If the kid is on average only 4 to 8 months older why so scared to play on age against kids 4 to 8 months older? No way thats crazy little johnny might get pushed around.......instead I will do to younger kids what I fear might happen to my kid. In fact I might send him to do private school so he can get another year so he can dominate. Parents that think their kid is good will play them up not beat on younger kids. When I was a kid the older kids respected the kid playing up and looked out for them. The younger kid looked up to those guys. Nowadays , I saw a holdback on a middle school team who slap a teamate who is the youngest littlest kid on the team in the helmet telling him to catch the ball. This is the same kid that in youth league got rocked and cried when when he scrimmaged against the year older team which he should have been on but repeated the grade. Can't compete repeat or holdback so you can bully younger kids instead of earning your peers respect.