Red Shirt your 5 year old

My son is 14 and is one of the youngest kids in his class. He has always been a good athlete but now that he has gone to high school he reminds me that if he had been held back a year it would have been to his advantage athletically. When I look at his 6 foot 2, 140 pound body I remind him that another year will probably still not make him anything less than skinny unless he works at it, however it is true that with boys these things make a difference.

In his summer baseball league which is consistently based on age and not grade he has played in a class with children that are mostly 8th graders. As he points out to be, do I realize how much he would dominate in 8th grade this year.

I do. He was ready for school socially. But yet I do see the point. For boys it is all about confidence. Not just in sports but in all things. That extra year might make a huge difference to many kids. Many kids in my sons class were held out a year so have a full year or more on him.

If I had another son I would surely consider it.