Why ALL Youth Sports Divisions Should be by Age, Not Grade

Youth sports divisions should ALWAYS be by age, and never by grade. Divisions by grade skew the competition unfairly and the following analysis demonstrates why.

If one considers that a young athlete can be either young or old for his/her grade, the age gap can easily become two years. The gap grows to three years in instances when students are held back in school, which unfortunately happens all too often, or when kids begin school early. Here's an analysis that shows how age gaps create challenges when youth sports divisions are based on a player's current grade.

9th Grade Division

• ​Average age: 14-15 years old
• Possible 2-year age gap:  13-16 years old

The 9th grade was chosen because the most significant "changes" in boys and girls occur during these ages. The differences in size, athletic ability, and maturity, especially in basketball players, are quite dramatic when comparing a 13-year-old athlete to one that is 16.​

• Average height and weight for 13-year-old girl:  5'1 3/4" and 102 lbs
• Average height and weight for 16-year-old girl:  5' 4" and 115 lbs
• Age gap differences for girls:  Nearly 3" and 13 lbs
• *See sources below

Here's how boys stack up:

• Average height and weight for a 13-year-old boy:  5' 1 3/4" and 102 lbs
• Average height and weight for a 16-year-old boy:  5' 7" and 132 lbs
• Age gap differences for boys:  Nearly 6" and 30 lbs
• *See sources below
  

In boys, the age gap differences in height and weight is much higher than girls. Other factors, such as top sprint speed, vertical jump, strength, and intangibles like hoops IQ, can put an athlete that's young for his grade at a huge disadvantage. Because of the possible age gap, and as this analysis confirms, youth sports divisions are best by age and never by grade. 

The truth of the matter, however, is that this won't change at the high school level. High School sports will always be based by grade. It can, however, change at the club and recreational sports levels. 

*Average height and weights stated in this analysis are based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.