BishopLeftiesDad posted:I have told this before, however lots of new people here. My son has a Birthday in Sept. He started school what many consider very early. We knew he had good hand/eye coordination, but had no idea what an athlete he would turn into.
As he progressed through the school system he was also identified as Gifted by third grade. Once he started playing baseball in middle school, we found out many of the kids a year behind him in school were a year older than he was. Many of the parents started their kids a year late. Mostly for athletics. Son, was always well adjusted, made good grades, and got along well with his peers. As high school got closer people started asking us if we were going to hold him back, since he was smaller that his peers.
We never considered it. He did very well athletically and academically. Plus later we learned when another parent tried it, that the school system in no uncertain terms would allow it. To repeat a year he would need to go to another school system. And we really liked his public school. And it has a great reputation, with colleges.
So we kept him there and he went on to play in college in a D3 conference. Started all four years. Most of the players in the class behind him either chose to not play in college or were never recruited.
Over all I would probably make the same decisions. I do not think the extra year would have made him a D1 player.
My son has a May birthday. Plus he was a physical late bloomer. But he was athletic and strong for his size. His sister went from 5’ 2” to 5’10” in sixteen months in 8th and 9th grade. It’s late growing for girls.
When he was 5’4” 120 in 8th grade people starting asking if I would hold him back for athletic reasons. I wasn’t going to hold back a top student who was in the gifted program. I told people if there would be a benefit I would PG him on the backside. Besides, his sister went from good player to college prospect (softball) in one year after growing.
When he graduated he was 6’2” 175. He gained 20 pounds in college. Being smaller from LL through 8th grade made him work harder. He didn’t want size to be a factor in anyone being better. Sure, some players could hit the ball further until he grew. But he could hit with them. Freshman year he started to grow. He was 5’11” 135. I told him if it got windy hold on to another player.