What is redshirting?

[Anonymous]

I keep hearing the term and have no idea what it means.


=/

[Anonymous]

Holding kids back, so a child who is supposed to start K waits a year.

[Anonymous]

Not OP - I know what the term means but have always wondered about the origin of the term: what does a red shirt have to do with holding a child back a year? TIA

[Anonymous]

The term comes from college sports, particularly football. Often when a freshman is young, small or injured, the team will hold him back a year until he's ready to play, then he plays four years. That's why you hear the terms "true freshman" versus "redshirt freshman". I think at one time those players wore different jerseys on the sidelines to denote their status.

[Anonymous]

Note also that some people think that "redshirting" is slightly different than just holding a child back, because "redshirting" carries a negative implication that you're holding the child back to gain some advantage over others (as opposed to a child that does not advance, for example, for academic reasons or ESL or because small or immature for age). In my experience here on DCUM, however, most people use the general term "redshirt" to cover all hold back, no matter what the reason. As you've probably gathered, it's a topic that many on DCUM get quite passionate about.