The freshman have a little advantage of more practice time (1 month) they also have the disadvantage in some cases if they have been pounded on by sophmores, juniors and seniors for an extra month. The eigth graders may be healthier from not getting pounded on. I still say leave it the same and it is a great way for the 8th graders to find out what is coming next year in high school. Nothing says the 8th graders or their parents who feel that there is a disadvantage - they should just start training a little earlier. I personnally think starting practice in December makes great sense for those who are trying to get their kids to peak at the end of March. I know some clubs start a month earlier than our club does. I'll never know if starting a month earlier would help in our results. 3 months of tournaments is a lot of wrestling for any age kids, high school, college or international - the body needs time to recover.