Holding Kids Back A Grade

[my2cents]

What do you think of parents holding a child back for a year ( in school) for sports reasons? I put this in this forum because i figured after a couple of responses someone would move it here. If it is ok to be in the main one feel free to move it. We played a team last year who had one player that was really, really good. When we played them this year i noticed he was back ( not a big kid at all just really good) I was told he and 1 other player were suppose to be in the 7th grade but were "held back". I also was told that one of the players dad was one of the coaches and, if a player is held back after they are in the 7th grade they must sit out the 9th grade year. I know there are several reasons parents may hold a child back ( grades, maturity, SR year 18th birthday in late spring (may- june; started school to early) ect. My main question is if this happens and the school knows it is not for grades, etc., and only for sports reasons, is it not totally against what a professional educator stands for? I have heard this happens in private schools more than public. I have a hard time understanding how an educator/principal would allow this to happen for sports only, it seems to me this goes against everything they would stand for, something does not seem right . Comments?

[Old Timer]

What do you think of parents holding a child back for a year ( in school) for sports reasons? I put this in this forum because i figured after a couple of responses someone would move it here. If it is ok to be in the main one feel free to move it. We played a team last year who had one player that was really, really good. When we played them this year i noticed he was back ( not a big kid at all just really good) I was told he and 1 other player were suppose to be in the 7th grade but were "held back". I also was told that one of the players dad was one of the coaches and, if a player is held back after they are in the 7th grade they must sit out the 9th grade year. I know there are several reasons parents may hold a child back ( grades, maturity, SR year 18th birthday in late spring (may- june; started school to early) ect. My main question is if this happens and the school knows it is not for grades, etc., and only for sports reasons, is it not totally against what a professional educator stands for? I have heard this happens in private schools more than public. I have a hard time understanding how an educator/principal would allow this to happen for sports only, it seems to me this goes against everything they would stand for, something does not seem right . Comments?

 

Personnally, I agree, but it is the parent's decision and not the school's.

[BigG]

What do you think of parents holding a child back for a year ( in school) for sports reasons? I put this in this forum because i figured after a couple of responses someone would move it here. If it is ok to be in the main one feel free to move it. We played a team last year who had one player that was really, really good. When we played them this year i noticed he was back ( not a big kid at all just really good) I was told he and 1 other player were suppose to be in the 7th grade but were "held back". I also was told that one of the players dad was one of the coaches and, if a player is held back after they are in the 7th grade they must sit out the 9th grade year. I know there are several reasons parents may hold a child back ( grades, maturity, SR year 18th birthday in late spring (may- june; started school to early) ect. My main question is if this happens and the school knows it is not for grades, etc., and only for sports reasons, is it not totally against what a professional educator stands for? I have heard this happens in private schools more than public. I have a hard time understanding how an educator/principal would allow this to happen for sports only, it seems to me this goes against everything they would stand for, something does not seem right . Comments?

There may have been some other problems that you are not aware of... They might tell you it is athletic reasons, while it may actually be grades, or other problems. I would find it hard to believe that it is just athletics. If so, then I would lose a fair amount of respect for that school. I teach in the middle school at a private school, and I can tell you at least here, pigs would fly first before our principal would keep them back solely for athletics. It may be different there, though.

[CentralBaseball09]

I was held back going into my 8th grade year. We moved and I was switching schools, so my parents thought this would be a good idea. At the time I was 13 and having to play up in baseball with 14 year olds because of my birthday which is July 8. My dad said that it would be a good idea to hold me back so when I become a senior I will "ahead" if you can say of everybody, thus making me look better. In middle school I also played basketball. There is a rule saying you cannot play 4 years of middle school basketball. I had to sit out a year playing even though I did not play any year at my old school. I guess it does come down to the future and how you look at things, but this is just one reason why you could be held back for sports.

[lazarus]

unless the rules have changed recently,

you have 6 years of eligibility after you begin 7th grade.

that is why kids are held back in the 6th.

sitting out the 9th grade would not gain you an extra year.

 

of course that is dependent on making the age requirements

(a 16 year old 7th grader would not have 6 years eligibility left).

