14 "A" or 16 "B", which one is more competitive?

JC heir · Dec 19, 2009

My 14yo DD is probably realisticlly a "B" team player who is working hard to improve skills to be "A" caliber(getting close). She was asked to play in a winter league that didnt field enough teams to have the expected divisions. She wound up playing 18u division .In this kind of rag-tag league she faced all kinds of pitching from good to excellent. I was really shocked at how well she faired. She certainly didnt tear things up, but she did put the bat on the ball hard consistently & I would rate this as a very good developmental experience for her.

Having said that, I look foreward to her playing a 14A level ball this summer & think moving up to 16u would be a big mistake. Here in my area we dont have near enough teams to be worried about A<B<C< or Gold level, we usually just play by age group.

Mark H · Dec 19, 2009

JC heir said:
My 14yo DD is probably realisticlly a "B" team player who is working hard to improve skills to be "A" caliber(getting close). She was asked to play in a winter league that didnt field enough teams to have the expected divisions. She wound up playing 18u division .In this kind of rag-tag league she faced all kinds of pitching from good to excellent. I was really shocked at how well she faired. She certainly didnt tear things up, but she did put the bat on the ball hard consistently & I would rate this as a very good developmental experience for her.

Sweet! That's the sort of thing I love to hear.

Oside · Dec 19, 2009

My vote is 16b - the girls want to play together and that gives them the best opportunity to do so. Even if they're not competitive this year, they will still enjoy playing and can look forward to their improvement next year.

softballfan94 · Jan 2, 2010

In our neck of the woods 16A is where it is at. We have some very good Gold teams, probably too many now but the girls that hope to play college ball are playing 16A a long as they can. The college coaches are spending more time at the 16U tournaments and showcases then at the Gold tournaments. The college coaches and recruiters I have talked to tell me the reason is that most of your D1 teams have already locked up players by the time they are 16 or 17 (Sophomore and Jr year). Most girls can still play 16A as a JR in high school.
So the good college bound players are going to be found ( by colleges) at the 16A tourneys. The Gold and 18A usually are kids that already are committed or signed - so why spend precious recruiting dollars there. You will still find recruiters there, but more are going to the 16A games.
If you are skilled enough to play 16A, do it and stay there as long as you can. Or until you get signed.
If you are not interested in college ball, then I suggest playing where you have the most fun which may be at 18A or gold if you can. Those certainly are some good games to watch.
Remember that there are a lot of really good D2 and other programs out there too. Go to college for the education first.

mudbug · Jan 3, 2010

Without a doubt college should be about getting an education. But, they usually tell every freshman class two things at oriientation.
1) Look at the person to the left and right of you, only one of you 3 will actually graduate
2) The #1 reason women go to college is to get their " Mrs." (makes education actually #2 at best)

Blind Squirrel · Jan 6, 2010

mudbug, would you mind posting what you base observation #2 upon? And who are "they" that you reference in your second sentence?

John

Blind Squirrel · Jan 7, 2010

mudbug said:
Without a doubt college should be about getting an education. But, they usually tell every freshman class two things at oriientation.
1) Look at the person to the left and right of you, only one of you 3 will actually graduate
2) The #1 reason women go to college is to get their " Mrs." (makes education actually #2 at best)

Since no response to my previous post, I'll just say that IMO #2 is at the top of my list of the most ignorant/stupid things I have read in the 8 years I have been reading message boards. Things have changed since 30/40 years ago. I doubt very seriously that any college would allow anyone to address their freshman with that comment and I would love to know exactly who is supposed to have said it. I have a feeling no one's name will be provided even though it should not be a problem if the comment isn't so obviously ignorant. If in fact it was part of an orientation, someone might want to inform the person(s) who made such a remark that women now have the right to own land and even have the right to vote. Also that dental visits are OK and you need not limit searches for a mate to family reunions.

Wow.
John

mudbug · Jan 8, 2010

You seem to have issues.

I dont feel a need to look for responses to messages, answer them, or attempt to find data , names, or resources to back them up. If it really bothers you that much you need to see a therapist.

The US graduation rate is about 50%. More academically competitive schools (ie Harvard is 97%, is it a diploma mill ?) have higher because they draw more serious goal-focused students. The graduation rate can be correllated with the schools competitiveness and the student base it draws from . For many schools, the clear majority never graduate. The low in the country is a mere 8% ! (hint, not because its a tough school either). So why is this?

