose Hill.

I'll give you another example, Sheldon Clark and JC dominate Belfry and Pikeville in middle school football because of hold backs and they are definitely catching up to Pikeville and Belfry at the high school level in football because the kids are flat out more mature.

The opposite end is SV and Pikeville to a lesser extent is the class of the region in basketball this year along with Paintsville and SV is loaded with holdbacks and I am glad, Pikeville has 2-3 I think and Painstville has 2-3 or more. That will be a thing of the past though, as Pike Co. and Pikeville do not allow holdbacks after the 6th grade while EVERY OTHER SCHOOL IN THE 15TH DOES. IMVHO you will not see another region title from Pike Co. this SV/Pikeville group is done if the rule is not changed.

Let me also say that as parents you guys see athletics in a small vacuum most of the time, your school, county, and region. Coaches see and talk to people all over the state and holdbacks are as common as non-holdbacks almost everywhere in the state.

**blitz43** · 10-30-2007, 09:22 PM

You should do it by no later than 4th grade.

kentuckycats07 · 10-30-2007, 09:23 PM

At magoffin it mostly hardly never happens.

**BasketBallonlyfan** · 10-30-2007, 09:26 PM

As far as a persons education is concerned, do you think a degree from a D-1 school is better than one from a NAIA school? I agree with you, my son would have been a prime example of holding back. But he already at the ripe old age of 16 has a college scholarship for 5 years. Red shirted for his freshman year then 4 years of playing. In reality, that makes it easier to get a degree while you college is paid for. A college degree from Pikeville or Alice Lloyd is just as good as one from Morehead or UK. Not being held back and getting redshirted means lighter class loads each semester. College is hard enough to graduate in 4 years without throwing in the extra time needed for practice, conditioning, open gym in the off season. Road trips during school when the sport is in season. It is very different than high school when your road trips are 2 hours down the road. You miss a lot of classroom time when your sport is in season.

TOUCHDOWN · 10-30-2007, 09:35 PM

Our son will be 18 when he graduates but he started K when he was 6. I didn't want him going to college at 17 so he stayed home.
But his plans are NFL and no college (just kidding he is only 8)

NEXT · 10-30-2007, 10:04 PM

BasketBallonlyfan Wrote:As far as a persons education is concerned, do you think a degree from a D-1 school is better than one from a NAIA school? I agree with you, my son would have been a prime example of holding back. But he already at the ripe old age of 16 has a college scholarship for 5 years. Red shirted for his freshman year then 4 years of playing. In reality, that makes it easier to get a degree while you college is paid for. A college degree from Pikeville or Alice Lloyd is just as good as one from Morehead or UK. Not being held back and getting redshirted means lighter class loads each semester. College is hard enough to graduate in 4 years without throwing in the extra time needed for practice, conditioning, open gym in the off season. Road trips during school when the sport is in season. It is very different than high school when your road trips are 2 hours down the road. You miss a lot of classroom time when your sport is in season.

I did not know that he had a scholly. Congrats!

Believe me I know all about the college life, athletics, and how different they are from highschool.

**BasketBallonlyfan** · 10-30-2007, 10:11 PM

NEXT Wrote:I did not know that he had a scholly. Congrats!

Believe me I know all about the college life, athletics, and how different they are from highschool.

It really doesnt matter to me if he goes D-1 or NAIA as long as he goes to college. To me, a degree is a degree. I am sure in the back of his mind he wishes he could play for Kentucky, just the same as everyone else in this state who ever played. If he does, I will be behind him every step of the way and as proud as I can be of him. If he ends up in the NAIA, Division II or anywhere else, I will still be behind him every step of the way and just as proud. Just the same as if he decided he didnt want to play another game and just go to college as a student only. To me, it doesnt matter where he goes or how he goes there as long as he goes... enough ranting I know. But we are going to watch the game tomorrow night, I think Rupp will be rocking and it will be a great time for everyone.

**More Cowbell** · 10-31-2007, 01:32 AM

BasketBallonlyfan Wrote:I agree with PHS 1986 on this topic. My son will be 17 when he graduates. It isnt like when kids graduate high school that they are thrown out in the world. Most live at home for at least a year or two unless they are in college. Then they live at home during the summer and holidays. I personally think it is better if a kid is good enough for college sports to be red shirted his freshmen year and get a extra year of college for free than to repeat 7th grade twice. Maybe I better say 6th grade now that the county has passed that rule that if you are a holdback in middle school you dont play the second year of the same grade. If the state would step in and say you cant get your drivers license until you are a junior in high school, regardless of your age, I bet that holdbacks would be cut back a lot.

Wow, I had never heard that suggested before! You are exactly right, a rule like that would definitely shrink the number of holdbacks a lot. The good thing about a rule like that is it would apply statewide.

Whatever the rule, I think it should be uniform across the entire state.

TOMCAT06 · 10-31-2007, 01:38 AM

BasketBallonlyfan Wrote:I agree with PHS 1986 on this topic. My son will be 17 when he graduates. It isnt like when kids graduate high school that they are thrown out in the world. Most live at home for at least a year or two unless they are in college. Then they live at home during the summer and holidays. I personally think it is better if a kid is good enough for college sports to be red shirted his freshmen year and get a extra year of college for free than to repeat 7th grade twice. Maybe I better say 6th grade now that the county has passed that rule that if you are a holdback in middle school you dont play the second year of the same grade. If the state would step in and say you cant get your drivers license until you are a junior in high school, regardless of your age, I bet that holdbacks would be cut back a lot.

Great point I completly agree, academics should always come first.

**Playboy5** · 10-31-2007, 06:12 AM

I am all for holdbacks in every aspect! In an athletic standpoint, to be able to be competitive, you have to have a team full of holdbacks anymore. That is just the way it is! That extra year is the biggest maturity age jump that they will EVER face!

HazzBeen · 10-31-2007, 08:41 AM

If a kid can graduate at 19 instead of 17, than he will be more mature and make better decisions (most of the time). Some kids don't even physically mature at 17 and miss out on all kinds of free money they could have had if they would have stayed back. This is a no brainer for me, but I was one of those 19 yr old seniors..

Codeman · 10-31-2007, 09:38 AM

It happens here but never for athletics. Yeah its ok to be held back if your grades arent right or if your not matured enough. But being held back for athletics is wrong.

Trotline · 10-31-2007, 10:21 AM

Someone please explain to me why we feel we must try to "raise" everyone else's children as well as our own? If you don't believe in holding kids back or don't want to hold your kid back, then don't. If you feel like it gives your child the best opportunity to mature both physically and mentally, then go ahead and hold them back. Either way, just raise your child and let the rest of us raise ours.

**DEVILOLOGIST** · 10-31-2007, 12:39 PM

My son started school at age 5-October 1st was the cut off. His birthday is Sept 30 so he made it by 1 day. It hurt him becasue he was a year younger than all his classmates and struggled in school. He was held back in the third grade to be where he should be. It was a hard decision for us as parents because we were worried about the other kids giving him a hard time. We got over it and the year difference has paid off. He has went from struggling in school to getting straight A's right now and he is now in 5th grade. His maturity has been a blessing in and out of school with other kids HIS AGE now.
As far as sports, yes he plays sports. baseball, football and basketball.
We play by age so it was not a benefit to hold him back due to sports right now. But,, I dont think a kid should be held back just to let him play sports.