High School "Redshirting"

[Ville-D]

What are your thoughts on starting a child to kindergarten a year late or holding them back before HS to get that extra year of school sports?

Personally, my 2 boys are 6 and 9 and both have summer birthdays and both were started late. We did it so they would not be the youngest in their class and to give them that extra year to mature. As an added benefit they will be one year older when they start to play HS sports.

Looking back I would have loved to have an extra year of HS football.


Your thoughts?

[BEAST]

My oldest sons birthday is in October, so basically his birthday held him back. My middle son was born in May, and my last was born in August. We held them back without any hesitation. There really isnt anything to regret in my opinion. I think as parents we are supposed to try to put your child in a situation where he/she can succeed.




BEAST

[orange machine]

I don't see a problem with it.

[GrTigers6]

My oldest two were september babies, But my youngest is a late april baby and we wish we could have held him back but he was so eager to start we couldnt keep him away anymore. He didnt get his growth spurt until last year, so basically just his senior year. I believe he still hasnt finish growing or developing. I am interested to see what he will do in college next season

[defense51]

I have no problem with it. The boys probably benefit from it more than girls just from a maturity standpoint, ask almost any kindergarten teacher and they will agree. From an athletic point of view it seems that it would benefit them being a little more mature physically and mentally.

[tigerball4life]

Sealy Vs. St. Pius
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[FB-fanatic]

My youngest is a sophomore and a May birthday. My oldest was a July birthday and a TAMU senior and plays rugby for the school. We started both of them "early". The oldest didn't have any problems, though he graduated before his 18th birthday, and might have been nice to have been a bit more maturer headed off to college. The youngest hit his growth spurt last summer and it payed off on the field as he leads his class athletically, though he is one month from driving and some of his teamates have been driving since last summer. He's ranked 10th in his class, so academically it has not been a problem. He is outgoing socially, but I sometimes see the "older" boys interacting more with the girls. I don't have any real regrets with either son.

[Ville]

I don't see a problem with it.

I did it with my 2 youngest not with the first 2. Depends on the kid.

[Rabid Cougar]

I think if it is done before the child starts school because of when their birthday falls more power to them. I am never against holding a child back in school at any point in time for academics. BUT If they do it where parents do it for sports reasons only, in the 6th grade,(which I have seen done) then they are doing the child a disservice.

[crabman]

Read "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. Most of the book is dedicated to what makes outstanding athletes outstanding. It all starts with being the oldest in your age class starting at a very young age.

I have a September birthday and my mom and dad started me in private first grade so I could get out of the house a year earlier. My freshman year of college which should have been my senior year of high school I grew 7" going from 5'-9" to 6'-4". Physical maturity matters as much as mental maturity.

When we lived it Temple we found out that everybody did it as a matter of routine. Everybody did two years in Kindergarten. The senior class was a ton of 19 year olds and some 18 year olds. Don't think that doesn't translate to success on the football field.

[bobcat1]

I was born in August and started right away. It would have been fun having an extra year but I would not trade my years in high school for any other. I had a blast.

Now though I see where it gives individual kids an advantage in strength and maturity so I wouldn't hesitate to hold mine back if I was still fathering kids. My four were born in October, 2 in November and one in January. So we didn't.

[bigwood33]

Speaking as a father who is about to be an empty nester, I wish that I had either started all of my children in kindergarten at 6 or had them go to kindergarten twice. They grow up fast enough and will be gone all too soon. It would be purely selfish on my part but I would like to have had them at home with us one more year.
I would recommend "The Outliers" by Malcom Gladwell to all young parents. It is a great read and very though provoking.

[defense51]

I agree completely with Rabid Cougar that it should be done in kindergarten or before the child starts school unless it is for academic reasons. To hold a child back later on for athletic purposes is just wrong.

[Emerson1]

Speaking as a father who is about to be an empty nester, I wish that I had either started all of my children in kindergarten at 6 or had them go to kindergarten twice. They grow up fast enough and will be gone all too soon. It would be purely selfish on my part but I would like to have had them at home with us one more year.
I would recommend "The Outliers" by Malcom Gladwell to all young parents. It is a great read and very though provoking.
Community college

[Ville]

Both of my kids that we held back are doing great and it has definatly helped them in many ways. One was in 3rd the other in 5th. Grades are great, attitudes are great, Physically they are more mature. The parents who make this choice that I have talked with all say the same thing it was good for the kid. And its good for us selfish parent who arent ready to watch them grow up to fast. Obviously it helps them in atheltics as well in the classroom. I cant think of one negative thing to say about it. I wish we had done it with my older 2 as well. Both of the children held back say it was good for them and they had forgotten all about it until I brought it up today. It was only 2 years ago.

[bolshavik]

Do it only for athletic purposes. If you are doing it for academic reasons then you are stupid. Academics is pretty much useless in high school. Baby sitting at its finest.

[defense51]

Do it only for athletic purposes. If you are doing it for academic reasons then you are stupid. Academics is pretty much useless in high school. Baby sitting at its finest.
Wow! I feel like I lost ten I.Q. points just from reading this.

[ogg]

Wow! I feel like I lost ten I.Q. points just from reading this.

+1.0

[Ville]

do it only for athletic purposes. If you are doing it for academic reasons then you are stupid. Academics is pretty much useless in high school. Baby sitting at its finest.

dang it. Tell us how you really feel.

[yellaseeker]

Well hell, i guess i'm stupid then. My youngest has an August birthday and during the first grade, his immaturity really showed and he struggled in school cause with an August 3 birthday, he was one of the youngest in his grade. We decided rather than him keep struggling to catch up, we'd just have him do 1st grade twice. It really paid off because he was way more prepared for the second grade and has brought home 80's and 90's ever since. To me, it is still ok to do it for athletic reasons but, it is way more important for academic reasons. Kids education comes first in my book and i guess that makes me a dumbass, right. :crazy1:

[Ville-D]

Well hell, i guess i'm stupid then. My youngest has an August birthday and during the first grade, his immaturity really showed and he struggled in school cause with an August 3 birthday, he was one of the youngest in his grade. We decided rather than him keep struggling to catch up, we'd just have him do 1st grade twice. It really paid off because he was way more prepared for the second grade and has brought home 80's and 90's ever since. To me, it is still ok to do it for athletic reasons but, it is way more important for academic reasons. Kids education comes first in my book and i guess that makes me a dumbass, right. :crazy1:


:iagree:

[Hornet Mom 2]

My oldest has an early June birthday (21 now), and my youngest (about to graduate at 17) has a late July birthday. We started both of them in Kindergarten early, right after they turned 5. I wish now that we had held them back. They both did fine with grades and sports, but the extra year I still think would have been a benefit.

We were told by our 17 year olds college coach where he will be starting in August, that he loves the summer birthday athletes because they probably still have some growing left to do. He is 5'10" right now, 165 pounds. If he has some growing left to do, then of course it will be an advantage as he begins his college career.