People start college their freshman year for many reasons. Among these are : High school is over and dont know what else to do, friends are going, parents want them too, beats getting a job and working, beats joining the army, heard there was lots of drunken parties with promiscuous members of the opposite sex.

I was there, I did it all. I saw many friends I made my freshman year drop out after a single semester, or a year, or two years. I can conclusively say that most of those that did never had any business at all being in college. They came to party. They didnt study, made poor grades, all they did was get drunk and chase members of the opposite sex. This applies to women as well as men, I knew several girls that got pregnant. I roomed with a 5th cousin of mine my freshman year for 2nd semester. We had the same physics class. I studied hard, only partied on weekend and mastered the problems and made A's, he only partied and played golf every day, and his way of studying was to read the chapter for an hour or two before the test, not work any problems. He made D's and was gone after the freshman year.

Maybe you have a different experience, maybe you are not familiar with freshman life at a major public university, but in my own experience I know that a very significant portion of entering freshman did not come to college with a goal of getting a degree and graduating. They came to try it because they just didnt know what else to do and didnt want to go get a job.
That is reality. It has not changed. My son is in college today and it is about the same, maybe worse.

I have heard it repeated several times what I said about the # 1 reason women go to college, and it was based on questionairre to freshmen. I have no reason in my experience to doubt it.

If you put on a questionairre for freshman women to fill out, to rank what they would most like to have when leaving in 4 years, and include choices of Degree and Husband, what do YOU think the #1 answer would be?

I remember clearly what a young womans mind is like , the nesting instinct kicks in, I knew several people who had girlfriends that got pregnant on purpose. or told their boyfriends they were. Ive seen girls become willing to marry almost anyone, when they start to see all their friends getting married, and I have no problem whatsoever believing what the #1 choice was. For a woman, finding a mate and having kids is usually the most important thing in life.

If I re-phrased it as the #1 thing that entering freshman girls would like to have when leaving college, would it make you feel better? Its really the same thing. Maybe the questioning is a bit like leading the witness, but it draws out the truth. No doubt it is done that way for a reason.

If you disagree, cool. You have that right. Have a great day.

Why Attend College?
Copyright 2001 by Ronald B. Standler

Why Attend College?
Conventional Answers

1. The conventional view is that education increases one's earning potential, so attending college is a ticket to a high-paying job.

2. A college education is a requirement of many professional jobs. A bachelor's degree is a minimum credential for teachers, engineers, commissioned officers in the military, and many salaried jobs in large corporations with a formal hiring process. A bachelor's degree is required for admission to law school or medical school, which – in turn – is a prerequisite to becoming an attorney or physician.

3. Although it is not politically correct to say this aloud, many women attend college to find a husband with an above-average earning potential.

4. Sending a recent high school graduate (i.e., 18 years of age) directly to college for four years, before he/she is employed full-time results in a more mature employee.

from associatedcontent.com:

Still Deciding Whether or Not to Go to College?
There are many benefits of going to college; however many people think the benefits end at a higher salary. As a current college student I have found that the best benefits I have encountered have not come from the class room or from a pay check, but in many other areas. This article is
going to take a look at the top 10 benefits of attending college or a university.

1. Higher Salary

College graduates more on average than a high school graduate, depending on your major you could be earning over $50,000/year for a starting salary. My major of economics has a starting salary of about $52,926 according to www.cnn.com.

2. Find Your Future Spouse

Whether or not many college students want to admit it, they will find their future spouse at college. College is a great environment to hang out with the most diverse group of potential mates.

In fairness , there are studies that seem to rate it low or not at all today . Apparently how it is probed and worded, and who the study participants are will make a difference. A famous study back in 1974 found that although women did not list it as the reason they themselves went to college, they listed it as the #1 reason they said that other women did. Even back then it was still politically incorrect or possibly embarassing to admit.

I first heard it at my own orientation in 1988, at a major public university of ~ 35,000 students. A mere 21.5 yrs ago, not 40. I probably last heard it again 10 yrs ago or so, time flies the older you get. But things havent changed much in that time. Women are getting married on avg slightly later now, about 25 instead of 23 then, but are often taking longer to finish college too. A college education was as important for getting a good job then as it is now, and the percentage of women in workforce was 46% then and about 46% in 2006 too, (50% now and rapidly climbing due to recession). I also still see them getting married and making babies, so Im pretty sure they still want that out of life.

