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

[Amy in AZ.]

Don't put off the coaching, especially for pitching. I would rather the girls not pitch at all, other than pick up bad habits for 2 years and then, come to me.

Get her a coach and then, see if she understands the commitment.

 

[cooprules]

Thanks again for all the help. Due to an injury, she has started at 2nd and been the number 2 pitcher for the last month or so. She's definitely played well, IMO. Our plan is still to have her tryout for both 10u and 12u and see where she's at. There's a chance there may not be enough girls for 2 teams at 12u. If that's the case she will stay at 10u for sure. Due to other moves, there would possibly be an infield spot open on the 2nd 12u team if there is enough...Still, we are leaning toward keeping her back at 10u. The main advice I'm getting is don't move her unless she's currently dominating 10u. And while she is playing well, she is definitely not dominating.

 

[BobInMadison]

This may not be as big a "safety net" as she thinks. It is a rare 10U team that moves up and continues its winning ways as a first-year 12U team. Experienced second-year 12U teams that are stacked with mature 12-13 year olds are quite often more than a match for most 14U squads ... young clubs coming up from 10U can really take some lumps against teams like this. These kids have likely never seen girls pitching at above 50 mph or girls who are capable of hitting a 12" ball over a 200' fence. They should see plenty of both at 12U.

I am not a big fan of girls playing up until they are mature (which means second-year 14U playing up to 16U). The rare exception for me is a girl who is completely dominant in her age group right now, meaning she is the clear-cut #1 pitcher or starting SS who hits in the #3 hole and has the highest BA on the team ... stuff like that. Confidence is a great thing for girls, and playing again at 10U and being one of the best on the team is a good way to gain some.

THIS

My DD #3 was on a strong 10u team last year. The entire team moved up together to play 11u. Occasionally they won or tied a game, sometimes some close losses, often they got completely rocked.

One thing is, girls grow so quickly at that age. A lot of the 12u girls are 3-6" taller than a year ago, and often much more muscular. There is a team of girls just a year older, and those girls look like giants. A team of girls just a year younger look like midgets.

When an 11u team playing 12u goes against a strong regional team of 12u girls who look like HS students, don't be surprised to get run ruled after the 3rd inning.

That's not to say she shouldn't move up, that is so you will know where the 12u team will really stand.

 

[cooprules]

Yeah, I know the current 12u girls are pretty monstrous...lol. I think strength is the biggest reason for keeping her down. She's got a plus arm and plus fielding ability but definitely lacks pop with her bat. Not that I'm expecting her to jack homers but she could definitely use another year to grow.

 

[cooprules]

She ended up trying out for both 10u and 12u...We wanted her to challenge herself a little and just see what it's like. If they were going to assemble two teams she may have had a shot but they decided to just go with one. She did make the 10u team again and should be a big contributor. She is pretty excited. There were a few new players and they should have a pretty solid team and she'll have a chance to pitch quite a bit. She also used a teammates CF7 at tryouts and it looks like we will buying one. A higher end composite makes a world of difference. Unreal. Out of 10 swings she hit 6 balls farther than she had all year...We also have a pitching coach and she'll start in a month or so...She's very excited.
Thank you for all the advice. Think we are on the right track.

 

[sbcowboy]

I think that very player needs a Senior year where they can dominate! 2nd year 10u will b her senior year. It is a time to build confidence in her abilities. Very other year u r going to have to decide what to do. It is critical to develop mentally. Unless u r a big part of why a team is winning don't move up. Confidence and hard work can take u a long way!

I think u have made the right choice. Educate yourself about coaches and how they coach. Do they teach fundamentals?

Good luck!

 

[cooprules]

She'll have the same coach she had at 8u, along with her mother assisting, who is a very knowledgeable softball person who assists at the high school level. If she follows the same older/younger path she'll have very good coaching all the way up. Really looking forward to it.