True/False: Is it pathetic for a parent of a hs athlete..

[socaljim242]

Just can't help but laugh when a parent was bragging the kid playing was a true freshman.

My kid is 6'1" 1/2" and 18 now (I use the 1/2 because he still might make it to 6'2".lol) But he was like some of the guys here the youngest in his class . It was tough watching him compete for varsity when he was 15 year old soph and 16 year old Jr when he was only 5' 9"

 

[Dolemite censored]

My parents held me back. I took senior year twice despite a 3.4 gpa because they wanted me to bang more freshmen.

You got that g.p.a. by adding up your last 2 years' g.p.a.

 

[socaljim242]

No, fool, they held you back because you were retarded.

Reminds me of that joke. He got in line for his brain but he heard train and when God asked him what kind, he said a slow one. lol

 

[4thstreet]

Reminds me of this study about how the majority of Canadian NHL players were born in Jan- March, making them older than almost all other kids during their entire lives growing up learning the game:

Study: Correlation Of Birth Month And # Of Canadians In The Nhl

January here,and one of the oldest and biggest at hockey and lacrosse,in my teens

 

[HuskerinBig10]

As a parent, my 7th grade son was playing against young men that had beards and mustaches on another team.

I commented to the coach I don't think this is fair that my son is playing against fully pubertized young men.

The coach responded, "not much he can do, but I can complain to the superintendent."

Luckily, none of our white farm boy kids got hurt, and my son did recover a fumble even though they lost by 30.

the Superintendent did not acknowledge my complaint at all. He has since been replaced, but this is still going on.

Another school is known for "transfers" into their district that just so happen to be really, really good at football or basketball.

 

[Goldbug]

99% of these parents would be better off to stop worrying about if their kid can hit a curve ball or hit a jump shot; they'd be better off telling their kids to go hit the books.

 

[theboardref]

99% of these parents would be better off to stop worrying about if their kid can hit a curve ball or hit a jump shot; they'd be better off telling their kids to go hit the books.

Seriously, it is embarassing for a parent to ok such a thing. I am seeing it is not just a Louisiana thing though.

 

[jwolt92]

I personally played against a kid who was a 16 years old freshman, and he was considered "one of the best players in the state as a freshman" well no shit, but he also flamed out and eventually never got a scholarship to play baseball.

A kid in my mom's kindergarten class was held back after 1 year of kindergarten so he could be the oldest in his class when it came to wrestling. Kid you not. After Kindergarten.

If I ever have kids, they'll go to school when they go to school. None of this holding back crap.

 

[Gatorchip]

Parents should have to pay the state if they hold back a kid that passes.

 

[theboardref]

Parents should have to pay the state if they hold back a kid that passes.

Unfortunately out here it is the private schools.

 

[Wild Turkey]

It worked for the Clausen family. They did it with their boys. They started them in kindergarden at six 1st grade a year later and got "held back" in sixth grade. So when freshmen were 14-15 years old at the beginning of school Jimmy Clausen was 16 and driving to school. Senior year he started at 19 years old and was 20 before he went to Notre dame.

I thought of them also and this is ridiculous. Holding a kid back should only be considered based on academic grounds and doing it for atheletics is ridiculous.

 

[Wild Turkey]

Parents should have to pay the state if they hold back a kid that passes.

What they do here is send them to private kindergartens and then let them repeat in public schools.

 

[trojanfan12]

to let their child be held back just to 'further develop' athletically? This being if a child has the grades to move on but intentionally not moving up a grade.

I say true. Think it is absolutely apauling to allow this. A child making straight A's and being held back for athletics (I have seen this first hand). A school down the road actually brags about having 'true freshman'. This practice is embarrassing, congrats on your two years held back child on making all state.

To me, it kind of depends. If, for example, we are talking about a kid who started school early and is looking at graduating at 17, then I don't see too much of a problem with it.

Some close friends had a son who was in that exact situation and could have benefited from being held back. They have said many times since that they wish they had done when they had to make that decision.

Having said that, I think if it's going to happen, it should happen before they hit high school since the majority of the time they are showing that kind of potential before high school.

 

[theboardref]

To me, it kind of depends. If, for example, we are talking about a kid who started school early and is looking at graduating at 17, then I don't see too much of a problem with it.

Some close friends had a son who was in that exact situation and could have benefited from being held back. They have said many times since that they wish they had done when they had to make that decision.

Having said that, I think if it's going to happen, it should happen before they hit high school since the majority of the time they are showing that kind of potential before high school.

I agree, I understand it from a maturity standpoint. Once you hit high school and try holding a kid back it is a lie to say it is for maturity. It is purely so your kid can be a year older than most players with another year to play high school ball.

 

[Edonidd]

Honestly I can see it both ways. Although not strictly for sports.

School is as much about the social environment and learning to work with others as it is about pure academics. If I thought holdING any of my kids back a grade while in school would better prepare them for the entire rest of their lives, you bet your ass I would do it. And I can certainly see some cases where being a standout at sports would move you up a social ladder directly, or help instill the confidence to change your own social status.

So from that standpoint it actually does, or at least can make sense to me. I turned 16 as a sophmore, and was 18 my senior year. My kids will graduate at 17. I've never considered the sports aspect, but as my younger two kids struggled more in school than my oldest I always wondered if I had made the right choice starting them so young. We seriously considered holding my youngest back in first grade. But we would never have done it after 1st grade, so I dont think that's what you're talking about.

 

[MTVike]

Is that legal?

No.

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree, I understand it from a maturity standpoint. Once you hit high school and try holding a kid back it is a lie to say it is for maturity. It is purely so your kid can be a year older than most players with another year to play high school ball.

Yeah, to me, when you consider the value of an athletic scholarship, I can completely understand holding a kid back a year. But only if it's being done to catch him up/put him with what is his own age group. Not to give him what essentially could be considered an unfair advantage.

In the case of my friends son. I actually got to coach him in high school (basketball) and at one point asked them if they would consider holding him back a year. My reasoning at the time was twofold.

One, because I felt that keeping him back a year could have resulted in better scholarship options.

Two, because I knew that having him come back (it was a young team) would have meant a much better team (difference between a playoff team and championship team) which would have attracted even more attention.

They felt, and I ultimately agreed, that it was just too late. They felt that if they were going to do it, they should have done it before jr. high school when he was showing promise.

 

[tducey]

Yeah it is pathetic. You can hold your kids back for a # of reason, sports shouldn't be 1.

Also regarding the early year birthdays for hockey that makes sense. Gretzky was born in January. Orr and Howe in March.

 

[douggie]

Parents living vicariously through their children will do crap like that all the time. They believe they will be the next Michael Jordan or Lebron James. Hell, I played Little League baseball in the 70's and a kid I played against drove to the ballpark.

 

[Churchillin]

I have a late November birthday, which was way past the cutoff, but my parents signed some waiver and I had to take a test to get admitted early.

Musta really wanted you out of the house.