Not that hard for a 24 to become a 26 in PA, and end up 2 years older than teammates. Or more likely, on opposing teams b/c it’s rampant in some clubs less than others. Reclassing is getting out of hand. All these “new” 8th graders show up at tryouts.
It’s not uncommon for kids (mostly boys) w/ summer, even spring, birthdays, to be given “the gift of time.” People say any kid would benefit because “kindergarten is the new first grade.” Most parents don’t do it b/c of sports. But a potential advantage in sports is definitely a factor for a lot of parents who decide their 5 year old should wait until they’re 6 to start public (or private) school. It’s allowed, without question. Of course, it involves paying for another year of preschool/daycare. Some private schools already have a later cutoff to start K - like 12/1 instead of 8/31.
Fast forward to middle school & that “redshirted” kindergartner is good at lacrosse & looks like they have potential to get even better. (Could also be football, but never soccer b/c it’s strictly age based). They switch from public to private during middle school for an extra year before high school. I’ve seen a few boys who actually are already among the best on the field reclass. Sometimes it’s private to private, and I’ve seen it from private, to a repeat in public or a low quality parochial school, and back to another private. There will be an increase because the pandemic & shoddy virtual/hybrid school sounds as legitimate as it gets for reasons to repeat a grade. It’s a PA law for this year that a parent can choose to hold a kid back this year, regardless of what their public school recommends!
And that’s how you get a double reclass, aka a 15 year old guarding your 13 year old.
