This doesn't just happen in DC...I know someone who did this to their son in another state...smart kid, tall, athletic, no learning or behavior issues...parents put him in an elite private and had him repeat a grade to give him an edge academically and on the playing field. Crazy...unless it works I suppose.

This stuff stresses me out. I have a summer birthday boy who is small for his age but academically ahead and was planning to let him start K on time in a private school even though he will be the youngest by far. Is he ever going to get to play on any sports teams or am I setting him up to have issues because he will always be the youngest and the smallest? It is easy for parents who are not facing the prospect of their child being the odd one out to frown on the practice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not limited to lacrosse. Quick example is Johnny Manzeil an almost 22 year old college sophomore.

I know it happens but.. Manzeil was born December 6, 1992
Entered K September 1998 (5yo)
Entered HS 2007 (14yo)
Entered College 2011 (18 yo) Redshirted - now that makes sense.
2012 - 19
2013 - 20 (sophomore)

Manzeil was 21 as a sophmore. If he lived in MD he would have been held back twice to be 21 his sophomore year.

That is sophomore in college not HS. He was 18 when he entered college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not limited to lacrosse. Quick example is Johnny Manzeil an almost 22 year old college sophomore.

I know it happens but.. Manzeil was born December 6, 1992
Entered K September 1998 (5yo)
Entered HS 2007 (14yo)
Entered College 2011 (18 yo) Redshirted - now that makes sense.
2012 - 19
2013 - 20 (sophomore)

Manzeil was 21 as a sophmore. If he lived in MD he would have been held back twice to be 21 his sophomore year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I red-shirted for similar reasons but at a much younger age. Schools in VA place children in grades not by birth year, but by age in September. Keeping my LO on the state's track would have made her the youngest every year. Not fair to her, so I kept her back to give her an advantage. I have no guilt or shame.

What do you mean, not fair to her? Someone has to be the youngest; it has nothing to do with fairness.

It has everything to do with readiness, and presumably PP knows whether or not her DD displayed school readiness. Some young children are well ready,so me are not. My sister was held back a year, repeating preschool, because she had about as much interest in the academic end of school as the family dog. It worked well for her and neither my mother nor my sister have any regrets.

Academic and social readiness is a totally different animal than holding kids back so they can dominate younger kids in sports.

While the subject of this thread is holding back for sports, the original PP didn't seem to be talking about that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the Mater Dei parents? So quiet.

Their hoarse from cheering on their 15yo 8th graders.

Don't insult people when you can't figure out how to use there, their and they're.

I should have redshirted to gains better a grasp on grammar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the Mater Dei parents? So quiet.

Their hoarse from cheering on their 15yo 8th graders.

Don't insult people when you can't figure out how to use there, their and they're.

People type fast on these boards or use tablets that autocorrect. I see grammatical and spelling errors all the time. I've done it myself. Not saying this is the case here, but it happens. I think people get the gist of what the poster is saying.

If you want to contribute, post something more useful.

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore club team Crabs are famous for having red shirt kids.

That's because pre-first is highly encouraged in Baltimore private schools for reasons other than lacrosse. I live in Baltimore and am very familiar with the private school community. Nobody in Baltimore is held back in sixth grade or ninth for lacrosse, if they are older, it's because they did pre-first. Frankly, I don't believe it really occurs in DC, but wouldn't have personal knowledge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the Mater Dei parents? So quiet.

Their hoarse from cheering on their 15yo 8th graders.

Don't insult people when you can't figure out how to use there, their and they're.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I red-shirted for similar reasons but at a much younger age. Schools in VA place children in grades not by birth year, but by age in September. Keeping my LO on the state's track would have made her the youngest every year. Not fair to her, so I kept her back to give her an advantage. I have no guilt or shame.

What do you mean, not fair to her? Someone has to be the youngest; it has nothing to do with fairness.

It has everything to do with readiness, and presumably PP knows whether or not her DD displayed school readiness. Some young children are well ready,so me are not. My sister was held back a year, repeating preschool, because she had about as much interest in the academic end of school as the family dog. It worked well for her and neither my mother nor my sister have any regrets.

Academic and social readiness is a totally different animal than holding kids back so they can dominate younger kids in sports.

Anonymous wrote:Where are the Mater Dei parents? So quiet.

Their hoarse from cheering on their 15yo 8th graders.

Where are the Mater Dei parents? So quiet.

Baltimore club team Crabs are famous for having red shirt kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I red-shirted for similar reasons but at a much younger age. Schools in VA place children in grades not by birth year, but by age in September. Keeping my LO on the state's track would have made her the youngest every year. Not fair to her, so I kept her back to give her an advantage. I have no guilt or shame.

What do you mean, not fair to her? Someone has to be the youngest; it has nothing to do with fairness.

It has everything to do with readiness, and presumably PP knows whether or not her DD displayed school readiness. Some young children are well ready,so me are not. My sister was held back a year, repeating preschool, because she had about as much interest in the academic end of school as the family dog. It worked well for her and neither my mother nor my sister have any regrets.

The article did not mention St Albans because St Albans does not do this.

Note though, that St Albans lacrosse is NOT ranked nationally, Landon, Prep and Gonzaga all are.

Mater "Delay" is by far the school most notorious for holding back boys ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF SPORTS.

Pay attention people, we are NOT talking about boys with summer (June July and August) birthdays only here, or boys who are small or immature. WE are talking about schools that routinely recommend holding back ALL boys born after December. Lets not confuse this with run-of-the-mill holding back of young boys who are socially and developmentally immature.

Lastly, it is RIDICULOUS to say this only happens in lacrosse. It happens IN ALL SPORTS but people around here just love to bash on lacrosse and preps, ergo the title and focus of the article!!