Decisions

CatchTheFever · Jul 22, 2014

Hello,

My DD is currently a key part of a pretty good 10u team that is moving to 12u soon. DD is playing at her age level for the past year with this team and the team (Girls & Parents) all get along well. The coaches are all good people with well intentions but have somewhat limited experience. They teach the girls what they know and they do make a difference for most, but there are some opportunities to teach some more advanced concepts that we're missing. All in all, DD is in a good situation and is having fun which is very important at this age.

Here's my dilema. I'd like to challenge DD by having her play against older (better) competition at some point. For instance, I think she'll be fine playing a year or less of 12u and then moving to 14u if she's with the right team. At what point does challenging DD's skill level to improve become more important than just simply playing for fun? Is it better to stick with a good team that has a great atmosphere or pursue a more challenging (competition) environment for DD at the risk of a drama filled environment?

Not looking for greener grass elsewhere, but thinking at some point, for her to be challenged physically, a move up is going to be necessary.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Cowdogz · Jul 22, 2014

What are your goals foe her? What are hers?

CatchTheFever · Jul 22, 2014

My goals for her are to have fun and play the game competively at what ever level she ultimately decides she wants to play at. When I ask her, her goals are pretty similar. She has aspirations of playing College ball someday but one of my fears is that she will burn out at some point.

Coach JV · Jul 22, 2014

Look at the competition at 14U, that age is where girls accelerate physically and the game
begins to be played at a faster pace. My DD played 2 years as 12U, one year as 14U
one year as 16U and 18U Gold from there on. The quality of the athlete vs quality of the competition
is where decisions need to be made. at 12U SB is a social tool, as is 14U at some levels. My experience,
there is a high percentage of kids stop playing at the 14U level as the sport changes to having a
'job' at 16U as these girls are driven primarily with the goal of playing in college.

marriard · Jul 22, 2014

You move up when you are fully dominant at the level you are playing.

I personally wouldn't move a 12U player up to 14U until she is both softball skills and also physically dominant at the level. Even at 12U-A a lot of the older/second year teams are full of physically fully-grown woman - not girls - and at 14U it is most teams.

Right now my DD is on a highly skilled team in 12U - but the majority of them are also very young physically at this very moment. Skills wise they would be fine at 14U - but physically not yet. This will change over the next year to a year and a half.

Don't be in a huge rush. They are only each age once. Best move I made was to move my DD back to a team of players all her own age.

CatchTheFever · Jul 22, 2014

THanks Marriad. My dilema is because my daughter is well above the curve from a physical standpoint. Either way, her current team is moving up to 12u now. I'd expect her to be dominant at 12u within 6 months from a physical standpoint but we'll see. Assuming she progresses at the rate she is, I think she'll be ready to move to 14's a year early which I'd probably prefer than to have her play 2 years at 12's.

chinamigarden · Jul 22, 2014

CatchTheFever said:
Hello,

My DD is currently a key part of a pretty good 10u team that is moving to 12u soon. DD is playing at her age level for the past year with this team and the team (Girls & Parents) all get along well. The coaches are all good people with well intentions but have somewhat limited experience. They teach the girls what they know and they do make a difference for most, but there are some opportunities to teach some more advanced concepts that we're missing. All in all, DD is in a good situation and is having fun which is very important at this age.

Here's my dilema. I'd like to challenge DD by having her play against older (better) competition at some point. For instance, I think she'll be fine playing a year or less of 12u and then moving to 14u if she's with the right team. At what point does challenging DD's skill level to improve become more important than just simply playing for fun? Is it better to stick with a good team that has a great atmosphere or pursue a more challenging (competition) environment for DD at the risk of a drama filled environment?

Not looking for greener grass elsewhere, but thinking at some point, for her to be challenged physically, a move up is going to be necessary.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Based on your time table you have over a year before you have to worry about this. See how that year of playing and growth goes before you mentally lock yourself into a strategy. A lot can happen in that year.

CatchTheFever · Jul 22, 2014

chinamigarden said:
Based on your time table you have over a year before you have to worry about this. See how that year of playing and growth goes before you mentally lock yourself into a strategy. A lot can happen in that year.

The reason the question is up now is whether it would be better to move to an older team that is still playing 12's for another year but will be moving up this time next year, or to just stick with current team and decide later.

Amy in AZ. · Jul 22, 2014

I just advised a girl's mom to have her 11 yo stay in 12U. Could she compete at 14U? Yes. But some of those girls are in HS and they bring the BFs and GFs and this particular 11 is not mature enough for the dating scene. SO, it would mean that she couldn't go to the overnights or stay in the same motel room, with girls that could be turning 15.

Then, I have an exceptional 10 YO student that moved up, with her team. She has been up for a year. She gets a lot of playing and pitching time, but she is small. She just got sidelined with elbow tendonitis, that might not have happened at 35 feet, with an 11 inch ball. We just don't know.

So, there is a lot more to consider, than if she can compete or not.

marriard · Jul 22, 2014

CatchTheFever said:
The reason the question is up now is whether it would be better to move to an older team that is still playing 12's for another year but will be moving up this time next year, or to just stick with current team and decide later.

Honestly - decide later. Play 12U for the first time in a comfortable environment with current teammates and lots of guaranteed playing time. You can change teams end of year if she is ready. Go to a few tryouts if you like to see where she is.

You may be surprised by just how big the 2nd year 12U-A teams really are and how far along they are.

We reassess every season what is the right thing to do.

If she is as good as you believe, there will always be teams for her when she is ready to move on. They will be lining up for her services.

-- btw, a lot of inexperienced coaches lean on more experienced coaches and effective skills coaches to fill in their gaps and inexperience. Don't write them off if they are doing what needs to be done to improve as well especially if they are proving to be great at developing players over time.

Decisions

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CatchTheFever

Cowdogz

CatchTheFever

Coach JV

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am

CatchTheFever

chinamigarden

CatchTheFever

Amy in AZ.

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am

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