observer wrote: Describe a specific tear jerking example and maybe I'll listen. As several have said, in terms of development, we have the best of both worlds. School year during the association season (99% of all kids in my experience) and birthyear during the AAA season. Perfect as is.
You are right, the rule is good for most kids.
But as an example,
Kid is born 6-30-96,
this year he is in 8th grade and playing his first year of bantams.
No problem.
But statistics show that there are a good number of kids (playing hockey and not) that have June birthdates and were not starteed in school at age 5.
A change in this rule would allow those kids to play with the kids in their grade.
Again the argument is that the cut has to be made somewhere but based on the numbers June is more meaningful than July.
What about May? The numbers drop dramatically.
June seems to be the perfect fit.
We could just go to September (does school still use September) and leave the choice of the summer birthdates as a personal choice and they end up having a group of summers kids in the same class.
And that is the opposing argument choice that comes up.
And the something that could put the decision on hold until the 2011 season.
For me and my vote, I am leaning to June 1, but will not decide until I have heard more pros, cons.
I think most of the DD's feel the same.
The other voters - I am not sure.