Some of us LI parents have no problem playing against older kids. Bring it on. That's what we do in high school. Most of the better players on LI would have no interest in being left back a year because they don't need to.
One parents experience: I put my son on a u17 travel team after his first year playing varsity for a top Suffolk team where he hardly saw the field. Playing up that summer he was noticed as a rising sophomore that was able to hold his own with kids 1,2 and 3 years older. The coaches respected that and the interest poured in. Yale, Princeton, UNC, Maryland, Syracuse, Georgetown etc. We seized the moment and committed with a great offer. I believe my son's ability to show how could play and perform against older kids was impressive to the coaches. No excuses about being younger. Nobody cares, especially college coaches! Stop complaining about the age difference and use it to your advantage!
