Redshirting for Success
UPDATE: Been busy covering the NBA Playoffs. Will post another thought-provoking article this weekend in between series.
In the meantime, Justin Andrushko has arranged for a football combine to be held at ballenas Secondary for 3:00 - 6:00 on this Sunday May 7th. Come out and strut your stuff !!!
Recently I read an article about Jimmy Clausen, the prep quarterback from California that many are projecting to be the next John Elway. Clausen is a Junior at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California and has already committed to Notre Dame.
What's interesting about the Clausen story though is the number of times that he's "redshirted" in his school years. According to this article in CNNSI, Clausen started kindergarten at six and repeated sixth grade "to gain maturity" his mother was quoted as saying.
When you start thinking about it, how much of an advantage is it for someone to be almost 2 years older than the rest of the kids he's competing against? And how prevalent is the practice for parents to hold back their kids to give them more opportunities?
To answer the first question, I think it's a huge advantage for someone like Clausen. For example, take a look at the 2 leading candidates for rookie of the year in the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin is going to win the rookie of the year by a landslide, but you really can't compare the 2, because Ovechkin is a whole 2 years older than Crosby. Ovechkin is better than Crosby now, but Crosby could be and probably will be better than Ovechkin 2 years from now.
To answer the second question, I think it happens a lot more than people think. A lot of ambitious parents think like the Clausens and don't want their kids to be the youngest in the class so they wait until they are six before starting Kindergarten. Then they hold them back a grade early on for "maturing". Parents will do anything in this day and age to give their kids that extra advantage.
Ironically, Clausen is taking classes at a nearby Junior College so that he can finish High School early at the end of this calendar year and join Notre Dame next January for Spring Practices.
If it worked for the Clausens, certainly it work for your kids, right??
Post your comments or send me your take at BCSportsFanatic@yahoo.ca
In the meantime, Justin Andrushko has arranged for a football combine to be held at ballenas Secondary for 3:00 - 6:00 on this Sunday May 7th. Come out and strut your stuff !!!
Recently I read an article about Jimmy Clausen, the prep quarterback from California that many are projecting to be the next John Elway. Clausen is a Junior at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California and has already committed to Notre Dame.
What's interesting about the Clausen story though is the number of times that he's "redshirted" in his school years. According to this article in CNNSI, Clausen started kindergarten at six and repeated sixth grade "to gain maturity" his mother was quoted as saying.
When you start thinking about it, how much of an advantage is it for someone to be almost 2 years older than the rest of the kids he's competing against? And how prevalent is the practice for parents to hold back their kids to give them more opportunities?
To answer the first question, I think it's a huge advantage for someone like Clausen. For example, take a look at the 2 leading candidates for rookie of the year in the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin is going to win the rookie of the year by a landslide, but you really can't compare the 2, because Ovechkin is a whole 2 years older than Crosby. Ovechkin is better than Crosby now, but Crosby could be and probably will be better than Ovechkin 2 years from now.
To answer the second question, I think it happens a lot more than people think. A lot of ambitious parents think like the Clausens and don't want their kids to be the youngest in the class so they wait until they are six before starting Kindergarten. Then they hold them back a grade early on for "maturing". Parents will do anything in this day and age to give their kids that extra advantage.
Ironically, Clausen is taking classes at a nearby Junior College so that he can finish High School early at the end of this calendar year and join Notre Dame next January for Spring Practices.
If it worked for the Clausens, certainly it work for your kids, right??
Post your comments or send me your take at BCSportsFanatic@yahoo.ca
posted by BCSportsFanatic @ 1:49 PM
9 Comments:
At 11:28 PM, April 26, 2006,
Anonymous said…
I think there is some validity to this. Look at the Holy Cross's RB in the 1990's, Pontes, he was a stud. He was dominating as a grade 10 but should have been in grade 11 at the time. When he was in Grade 12, he was 18 going on to 19. Another example is Atnas Maeko, WR who played for the Richmond Colts in the late 1990's. Rumor had it he was in his early 20's! He had moved here from Africa and did not have any birth certificates to proove his age. Therefore age does make a difference. I think this is the big reason why so many guys quite right after high school because most guys fear playing junior ball with 22 year olds or playing college with even older!
At 6:34 PM, April 27, 2006,
Anonymous said…
look at the 2 grade 11's that got provincial all stars. both of them are a year held back, both should be graduating this year
At 10:37 AM, April 28, 2006,
Anonymous said…
With Maeko it was a definite advantage, he was literally a man. It wasn't just the birth certificate thing. He repeated grade 10 twice! Pontes' situation was a little different. Although it was obvious he had a year and thoroughly dominated in his extra year, he still was one of, if not the best back in the province as a grade 11.
At 4:40 PM, May 02, 2006,
Anonymous said…
Zach Denton is 19, he was playing with kids 2 years younger, no wonder he tore it up
At 4:41 PM, May 02, 2006,
Anonymous said…
Yeah i heard quincy hurst is a year older and should be graduating this year, but gets to play another year and will dominate
At 10:19 PM, May 02, 2006,
Anonymous said…
thats just unfair. if i was a year older, i could dominate too. its like picking on kids a grade younger
At 3:36 PM, May 03, 2006,
Anonymous said…
yeah thats retarted, there should be rules
At 3:58 PM, May 03, 2006,
Anonymous said…
There are rules. Basically boils down to if a kid is delayed a year before he hits HS he still has 5 years of football left. If he is delayed two years before he hits HS he will wind up not being able to play in his 12th grade year (would turn 19). See the forum posts on this topic for a more detailed discussion.
At 4:28 PM, May 28, 2006,
Anonymous said…
quincys 1 year older
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