Maybe not anyone that you know of. Not saying all cases but I'm sure there's a couple here and there. You don't think that happens? Would you tell everyone that your kid was held back in school? I'm sure you wouldn't. Never say never. People are very private when it comes to stuff like that. You make it sound like I'm talking about all these kids that are being held back. Why would anyone want their kid to be held back? Oh it's for lacrosse, then that makes sense. I guess you know it all.
Kids do not get left back in public school, simply does not happen. You can do whatever you want in private because you're PAYING!
Kids are not getting left back. Parents are sending their kids to a private school in 7th or 8th grade and then have them come back to public or private school the next year in the same grade. Being left back has a bad connotation so they came up with a new word for it "re-classification."
Now you have people in other parts of the country - including the kids of major club directors - who are doing it completely differently. They are letting their 11th grader who is a 2017 play with the the 2018's while still staying in 11th grade. The director then tells college coaches that they should be recruiting the player as a 2018 and if they take them as a 2018 then the kid will do a PG year after HS. This is really happening - it's ridiculous.
My children are in their appropriate grades. However, I do not see a problem with re-classing. For many, the ultimate goal of lacrosse has always been to help the player/student get accepted to the best college possible. In most cases parents hoped that their child would be accepted to a school that they would have no chance at without lacrosse.
People of means have been using the PG year for a long time. 30 plus years ago there were players on my team who did a PG year in order to gain acceptance into the University (and play lacrosse). These players came from affluent areas and the players / parents believed it to be worth the cost to attend a Prep School in order to expand their college opportunities.
It is what it is, I do not consider it unfair or cheating. Many parents have their children start kindergarden later than the the appropriate age, many do a PG year and some re-class. People are doing it in order to help their children. I would imagine that the thinking is long term - better school, better job, better life etc... It does not always work. We can all point to the person who did not go to college or dropped out or went to community college and is very successful financially. I know some who have done better than the guys who went to an Ivy League school. That said, with my kids I will bet on an Ivy every time.
I try to teach my kids to work hard and do their best not to worry about the other guy. We see the holdbacks and now the re-classed kids all the time. Who cares? If they challenge my kids, if they make it tougher for them, if we do not win the game so be it (its a good thing). Playing against tougher competition will only make my kids stronger. Maybe a re-class will take the spot of one of my children at their dream school who knows?
IMHO if the family wants to hold back, re-class, PG or non medical redshirt who cares. Someone once posted about a player who did a PG year and then redshirted during college only to come back and win the Tewaaraton Award. I don't think anyone said he was cheating or that it was unfair.
