Totally agree!! Holding kids back for sports is cheating and people that do it in middle or high school should be embarrassed. Every time I see an obvious reclassed kid, I think of the movie Billy Madison. After HS, once they’ve all gone through puberty, fine. I understand that.
Cheating might be the wrong word as there is no rules against it , which is supposed to change. It's gaming the system. I dont have a problem with it once they hit 8/9 the grade by then athletes are starting to hit their maturity level and potential growth spurts. At the youth level it is just poor form play up if your good don't play down just because you think your grooming your child to go d1. The growth disparity at younger ages creates too many issues and noticeable ones. No one knows what their child will be athletically until 8th or 9th grade very few can tell in 4th,5th,6th grade let alone younger. Anyone who played sports knows someone that was a great athlete growing up but when that kid hit 9th grade they all but matured already and became a shell of their former athletic self.