I feel bad for the kids that have to explain why they were held back. It gives an edge to a team and that child being bigger stronger and faster than kids younger but it's still perceived as cheating no matter how many parameters it fits.
Don't feel bad, I held my child back in pre school because he is young for his age. That was over 10 years ago. He is now one of the smallest of his friends, and does well in sports but certainly does not have an unfair advantage due to size. I can assure you, no one has ever questioned why he was held back when he was 4 years old, and if it comes up once a year, around his birthday, that is a lot. Actually by now it doesn't come up about sports, more about driving. Seems like parents of younger kids these days are bringing it up the most as an excuse as to why their child is not dominate on the field.
