Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier is making a strategic decision that might surprise some parents. He’s having his eighth-grade son repeat the grade to give him a competitive advantage in sports. This practice, known as reclassification, is becoming increasingly common among high-level athletes and parents who understand the long-term benefits of athletic development.
During a recent conversation on the Mighty podcast, Cormier revealed his thinking behind this decision. “My son is in eighth grade, and he’s going to repeat eighth grade for football,” he explained.
The concept of reclassification centers around age and physical development advantages. As Cormier noted, some kids can be as young as 13 when they enter high school, while others might be nearly 15. “By repeating those kids as freshman were like 15, turn 16 whenever they’re freshman. And then they go to sophomore, they’re 17, 18, 19 graduate,” he explained. This age difference can be crucial in contact sports where size, strength, and maturity matter significantly.
Cormier has seen this strategy work firsthand with his wrestling program. “I had a group of eight kids that are now juniors and seniors in high school. They all repeated eighth grade. They went to Dagestan. It was that group of kids. They’re all state champions. Two of them are going to Cornell. One going to NC State. One’s going to Michigan. One’s going to Oregon State. Another one’s at or they all got college scholarships.”
The key benefit is immediate impact at the high school level. Instead of struggling to make teams as undersized freshmen, these athletes become difference-makers from day one. “Their freshman year in high school, they didn’t have to wait to make the team. They were immediately the best,” Cormier observed.
This approach requires sacrifices, particularly in traditional education. Students typically complete their repeated year through homeschooling while focusing heavily on athletic development. It’s a path that many Olympic athletes have taken, prioritizing sport-specific training over conventional classroom time.
The strategy also provides parents with additional time to develop their children’s skills. As Cormier put it, “It keeps him in the house one more year. You have five years with your kid instead of four.” This extra year allows for more focused training, better coaching, and crucial physical development that can make the difference between college scholarships and missed opportunities.
For Cormier, who reached the pinnacle of mixed martial arts competition, the decision comes from understanding what it takes to compete at the highest levels. His experience as both an elite athlete and now as a coach gives him insight into the demands of high-level competition and the importance of proper development timing.
