Parents holding kids back a year in school

[_MIA_]

That older kid may be better developed and more capable than her peers in the same grade.

College recruiting, especially D1, is done by grade, not travel ball age level.

I know you said your kid didn't develop till Sr year but that is pretty rare for girls I would think, no? By recruiting age, wouldn't you say physically that most girls are going to be "fully developed", at least from a genetic perspective (eg not from training)?

Boys sports not so much..Heck David Robinson grew 5 inches from freshmen year in college to sophomore year.

 

[Cougars]

That's true, but an older player in HS can have a development/experience advantage. While the difference it can make with softball is arguable, it can make a big difference in sports such as football.

I think this is what the parents doing it specifically for sports are looking at. My daughters have an early August birthday and will turn 18 maybe a week before their first college class. If we had started them a year later, that's another year of working out, practicing, maturing before heading to school. "All things being equal" (and I know they aren't), if you are a college coach, would you want an 18 or a 19 year old.

 

[Cougars]

and I definitely think this is more of a boy thing. My brother didn't get his big growth spurt until senior year of high school

 

[Strike2]

I know you said your kid didn't develop till Sr year but that is pretty rare for girls I would think, no? By recruiting age, wouldn't you say physically that most girls are going to be "fully developed", at least from a genetic perspective (eg not from training)?

Boys sports not so much..Heck David Robinson grew 5 inches from freshmen year in college to sophomore year.

She did grow a couple of inches in HS, but wasn't so much height but size and strength. As a 14/16U, she wasn't a bean-poll, but was on the skinnier side. Her senior, year she filled out a bit and got much stronger in the legs. I know there are girls who are fully developed at 14, but DD just wasn't one of them.

This isn't that unusual. Kids can grow and get stronger through HS. An extra year of pushing weights and playing anything can make a difference in performance. Genetics can sometimes play a role.

 

[_MIA_]

but wasn't so much height but size and strength.

Yes, I understood. My question was do you think that is rare or typical.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Yes, I understood. My question was do you think that is rare or typical.

I think most girls stop growing around 9th or 10th grade, but they certainly develop significantly after that age. My older daughter is a lot stronger as she enters college than she was a HS sophomore, despite the fact she's still a runt. (Don't tell her I said that...)

 

[Strike2]

Yes, I understood. My question was do you think that is rare or typical.

Added a comment to my previous post that I don't think you saw.

 

[_MIA_]

My older daughter is a lot stronger as she enters college than she was a HS sophomore, despite the fact she's still a runt. (Don't tell her I said that...)

So would that happen if she never touched a weight..that was my question, which is obviously theoretical since all kids workout now, genetically do girls typically just start sprouting more muscles (just from general sports activities) Sr year? I guess the question is when does puberty typically end for females since during this time females do see an increase in testosterone.

Edit: Looks like testosterone levels peak at around 18 or 19 for most females so there is my answer..

Edit 2: As you can see I didn't pay much attention to girls in HS, even though I had a GF (probably why she dumped me as soon as she got onto Brown's campus..)

 

[uncdrew]

but the girl playing 14u is still on 14u regardless of 7th versus 8th grade.

Yes, but you can see the huge advantage in getting onto a college team if you hold your kid back a year or more. I think it's bogus, personally.

 

[_MIA_]

Added a comment to my previous post that I don't think you saw.

See my post #28.