 

i have mixed feelings about holding kids back.

it makes athletic sense, but seems like it could derail someone who was succeeding academically.

i know that being a year ahead stinks.

i turned 18 the year after i graduated high school.

[go blue]

My senior actually mentioned recently he wishes I had held him back in 7th which I should have but IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF FOOTBALL give me a break

 

Older students cause teachers and administrators problems, athletes less problems than others because most programs would unload a difficult student.

 

My senior turns 18 in December. He is not done growing. Most boys aren't done when they are 18.

 

I assume it's because parents think an older more physically mature athlete is attractive to college recruiters. But you better have coaches who have big interest in getting their players recruiters otherwise you are spinning your wheels and wasting your kids time.

 

My 57 cents anyway.

[THE_GAME]

Holding kids back a year for athletic reasons happens every year. No one wants to admit why they held their kid back. 9 times out of 10, the really big, fast, kid on the field or court, you guessed it, is a year behind.

[cbg]

What I have noticed is that if parents are going to hold their child back, most of the time what they really do is start the child in kindergarten when he/she is 6 years of age instead of 5 years of age. Several years ago I had the principal of a school tell me directly that if it were her decision she would start 99% of the males in kindergarten when they were 6 years of age. Her reasoning was that most young boys were not mature enough to sit in class and take academic direction from a teacher.

[Baldcoach]

First, in reply to the "I have heard this happens more in private schools"...I seriously doubt it. In fact, I'm guessing the reverse is true. Private schools are -- listen carefully -- PRIMARILY concerned with either spirituality or academics...most with both. Holding a child back for athletic reasons would simply not be allowed.

 

Second, young boys tend to be a year or two behind young girls developementally. If a Kindergarten or 1st grade boy is having social or academic problems holding them back one year almost always brings about vast improvement. But, waiting until middle school is usually too late...they are too far behind academically and too labled socially. Parents often think there is some stigma associated with holding young students back, so they fight it, but it ALWAYS turns out to be the best solution for the child.

 

(and, of course, since we evil privates have run the Pre-k kids through our Athletotron and know who will be the good athletes, we can make sure that we hold back the best future athletes...MUHAHAHAH) ummm...did I write that?

[Antwan]

What I have noticed is that if parents are going to hold their child back, most of the time what they really do is start the child in kindergarten when he/she is 6 years of age instead of 5 years of age. Several years ago I had the principal of a school tell me directly that if it were her decision she would start 99% of the males in kindergarten when they were 6 years of age. Her reasoning was that most young boys were not mature enough to sit in class and take academic direction from a teacher.

 

You are right. That is how it usually happens. I have heard that there will be a mandatory age implemented to stop this practice. Everyone will have to start kindergarten at age 5. Has anyone else heard this?

[cbg]

You are right. That is how it usually happens. I have heard that there will be a mandatory age implemented to stop this practice. Everyone will have to start kindergarten at age 5. Has anyone else heard this?

 

Antwan,

 

I have not heard this!!!!! If the State Department of Education does implement this policy then the male children will go to Kindergarten two years in a row. We both know that by repeating Kindergarten it will cost the tax payers an additional year of school for some students. It would seem more logical to leave things as they are.

[tnsddeveloper]

You are right. That is how it usually happens. I have heard that there will be a mandatory age implemented to stop this practice. Everyone will have to start kindergarten at age 5. Has anyone else heard this?

 

There is one now. That's why they have cut off dates for when you should send your child to kindergarten. It's also why they have truancy laws. However, policing this would be nearly impossible since most police forces and or school systems are completely overwhelmed.

 

Sometimes, kids need to be held back. An example, I have a relative that is in middle school now. Her birthday is very late in the birthday cycle - days before the cutoff to be one grade lower. While some of her classmates were almost a year or for that matter almost 2 years older than her if they were held back. There is a large social problem that arises. A few years ago, while some girls were getting into Hilary Diff and Lindsay Lohan, she was watching SpongeBob (who rocks by the way). Nothing wrong with that, but her social ability wasn't quite up to the other girls. She is now finally catching up, but it has taken years. Years of feeling a little left out, slightly struggling academically, and many other small issues. She could have benefitted from being held back early, but she wasn't. She still isn't. She still has difficulty.