Pass on 2nd year 12U eligibility to play 14U? which team?

[bucket pinata]

Never was a big fan of playing up,They work to hard to not have that dominate year or at least the chance of going deep on Sundays in the big tournaments. Not sure of where you play and the quality of fastpitch in your area but in my experience the top 12s Teams are better than 70% of the 14u teams. Last year my DDs Team played more 14U Ball then 12 and won a few A level tournaments but when the end of the season rolled around they dropped back to twelve and went very Deep in the PGF/World series/State /Metros Tournaments. The maturity level of the kids were all the same and they had a magical year. If Its an Option for you I would Find a Quality 12U team and see if they need help. Being challenged wont be a issue. Sorry to say it but I'm not sure I would be to Happy with 1,2 or three. Bought my older DD a T-shirt and the saying on it may be appropriate here. WINNING BUILDS CHARACTER TOO!

 

[Sparky Guy]

JJ,

What's to think about. Your DD wants to stay with the older 14U team and compete. SHE believes there are 3-4 girls she can beat out. That girl is a competitor. Put her where she has to fight for innings and playing time. It WILL make her a better player when she gets older. She will know how to compete with her teammates at every game, at every practice and at every other team function. She will be with like-minded players and the bar will be raised at every turn. She will have to make the grade or fade away. It's a great life lesson without her even knowing it.

I NEVER wanted it to be easy for my DD when she was playing. She had to fight for innings in the circle and become mentally tough while growing as a pitcher. It served her well when she got to college. At the end of her freshman year the coach gave her the ball for the conference championship game against the #1 DII team in the country.

If your DD wants it she'll never regret HER decision to play where she has to work. It sounds like she is a mature girl who knows what she wants. Let her make her own path with her softball career. She just may amaze you.

 

[riseball]

Never was a big fan of playing up,They work to hard to not have that dominate year or at least the chance of going deep on Sundays in the big tournaments. Not sure of where you play and the quality of fastpitch in your area but in my experience the top 12s Teams are better than 70% of the 14u teams. Last year my DDs Team played more 14U Ball then 12 and won a few A level tournaments but when the end of the season rolled around they dropped back to twelve and went very Deep in the PGF/World series/State /Metros Tournaments. The maturity level of the kids were all the same and they had a magical year. If Its an Option for you I would Find a Quality 12U team and see if they need help. Being challenged wont be a issue. Sorry to say it but I'm not sure I would be to Happy with 1,2 or three. Bought my older DD a T-shirt and the saying on it may be appropriate here. WINNING BUILDS CHARACTER TOO!

This is true, because the top 14U's are often playing 16/18U. 14U is often a wasteland where aged out former 12U teams go to die before players move on to High School and start playing other sports.

 

[bucket pinata]

Exactly RB, around here The top 3 Teams in any age group don't see much of each other till championship Time. Then after state you have to do as the name suggests "Travel" and you will find amazing competition at all age groups. My older DDs 16s team wont play a single tournament in our home state all year. Might play metros just for a nationals berth.

 

[FP26]

I would have to lean to #3.

#1 - The unknown can be good or bad. You may be able to find the perfect fit. Your DD is the #1 pitcher, but the team also has 1 or 2 other competent to good pitchers, a solid defense, and a good offense. You may also find a team that has very few other pitching options and a weak defense. While she is getting more innings, she may actually get too many innings or innings that are too long (errors...). In this scenario, you are keeping her at 12u and still taking lumps.

#2 - A few things there make me nervous. Maybe the clique isn't negative, but could develop to be. And depending how big the lumps are, could be frustrating or discouraging for her. That said, if the coaching is above average and she likes the other players (little drama other than the clique), it may be worth sticking around and watching them grow together. The bottom line is would her skills develop and would she have a good time? A "no" to either of those is a deal breaker for me.

