My first grader is really into sports and not getting a chance to shine due to his age

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Nov child is naturally one of the older kids in school, but in soccer, the cut off was by calendar year, and he was the youngest in a 2-year span. Next year he’ll be in the middle. I would focus more on helping your child understand that some kids on the team have more experience. In some sports, there is leeway to sign up for a particular group/skill level. But really, I think the life skill is accepting the situation.

Yes, I had some of the same questions as everyone else. My kids played baseball and softball, and they were always in a "young one year, old one year" cycle. If he is really good, you can ask for him to be moved up. Happens all the time in my town. (Though sometimes it depends on who you know. )

That’s interesting. Are they trying out?
Our league has enough kids it goes by 1 year divisions. But we aren’t at the age of drafts or anything like that.
It goes by Aug 31-Sep1 but they aren’t mixed age teams, at least at this point. When did you start having mixed age teams for baseball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Nov child is naturally one of the older kids in school, but in soccer, the cut off was by calendar year, and he was the youngest in a 2-year span. Next year he’ll be in the middle. I would focus more on helping your child understand that some kids on the team have more experience. In some sports, there is leeway to sign up for a particular group/skill level. But really, I think the life skill is accepting the situation.

Yes, I had some of the same questions as everyone else. My kids played baseball and softball, and they were always in a "young one year, old one year" cycle. If he is really good, you can ask for him to be moved up. Happens all the time in my town. (Though sometimes it depends on who you know. )

He plays up for these all star teams (which is a mini season) you try out for because most of the kids who are really into sports are a full year older but grade peers but I haven’t heard of playing up for the little league year. He’s already on the younger side being a summer birthday.

[Anonymous]

I have boys with summer birthdays. For rec baseball, yeah- they play with kids 1-2 years older.

But travel and all stars are both by when your birthday is, not what grade the kid is in. For travel, they cutoff dates are April 30/May 1, so they're among the older kids on their teams. For LL all stars, the cutoff is end of August, so they're among the youngest. But in both cases it doesn't matter what grade the kid is in. The travel/all stars thing started for them around age 8/9.

As someone mentioned above summer swim at least is a June 1 cutoff, so they're always pretty good for that.

Lacrosse, rec soccer, basketball- those have been by grade, and yeah- they get stuck playing with kids who are a year+ older than them.

I think the bigger issue for my kids will arise in high school, if they want to keep playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swimming has a June 1st cutoff. Encourage him to do that.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So he can't stand out unless he's the absolute oldest? A really athletic kid should be able to hang with kids a year older. Many kids play up in sports an age level if they are really good. But, he's 7, it doesn't sound like you are accurately assessing him at this point.

As I said, he’s the youngest kid to make it so he has been keeping up with kids a full year older, but if you take two kids playing a competitive team you have to try out for, it’s likely the older kid has an advantage. A year makes a big difference at this age.

Do you want him to be the best team on a team of kids a year younger? What does that prove? Or do you want him to have to stretch to keep up? He doesn't need to "shine" he just needs to do his best and keep developing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in an area that’s really sports focused and my child (7) has been playing in sports year round. He is consistently the absolute youngest on every team as he is a June birthday where it is uncommon to go on time. He’s fairly good (was the absolute youngest for 2 all star sports on the entire roster of 100 kids, had to be selected based on try out or times) BUT the issue is he’s getting down because he just doesn’t have an opportunity to shine playing against so many older (and athletic) kids that often lap him a year since so many kids stay back. When does this situation shake itself out? At what age do they start being assessed by their age or grouped by age and not grade? Little League is the same situation where he is one of the youngest but he’s not playing with kids mostly a year older because they are strict with birthdays.

And this is why you should have red shirted your son like everyone else does!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in an area that’s really sports focused and my child (7) has been playing in sports year round. He is consistently the absolute youngest on every team as he is a June birthday where it is uncommon to go on time. He’s fairly good (was the absolute youngest for 2 all star sports on the entire roster of 100 kids, had to be selected based on try out or times) BUT the issue is he’s getting down because he just doesn’t have an opportunity to shine playing against so many older (and athletic) kids that often lap him a year since so many kids stay back. When does this situation shake itself out? At what age do they start being assessed by their age or grouped by age and not grade? Little League is the same situation where he is one of the youngest but he’s not playing with kids mostly a year older because they are strict with birthdays.

And this is why you should have red shirted your son like everyone else does!

I didn’t really realize it was a thing. Now I do know it’s the norm for summer but at the time I figured it was fine and now I see the issues because the kids held back are very capable, smart, competitive as well.. so it does put the younger ones at a big of a disadvantage even if they do keep up.

[Anonymous]

A chance to shine?

[Anonymous]

Hold him back a year for sports purposes. That’s honestly your best solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So he can't stand out unless he's the absolute oldest? A really athletic kid should be able to hang with kids a year older. Many kids play up in sports an age level if they are really good. But, he's 7, it doesn't sound like you are accurately assessing him at this point.

As I said, he’s the youngest kid to make it so he has been keeping up with kids a full year older, but if you take two kids playing a competitive team you have to try out for, it’s likely the older kid has an advantage. A year makes a big difference at this age.

I think the issue is that you're putting your kid in competitive "try out to make the team" sports at age 7. First grade, FFS. Stop the madness. No wonder he's getting down; you clearly place too much emphasis on this and he feels like if he's not the best you'll be disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the sport and even level of play. Soccer, competitive baseball, swim all group by birth year, not grade. In our area recreational baseball and basketball are grouped by grade.

[Anonymous]

It varies sport to sport. My son is one of the youngest in his grade, but travel soccer is by birth year, so there are kids a grade below him on his same team.

However, even when he played rec (which was by grade at the time, not sure that is the case now), he wasn't worried about "shining." He has fun, and likes to help his team to do well, which I think is the correct focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So he can't stand out unless he's the absolute oldest? A really athletic kid should be able to hang with kids a year older. Many kids play up in sports an age level if they are really good. But, he's 7, it doesn't sound like you are accurately assessing him at this point.

As I said, he’s the youngest kid to make it so he has been keeping up with kids a full year older, but if you take two kids playing a competitive team you have to try out for, it’s likely the older kid has an advantage. A year makes a big difference at this age.

I think the issue is that you're putting your kid in competitive "try out to make the team" sports at age 7. First grade, FFS. Stop the madness. No wonder he's getting down; you clearly place too much emphasis on this and he feels like if he's not the best you'll be disappointed.[/

No, he wants to be involved. It’s just more competitive at his age because the majority of sporty kids that are his grade peers and friends are a year older. Ifs not madness.

[Anonymous]

Theo will only get worse as he ages and the kids get bigger. I know someone who will hold her 5th grader back after this year and then will start 5th again at Landon. It’s very common to redshirt summer birthday boys, especially in private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It varies sport to sport. My son is one of the youngest in his grade, but travel soccer is by birth year, so there are kids a grade below him on his same team.

However, even when he played rec (which was by grade at the time, not sure that is the case now), he wasn't worried about "shining." He has fun, and likes to help his team to do well, which I think is the correct focus.

When does travel soccer start?
How far do you travel for games?