My son will be 17 his entire Senior year. We considered a hold back, but ultimately went ahead and sent him into high school anyway. He's currently a 14 year old freshman with a 22-11 record, Sectional Champ and Regional Runner-Up. Holding him back would have gained some competitive edge going into next season for sure. But we considered his maturity and intelligence and realized that holding him back would only stall his progress. We pushed him head first into the fire, and he is gaining valuable life lessons because of it. The adversity he is experiencing and overcoming will only help him in life after high school.