#3 - If you are sure she will get circle time and has a chance of earning playing time at another position, this would be my choice. Now if you think she will be the 11th or 12th player on the team, I would change my mind. My DD played 14u this year and did pretty well (one of the top 3 or 4 players on the team). She was asked to play in a tournament and during fall ball with our organization's 16u team (now moving to 18u). While playing for them, she seemed to turn it up a notch. She wanted to fit in with the older girls and seemed to raise her game in order to be accepted. I think it was a very good experience for her and I know she would do it again in a heartbeat.

Good luck regardless of your decision!

 

[riseball]

Exactly RB, around here The top 3 Teams in any age group don't see much of each other till championship Time. Then after state you have to do as the name suggests "Travel" and you will find amazing competition at all age groups. My older DDs 16s team wont play a single tournament in our home state all year. Might play metros just for a nationals berth.

My DD used to get really ticked off at the players and families that wanted to stay local. She would say "It's called TRAVEL ball!"

 

[Sparky Guy]

WINNING BUILDS CHARACTER TOO!

Ask a competitive player if they would would rather play a game they won 14-0 or play a tough team and lose 2-1. Most of the them I asked would rather play the hard fought game knowing they put their best effort forward on the field.

 

[bucket pinata]

Well if we are going absolutes lets ask a team that gets stomped game after game because the coach gets his ego stroked playing up all the time. When in reality they cant beat the best teams in there own age group. How much time do the #2s and #3s get when the team is always getting throttled. That close game is always preferred even at a loss I concur but thinking playing up only will get you better completion is a big mistake.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Well if we are going absolutes lets ask a team that gets stomped game after game because the coach gets his ego stroked playing up all the time. When in reality they cant beat the best teams in there own age group. How much time do the #2s and #3s get when the team is always getting throttled. That close game is always preferred even at a loss I concur but thinking playing up only will get you better completion is a big mistake.

We are not talking teams in this thread. We are talking about individual players. Not all kids can play up. There are those who can. They should be moved up and challenged.

My DD went from playing 12U rec to 14U A travel ball as a 12U eligible player. She played 2 years of 14U. 1 year 16U and the rest 18U. Played JV in HS as a freshman. The senior pitcher was going to Stanford to play. Played 3 years HS varsity in the toughest conference in the state winning a state title her soph year. Was a starting pitcher all 4 years of college. She loved the challenge and competition. She had the size, strength and speed to pitch effectively above her age level. More importantly, she wanted to compete against the best players around.

Not every girl can do it. It sounds like JJ's DD wants to push herself to be her best. It's not good to hold an athlete back who can or wants to compete at a higher level.

Quick story. When DD was playing rec ball their All-Star team had a game scheduled at home against another league's All-Star team. The other team cancelled at the last minute. Took the DD over to the side and was having her work on her pitching instead of wasting the night. One of her teammates asked her why she was practicing. They didn't have a game.

 

[Rocketech1]

Go find a good '02 team. The quantity (and quality) of 12U ball in the area is astonishing. She should be able to find a team that she'd be anywhere from the #1 pitcher and one of the top-tier players to teams she can't even make.

If she wants to be challenged, I am more than certain there are several 12U teams around that would be a far tougher challenge for her than playing on the "better" 14U team she's with now. You can also find a 12U team where she would be close to the same place she is with the better 14U team .... having to fight for more PT and field time and climbing up the order. You can also find 12U teams where she'll be an everyday starter from day one.

Talk to her. Involve her in the decision. Lay out pros and cons and have her analyze them carefully. Have her figure out what is important to her and what she's willing to give up. Then do some homework and find a few 12U teams that fit the bill and figure out a way to get her in front of them.

I wouldn't worry about moving her up to 14U. She'll have plenty of time later in her life (like, four years) to play with high school girls. She doesn't need to do that now.

^^^this

In SoCal there is a plethora of 12u travel ball teams that will challenge your DD. Heybucket is always advertising for pitchers your DDs age, and will frequently have openings in January as players move around teams and/or injuries.

As you know, your DD and my DD play in the same general sandbox and I can unequivocally state that there are some stud teams that will challenge even the best 12u pitchers. If you can't find a quality 12u TB team to join in San Diego or Orange Counties, you ain't looking hard enough. Keep her with her peers and a good organization that she can stay with for a few years.