So is it better to keep the kids in the same grade levels? I was wondering the same thing. At the 6u State Championships there are kids that are 7.5 years old. At the 8u, 10u, 12u, 14u there are 9.5, 11.5 13.5 and 15.5 years old correct?
I wonder if anyone has done a case study to determine if the majority of the State Champions are typically the 1.5 year advantaged kids? Doesn't that make the kids that have late August bdays at a disadvantage? Or is it not that big of a difference. I would think a 9.5 year old wrestler has a pretty large advantage over a 7.5 year old? Or am I missing something?
The same could be true regardless of the cutoff date. Not only does the September cutoff coincide with the school year, it runs concurrent with our fiscal year. Some states that have a January cutoff require competitors and coaches to renew their cards the first of the year. This results in it taking two memberships to finish one season. While the overall cost is the same for those continuously involved, those that are wrestling for the first time would see additional costs.
