Old Juniors/Seniors

Why would they care? They just want the best, eligible players. Sons Team last year had one at 25 and another at 24 but whose counting? Coaches aren't.

Colleges prefer more physically developed players. There have been studies showing that professional baseball should look for younger players.

The difference can be explained: colleges are more in the winning business - development is a by-product; proball is all about development - winning at the lower milb levels is a by-product.

Older HS grads are generally more physically developed (and the parents who have had college players who were younger are now nodding when they think back on the physical development which occurred between the ages of 18 and 19).

Look at the top ranked players, many of the top kids are older for their grade.

quote:

Originally posted by LongHorns:
How do College coaches view players that have been held back a year in some cases two? (For athletic purposes only) compared to players/students that play in their own group. It seems like it would be an unfair advantage if they are compared as being in the same graduating class (age) when there is 12-18 months separating them.

Life isn't always fair. It's about graduating class and talent, not age. My son has a late spring birthday. He was 12-18 months younger than many of his teammates in every sport. Freshman year of basketball he was 5'4" while many of his teammates were already over six feet.

Regarding the poster's question about how college's view "older" players it has been our experience that it is not an issue whatsoever. It has never even been brought up by anyone. Our son, a 2013 with an April birthday, delayed starting kindergarten (as did his 2010 sister who had a late May birthday). He'll turn 18 in the middle of his high school junior baseball season.

We did it so both kids could have another year to grow, mature and be better prepared for school. Athletics were the farthest thing from our thought process. This was my wife's idea and, at the time, I was against it. However it has turned out to be a good thing as far as the baseball situation has evolved. 2013 always played age appropriate baseball as there was a May 1st cutoff. As one of the younger players in his age group he was always competitive playing at the higher levels of youth select/travel ball. When he got to high school all of the kids he had been playing with his whole life were all a year older.

With regards to the college recruitng landscape he is compared against other 2013's. Period. The fact that he is anywhere from 4-14 months older than his 2013 peers has never been brought up. As RHP prospect his measurables and 2011 summer/fall performances rate him better than if they were compared against 2012's. So hopefully, his college choices will be enhanced by mom's decision eleven years ago to delay starting his and his sister's education...

That seems really old for a jr. Thats the oldest jr thatI haveheard of. I am surprisedyourschoolsystem allowed you to wait.
Is he even eligible to play the entire season nextyear.

He's only one year older and thats no problem for eligibility. Most kids turn eighteen during their senior year. If he would have been a senior this year he would have been on the young side for the class and that sounds why they held him and his older sister back. More parents should do it as a lot of kids aren't ready for school at five years old. But with more moms working and the cost of day care it's usually a rush to start them as soon as possible. Our state has an August 1st cutoff for signing up kids for school. So if he had a late April birthday he could conceivably been almost nine months younger than his oldest classmates. Now if he would have failed a grade or been held back for another reason and been two years older and turn nineteen during Junior year of high school I think that most states would rule him ineligible for the sentior year.

"That seems really old for a jr. That's the oldest jr thatI have heard of. I am surprised your school system allowed you to wait. Is he even eligible to play the entire season nextyear?"

I don't know what goes on in NJ, but around here this would pose zero problems. While most kids graduate at age 18 or very near to 18, there are 19's in every graduating class every year and they are certainly fully eligible for sports.

I have seen situations where an older kid transferred from a private school to a public school. At some of the small private schools, 8th graders play varsity ball. VHSL doesn't allow but 4 varsity seasons, so I have seen kids surprised to find that they are not eligible for that 5th year of varsity play even though they are age eligible.

In PA, students that turn 19 before June 30 are ineligible for state-sanctioned interscholastic sports their entire senior year.

I've spoken many times before about the holding back thing. I'm on the side of those who say kids should start school when they're supposed to. My whole family has fall birthdays. We went to kindergarten at age 4. Didn't make no nevermind to us.

We have the opposite scenario. Son turned 18 during his freshman year in college(currently). He was the youngest in his class which made for some issues as far as late blooming goes. In PA if you want to be held back you need to do it before stepping in to a 7th grade class. You are allowed 6 years of Athletics starting with the 7th grade. It worked out well for him, currently playing in a highly ranked D1 program ..but it was a struggle and required him to really work his tail off. While on the recruiting trail some coaches liked that he was young and the possibilities that went along with that. Others were not as receptive.

quote:

Originally posted by AntzDad:
In PA, students that turn 19 before June 30 are ineligible for state-sanctioned interscholastic sports their entire senior year.

That's correct as stated, but I suspect that many readers will misinterpret what it means. So...

In PA, if a student turns 19 before June 30 of the summer between his junior and senior year, he is not eligible during his senior year. A student who turns 19 during his senior year is eligible from an age standpoint. The PIAA website says it succinctly: To be eligible to participate in grades 10 through 12, you must not have reached your 19th birthday by June 30 immediately preceding the school year.

(In CA, the rule is about the same, except the cutoff is June 15.)

Eagles fan not sure that is a state rule or a PIAA rule. There is a local private school that allow public school students come to their school after 8th grade and repeat 8th grade at their school...since they do not compete in the PIAA that maybe be how they are allowed to do it.