When you profit from operating a club, camps, clinics saying your products and service will take players to the next level but hold your kid back in 8th grade that should be highlighted to expose the hypocrisy. And this forum should allow it. The parents and kids holding back know exactly what they are doing.
I honestly don't have a dog in this fight, but who cares if a kid is held back at this level? As long as they are age eligble by High School standards what does it matter? Who defines what "next level" really means. Hold your kid back if you don't like it, if you have the means.
Because it is wrong at the YOUTH sports level. No one cares what you do for your child and his development, What you do doesnt give you some select privilege to play against younger children in YOUTH sports.
If you want all these holdbacks to play..fine, then put age back a year and let anyone that wants to play at that grade play! including anyone that wants to play down,,,,not just the holdbacks..Real Simple Solution......But that wouldnt give little select Johnny the advantage he gets now.
I am not the person who posted either comment but I think you are missing the point here. No need to beat the deadhorse of holdbacks that is on any board on any website. What is unique here is that the player's parent in this case is the one who advertises a level of coaching and development that is designed to get a player to the next level. If the system and program is so successful why would that parent need to holdback his own kid? Is he not developed enough to earn success in HS and College without playing down a year? The rules allow it but there is a cost involved.
You would think that his kid had the benefit of all that super special coaching and development since birth. I guess dad decided it wasn't enough. We all know that the development mantra at 91 is a sham. Look at the 2022 varsity announcements on Instagram. Most of the kids aren't from Maryland. They don't develop players, they collect talent and it is subsidized by the kids at the end of the bench being called names when they don't perform at an elite level. MM was a great player who capitalized on his playing resume, but don't confuse that with being a great coach or a good human being. He's neither of those.
