Thanks for everyone's thoughts and opinions...with me being the coach of the head coach of the 06 team she is on now and having a good strong group of core girls, I am leaning on her moving up a year early. Just because the first year of 10u is the hardest transition year there is in softball. I think it would be good for her to get 3 years there and not 8u. I started her in 8u when she was 5 in Dixie Rec ball so technically she will have 3 years of it and it maybe time to move on to bigger and better things. With her being a year younger she will not have the strength of most of the girls she plays with or goes up against in 10u but, hey if I get her good at small ball who cares about crushing the ball right now, right?
8u to 10u When to Move up?
- Thread starter Blaze2007
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3 years @ 10U will be more beneficial, skill wise, than 3 yrs of 8U. I say move her up, and challenge her. Definitely try to get her good at small ball!
Since you asked...
Move up, especially if she pitches. Just be ready to watch lots of walks. My DD walked every batter in her 1st two 10u innings up to the run limit. It was brutal to watch, but by the end of the season she was striking out about 1/3 of the batters she faced. She's now starting her third 10u season and has become a really dominant pitcher. There is no substitute for the experience of innings in the circle. Get her in the circle now. There is not much left to be learned by smashing batting practice pitches for another year. She will learn more and faster if you go 10u.
Move up, especially if she pitches. Just be ready to watch lots of walks. My DD walked every batter in her 1st two 10u innings up to the run limit. It was brutal to watch, but by the end of the season she was striking out about 1/3 of the batters she faced. She's now starting her third 10u season and has become a really dominant pitcher. There is no substitute for the experience of innings in the circle. Get her in the circle now. There is not much left to be learned by smashing batting practice pitches for another year. She will learn more and faster if you go 10u.
The toughest year of kid pitch is always the first year whether you are pitching or hitting. That being said 3 years at 10U would be better than an third year at coach pitch. Problem with coach pitch is that it never changes. So if it's easy to hit this year it will be easy to hit next year. Especially if she hits off of you. Since she most likely hits off of you for batting practice also it will not be a challenge. Moreover she is likely to get bored of it, and that in itself is not good.
So, the key is she will need to play and get reps pitching, hitting and fielding, and as long as she is going to get that I would move her up now. It's never going to be easy to leave your friends, but they need to continue to grow to keep there interest. If you want you can pick up some of the other girls next year.
So, the key is she will need to play and get reps pitching, hitting and fielding, and as long as she is going to get that I would move her up now. It's never going to be easy to leave your friends, but they need to continue to grow to keep there interest. If you want you can pick up some of the other girls next year.
