I wasn't aware I needed to watch every single lacrosse game before noticing if a family plays their kid down before entering that class. I guess if you get away with it once, it should be allowed all the time.
In case your kids haven't played the teams made up of New England boarding school kids, this is somehow culturally accepted up there, as they crow about "on age." A solid number of them play down a year "anticipating" a future 8th grade holdback or post-grad year that hasn't happened yet.
I'm not against holdbacks at all. But I find it hilarious that the parents (New England boarding school pre-holdback, PA "late start," or MIAA holdback) are ashamed of their own decision and are quick to lie about it or change the subject so they don't have to tell an outright lie. If your son attends an MIAA middle school, the kids talk and will tell their friends they are a single or double holdback.
And for every club who lies to you about "developing kids," watch them put the holdbacks on the roster.
And get used to it, if you haven't already.
