Play up or stay in age group?

My daughter is currently playing 12U and can play 12U next year also. She is big for her age 5'10'' and about 185 lbs. She is one of the strongest players on her team. She has been asked to join several 14U teams next year. Should she play up or stay where she is?

I recently had to make a similar decision. DD played her 1st year @ 10u last year as a 9yo. She had a very good season being one of the youngest on her 10u team. So for 2010 she was still 10U eligible but tried out nd made it onto a competitive 12U team from a different org. Her original club wanted everyone to play their age which was disappointing as she couldn't move up with her team after proving all year she could play with them. Some said it would be a mistake for her to go to 12U because the 12u game is much faster, which I agree. Some said if she could play up and compete at the older age group she should.

Our decision was based on a number of factors.
The coaching.
Distance.
DD's feelings.
The opportunity to become better playing with the older girls.

The coaching for the 12U team was by far superior (former college head coaach & Varsity HS coaches vs. three dads-inclding myself for the 10u team).

Distance to practice for the 12U team was actually less than former 10U team.

I discussed it with her and my DD wanted the challenge of playing up even if she might not be the superstar she might have been at 10u. She would have probably been the number one pitcher at 10u or number three because the other dads kids were pitchers too; but thats another story. She may not even pitch at 12u but would play other positions.

We ended up choosing the 12U team and couldn't be more happy. She is competing at a higher level and since starting playing with the team this fall it has pushed her to want to become a better player more than ever before. I could see her becoming complacent being the best player on the 10u team.

I don't know your entire situation so there might be other factors that make staying down a good fit for your DD. Are the 14U teams you are considering "competitive" teams? How is the coaching? What positions would she play? Distance? Cost? Friends?

I'd say if you feel your DD would be able to start and compete on a competitive 14U team that might be the best for her development down the road. One thing I feel is important is if your DD is comfortable with moving up. If she is and all other things are equal I would strongly consider moving her up. I did with my DD and it turned out to be the best thing for her.

Good luck! Let me know what you decide.

Thanks for the feed back. It's nice to know that other parents go through the same situations.

The problem we run into where we live is there aren't alot of options for teams to play on. The coaches on the the teams we are considering for next year are good people and good coaches but not excelent coaches. So all thing considered that is equal between the teams. She has friends on all the teams as well so she would fit in with either team.

I know that if she stayed with the 12U team she would be the #1 pitcher and get the majority of the mount time and that they would be very competitive in their tournaments. If she were to go to one of the 14U teams she would posibly not get as much mount time and I don't know how competitive they might be.

I just don't want her to be become complacent at 12U and lose her work ethic. I also don't want her to go to 14U and get discouraged if they are not competive.

Decisions, decisions.............

MJs Dad,

Had a similar situation with my daughter. She played up at 12u and 14u. Did well and was the best pitcher and hitter on her teams even though she was the youngest. She's 14 now and could play up at 16 or even 18 (She played Varsity as a Freshman in High School). But I think it's best for her at this age to wait. She doesn't need teammates that drive to practice and have boyfriends hanging out.

Playing up at 12 and 14 is a good way for your daughter and you to measure her playing skills. She'll be challenged by the competition which will make her work harder and you'll be able to guage her individual progress. She sounds like she has the physical talent. It's just a matter if you judge she has the social skills.

All The Best,

Pops

P.S. Is it important for her to play with her friends? That's a big consideration as well.

DD played up at 12U as a 10; blended in easily and played with the town travel (B level team) as both a 10 and 11 y/o.

DD tried out in August and was selected to play with a 12U A level team this Fall and upcoming Spring. DD has former team mates who moved up from 12U to 14U this Fall. The 14U game is much faster, the plaeyrs stronger and have more ability than at the 12U level.

I'm glad we moved her up to 12U at 10 but also glad she is playing 12U A ball now. 14U would have been too big of a stretch for our DD.

Best of Luck.

