Move up to 12u with team or stay at 10u...

[cooprules]

I have a 10 yo DD playing first year of 10u TB. She has been asked to move up with team to 12u. She could play 10u again if she wants. She starts in RF and bats 2nd for a team that is pretty good and winning tournaments. She is also a SS and pitcher but does not play there very often and I don't see that changing because the starters are coach's daughters. She played SS the last two tournaments (one of them they won) because the starter was gone and I thought she played well. She would be probably one of the best on the 10u team where she could pitch and play SS. Staying at 12u she would be trying to stay in the lineup in RF.

She wants to move up with the team. We would NEVER make her stay down if she didn't want to, but we also are trying to make her understand that other positions on the field will be extremely hard for her to obtain, and playing at 10u again will allow her to dominate, to a certain extent, along with just plain getting her more experience. She is concerned about how good the 10u team will be because she played with a lot of the potential 10u girls on the 8u team last year. Trying to explain to her that they have gotten better, just like her.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Stay in 10U. It will be better for her long term development. The 12U is just looking to fill a position, not to aid the future prospects of your DD.

 

[JAD]

If your DD wants to pitch or play SS she needs to stay at 10U. Playing RF for a 12U team is not going to help her improve her pitching or MIF skills. 10U, 12U and 14U should be used for skills development. 16U and 18U will be her "time to shine" if she has aspirations of playing college softball.

 

[vcackerman]

Agree. I am asked this question a lot in my role and my first question back is always 'where does your kid sit in the stack?' If they say at the top, I might be inclined to recommend 12U as you know they will get the PT they deserve. if they say middle to bottom, I always recommend the play down to be the best kid at the level.

 

[cooprules]

As her parents we feel she should stay down as well. Trying to convince her this is the best has been hard. She's proud that she was asked to move up, as are we. She would be with a great coach and practices are run well. Her big concern is the quality of players that will be on her 10u team with her and whether they will win. I realize that sounds snobby..but she's an older 10u and is probably a step ahead of the others.

 

[JAD]

As her parents we feel she should stay down as well. Trying to convince her this is the best has been hard. She's proud that she was asked to move up, as are we. She would be with a great coach and practices are run well. Her big concern is the quality of players that will be on her 10u team with her and whether they will win. I realize that sounds snobby..but she's an older 10u and is probably a step ahead of the others.

If she will not be challenged at 10U, find a 12U team where she can pitch and play MIF. The best advice I can give you is to get her on the highest level team, where she will be one of the starting 9, and will receive 30% or more of the pitching time if she truly wants to pitch.

 

[cooprules]

If she will not be challenged at 10U, find a 12U team where she can pitch and play MIF.

I can't say she's outgrown the competition at 10u. She definitely can get stronger hitting wise and, if she wants to pitch at a high level, she needs to get circle time in games. It's just that she's so used to playing with older girls at or above her talent level that she gets a little frustrated in situations with younger and less talented girls. I'm really making her sound like a prima donna but she really isn't like that. Just wants to win.

 

[Sweet Lou]

I can't say she's outgrown the competition at 10u. She definitely can get stronger hitting wise and, if she wants to pitch at a high level, she needs to get circle time in games. It's just that she's so used to playing with older girls at or above her talent level that she gets a little frustrated in situations with younger and less talented girls. I'm really making her sound like a prima donna but she really isn't like that. Just wants to win.

Not a prima donna at all just competitive. But if you really think she should stay 10U (and for what it is worth my vote would be with the ones recommending staying down)

What about taking the angle that she should stay down and work to be come the dominant #1 pitcher?
Or working as a team leader mentoring the 8Us moving up to bring them up to a higher level?
Pitch these ideas to her and she what she thinks.


In the long run Ws and Ls at 10U & 12U are gonna be pretty meaningless down the road.

 

[coach james]

Stay down at 10u and give her the confidence boosting year as the dominant player on her team. Self confidence is equally as important as experience.

 

[cooprules]

In the long run Ws and Ls at 10U & 12U are gonna be pretty meaningless down the road.

We are really trying to convince her of that. It's all about making her a better player. We used the word dominate with her when trying to convince her. Her eyes definitely lit up a little. But leaving the 'safety net' of the other older girls and a winning team I think freaks her out a little.