@RJM posted:Age versus grade is just a distraction. Some parents use it as an excuse. It comes down to talent, not age placement in a grade. You either have talent or you don’t.
My son was seventeen on graduation day. There are other poster’s kids on this board in the same boat.
I have a good friend who was in his grade by days as one of the oldest players. He didn’t get to start in school in football and baseball and Legion ball (what we had then) because of all the talent ahead of him. Not all the talent was a class ahead of him. But he had to wait for every senior to graduate. Then, for game experience he PG’ed a year before going to college. He turned twenty early in his freshman year. He still washed out of D1.
If you've read or listened to The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you will understand.
What is talent, are you born with talent or is it 10k hours of training that help bring out the abilities? Most players at the early ages are selected based on size, Little Johnny (10u) is 5'8 can hit a high pop fly ball over the little league fence. Why do you think the Little League World Series is so popular.
But I think we both understand the outcomes that you alluded to are the norm.
The main point. "Travel Baseball is very interesting" and the more it changes, the more it stays the same, just different actors.
Note, the Philadelphia Senators were one of the organization that did it the "Right Way".
Families just need to figure out what program will give them the chance to the best possible outcome.
Good stuff.