MJs Dad said:

My daughter is currently playing 12U and can play 12U next year also. She is big for her age 5'10'' and about 185 lbs. She is one of the strongest players on her team. She has been asked to join several 14U teams next year. Should she play up or stay where she is?

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Imo, the jump from 12u to 14u can be fairly dramatic depending on the quality of competion in your area. One thing I would look at is your ability to honestly assess you DD abilities. Is she one of the best at 12u ? Is she clearly better than other 12u competition and is she able to dominate at that level. Also, how much pitching time is she going to get for either team. If on the 12u team she is clearly going to get the lions share of pitching time but might be relegated to the bench at 14u for significant periods of time, then the answer is clear. Unfortunately, parents usually aren't the best judge.


I went through this with my DD, fortunately I live in an area with many teams and opportunities. When dd was 13, she was approached by several gold teams to play for them. We had to consider many factors, playing time, ability, sociological factors,etc.

Fortunately for dd, she was able to do both. She played for the 14u during the season but any time the gold teams needed a pick-up pitcher, she was able to play at Gold. So, she kind of got the best of both worlds. If I had faced an either or situation, I would have left her in 14u.

At the younger age groups (10U/12U), I really don’t see the advantage of a kid playing up unless she is WAY more advanced than the other kids she is playing with. And if she is that much more advanced than her team mates it is usually because she is not on a very good team. In these age groups the kids need to be having a LOT of fun while learning the finer points of softball; moving up only puts more stress on them than they need, possibly leading to early burn-out.

Once a kid is 14 (high school age), then I think she should play up to the highest level that she can compete at. This is the time that a player is preparing for college ball and needs great competition; not to mention that college coaches are looking at the kids that are graduating as late as 2013. At 16U and up the kids still need to be having fun but the chances of them burning out due to stress and/or pressure is much lower. The kids at this level have usually dedicated themselves to softball at the highest level and are ready for the challenges that lay ahead.

These views are based on my own DD and the kids that she is playing with and has played with in the past. They are my opinion and your mileage may vary

Thank you all for the information, you've given us somethings to consider when we make our decision. I think the one thing I've learned from everyone is not to stress my DD out over this and to just let her play!

You need to think about what *she* wants to do. If she hopes to play softball in college, she should move up as quickly as possible.

Being the #1 pitcher on a 12U team isn't something to put on your resume. If she is doing it for fun, then stay at 12U. If she wants to get serious, go 14U and make her compete for playing time.

I think too it depends on the teams, and the girl. At 12 she is only just just starting to develop as a player, and good instruction is what is needed. Despite what you might think, it will take 5 full years of good instruction still to turn her into a real player. You cant skip that. And just playing with older girls isnt a shortcut either.

Think of it this way, very good 12U teams will play 14U tournaments, and beat most all 14u teams. Ive seen them play 14U vacation spot world series tournaments as a warmup for 12U ASA nationals, and finish in the top couple! The only 12U teams they will play will be maybe at an ASA qualifier, their state and then nationals. The same goes for very good 14U teams, they will play up all season too because few 14u teams offer real competition, in fact few 16u teams offer real competition either to a very good 14U, and a lot of 18us arent even much competition.

The gist of this is that older does not mean more skilled, or better. And skills dont just rub off, they must be taught. An example is the HS girls on a mediocre HS team that dont play travel ball. If the instruction isnt there, they cannot play at the same level of the travel girls, they simply have not been taught to do so, doesnt matter that they play with them, or against them.

A very good 12U team would be a better choice than a mediocre 14U team anyday. Fielding a strong team in your own age group and having a shot at a national championship is what it is all about.

I would just say you should look for the best coaching/instruction you can get, and if at all possible, seek out the chance to actually play, contribute and compete at the elite level. That is what is rewarding. After that, focus on how to get her on the best 16u showcase team you can when that time comes. That can take a few yrs to get your foot in the door of the right organization if there arent many in your area. For instance you may need to be on their 14U teams to have a good chance of being picked up on the 16's when the time comes, so planning ahead can count for something.