Got this idea from "themat.com" and I was wonering if anyone from Kansas has the same opinion that kid who has been held back and is 20 as a graduating Senior has an advantage over "traditional" 18 year old Seniors?
What about against a "traditional" 14 year old Freshman?

Alex

The term "traditional" is used in a sense of stereotype. A 20 year old Senior is far fetched and not sure if Kansas allows it but seen it as an example and passed it along. Share your thoughts and ideas please.

ill be 18 in april of my JR. year.

My son has always been the baby of his class. He has a very late summer birthday. Most of the students in the class below him are actually older than he is. However, if you did not know his birthdate, you would never know. In fact, I have four kids and they all have summer birthdays and they all are the youngest in their classes. So far, I have not seen a problem with it. In fact, there are some advantages (like Jess being able to wrestle kids fed's as a Junior).

Age is just a number. There is an advantage with a Senior (whether 17 or 19) over a Freshman and even a Junior over a Sophomore. However, I don't think there is that much of a difference between an 18 year old and a 19 year old (or a 14 year old and a 15 year old). As far as 20, I believe that you can not be 20 years old and compete in sports in High School without a waiver. I am not 100% sure though.

Age is only important when you become 18 male adult and you keep recruiting the young (16 and under) girls. Take Alex for instance, his cut-off line is probably around no younger than 13 years old...whereas, I moved mine to no younger than 16 for legal reasons and paperwork. Keep it real.

I'm curious if anyone knows someone who has requested and been granted a hardship.

This seems to occur more often in middle school. We've had to have Rick Bowden check out some 8th graders to see if they are too mature for sports a few times in football. He has never denied a kid the opportunity that I know of.

When I was in High School I had to wrestle a monster named Ron Turley, and many people speculated on his age. He was as physically mature as any senior I've ever seen.

If I had a son, I'd make sure he started school as late as possible. The longer he had to mature, the better chance that he'd have to reach his full potential in H.S. and college. Of course, I was "blessed" with 3 girls, so I'll never have to worry about it.

So you'd put athletics above education?

That's sad...

I've heard of a couple of kids receiving hardships in non-contact sports.

I got one for playing chess..........okay I lied I am sorry

So you'd put athletics above education?

That's sad... [/QB][/QUOTE]

Wow Pup, I didn't say anything about putting athletics over education. Would my son somehow lose intelligence by going to preschool or staying at home for another year? Most kids that start later (if in a good environment) tend to be better prepared for school than those that start early to save on babysitter bills.

An example: My little brother had a June b-day. He was a big kid, capable of starting school as the youngest in his class. He was a good student and a pretty good athlete (don't tell him I said so). He placed in state in wrestling and javelin and started both ways in football for Salina South. However, I would say that one more year of physical maturity would have made the difference between a good DII scholarship and a good DI scholarship. I don't have proof, but ask him and I bet he'd back it up.


Now, I am not sure how you read so much into what I said. I am a professional educator. It is offensive that you would say such a thing. I believe it is very possible to have a good student AND a good athlete without compromising anything.

Ryan Jilka

By the way, Pup, two of my daughters have served as peer models in a pre-school program. The other is not quite two. I have a couple of degrees. I serve on many education committees. If you want to compare education contributions feel free to contact me.

For us, the decision to start our kids (with late July birthdates no less) to school at the age of 5 had to do with them being ready. We did not look into what would make them a better athlete. Looking back, it was the right decision for OUR kids. Yes, they have had to compete both academically and athletically with kids who are 1 to 2 years older than them everyday and every year. But again, if you did not know when their birthdate was and how old they are, you would never know. Are they competitive? Yes. Would they have been better if they were in a class below them? Maybe. Sometimes it is the people who are your classmates and friends that make you a better athlete. Not whether you can dominate in a class or not.

The whole point of this topic is not whether you should start your child off to school at an early age. It is if there is a problem with a 20 year old wrestling in high school. Or if you have a problem with a 15 year old wrestling in 8th grade. As a parent, I do not care about the opponents age as much as I care about the size (especially with football starting). My son has competed against some very "old" 8th graders when he was still 13. It hasn't hurt him. In fact, his toughest opponent (in all JR High NCKL sports) was in track and he was only 13 too.

Is your son going to be a freshman at Chapman?

mom4,

Please don't take what I said as a put down. I agree that you must do what is right for your child, and I respect everyone that does so.

Ryan

Ryan: No offense. I was actually agreeing with you. There is a lot that goes into making that decision.

Yes. My oldest son is going to be a Freshman. He just turned 14. My youngest son is going to start Kindergarten. He turned 5 in June.

my son don wrestled in high school the first half of the wrestling season at age 13 and he went 24 wins and 11 loses his fresman year at 152lbs. it depends on the kid and thanks to the kids wrestling program the better boys are ready for high school wrestling.