Redshirting for K-Garden?

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by Katiana

However, it is different in middle/high school where it goes by grade level. We were talking about this on the ed forum as well, and someone brought up the age limits of high school participation. In Colorado, it appears to be OK if the student turns 19 after August 1 of the upcoming school year.
http://www.chsaa.org/about/pdf/Handbook_2011.pdf (broken link)
(See p. 53)

In FL students can play HS sports until they are 19 years, 9 months old but they only get 4 years of eligibility once they start 9th grade. It is very common in wrestling for parents to red shirt their middle school kids (sometimes for 2 years) so that they are as old as possible when they use their 4 years of eligibility.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

The logic is that if a child is in HS from ages 15-19 instead of ages 14-18 he will have a better showing in athletics and attract the attention of college coaches by virtue of his superior physical development. I saw this last summer as my son went to quite a few football camps. He was competing against young men that were 19 while he was only 17. It makes a difference.

I did not do this with my kids but I don't consider those who do to be "sick". It's just a decision they made that they thought would be in their child's best interests.

I get that. I just have trouble thinking of my 5 year old in those terms. "Sick" might not be the right word, but I might say that parent has their priorities out of whack. I don't think of "red shirting" in Kinder as a way for my kid to be the most advanced academically or athletically. I look at it as a way for my kid to be average instead of behind. If my kid is behind, a college scholarship is going to be the furthest thing from my mind.

ETA I don't think I'm explaining myself very well. I don't see the logic in simultaneously thinking my kid is behind enough to warrant red shirting, and also athletic enough to get a college scholarship.