Blind Squirrel · Jan 9, 2010

mudbug said:
You seem to have issues.

I dont feel a need to look for responses to messages, answer them, or attempt to find data , names, or resources to back them up. If it really bothers you that much you need to see a therapist.

---> I assumed when you referred to statements made by "they" that you had someone in mind. I now see that you were just expressing your own general understanding. My mistake completely.

The US graduation rate is about 50%. More academically competitive schools (ie Harvard is 97%, is it a diploma mill ?) have higher because they draw more serious goal-focused students. The graduation rate can be correllated with the schools competitiveness and the student base it draws from . For many schools, the clear majority never graduate. The low in the country is a mere 8% ! (hint, not because its a tough school either). So why is this?

---> If one agrees with your assertion#2 that I have questioned and your graduation rate numbers and their relationship to academically superior colleges, then I am forced to conclude that there are a ton of awfully stupid parents in this country! Cause if my daughter was going to college to get her "Mrs degree", I would sure as Hell make sure she went to Harvard or a like school since that would maximize the chances of marrying a college kid that graduates and he may well make more money when he got out. Why on earth would I let my kid attend any school outside the group of academic elites? I'd get her some student loans and assume her Ivy League husband could easily pay them off. Sweet! Of course if any nontrivial number of people acted in such a logical manner, then those graduation rates would experience a precipitous drop. Hmmm.

People start college their freshman year for many reasons. Among these are : High school is over and dont know what else to do, friends are going, parents want them too, beats getting a job and working, beats joining the army, heard there was lots of drunken parties with promiscuous members of the opposite sex.

---> I couldn't agree more. However, I did not expect you to describe common experiential knowledge that argues against your assertion about "Mrs degrees." I must be being outsmarted here. Is this a tactic inspired by the Chubaca defense used by Johnnie Cochran in the South Park episode? If so, I can only say well played sir.

I was there, I did it all. I saw many friends I made my freshman year drop out after a single semester, or a year, or two years. I can conclusively say that most of those that did never had any business at all being in college. They came to party. They didnt study, made poor grades, all they did was get drunk and chase members of the opposite sex. This applies to women as well as men, I knew several girls that got pregnant. I roomed with a 5th cousin of mine my freshman year for 2nd semester. We had the same physics class. I studied hard, only partied on weekend and mastered the problems and made A's, he only partied and played golf every day, and his way of studying was to read the chapter for an hour or two before the test, not work any problems. He made D's and was gone after the freshman year.

---> Please see my previous response.

Maybe you have a different experience, maybe you are not familiar with freshman life at a major public university, but in my own experience I know that a very significant portion of entering freshman did not come to college with a goal of getting a degree and graduating. They came to try it because they just didnt know what else to do and didnt want to go get a job.
That is reality. It has not changed. My son is in college today and it is about the same, maybe worse.

---> Did you get your degree in the last 25 years? I now have 2 kids in college. Of course I have heard innumerable comments from boys and girls and their parents regarding their college plans. I have yet to hear a girl say, even to her friends, that she was anxious to get married any time soon, let alone intended to go to college to accomplish that goal. Which brings me to what I suspect is the reason for the difference in your opinion and mine on this "Mrs" matter. I live in a metropolitan area. The majority of wives/mothers that I encounter work for a variety of reasons. I have yet to hear a teen aged girl so much as hint that she did not plan to work and by their senior year in HS, most enthusiastically talk about their career plans, oddly enough, same as boys. At the same time, I realize the experiences/aspirations of those in my area are not the same as those everywhere else in this country. For example, a story came out a few months ago about a High School in some rural town that had a seperate prom for blacks and whites. That crap would simply not occur in 2009 where I live. Not a chance. But it rather clearly demonstrates that there are areas in this country that are out of step with current reality and thinking.

I have heard it repeated several times what I said about the # 1 reason women go to college, and it was based on questionairre to freshmen. I have no reason in my experience to doubt it.
---> When? The decade in which those questionaires were answered would suffice. Given the number of studies that clealry show over the last 30 years or so an ever increasing number of women in the workplace, women in upper management in Fortune 100/500 companies as well as female owners of small businesses, as well as the remarks you made yourself earlier in your post, I seriously doubt that your assertion represents current reality at more than a miniscule number of colleges, if any at all.

If you put on a questionairre for freshman women to fill out, to rank what they would most like to have when leaving in 4 years, and include choices of Degree and Husband, what do YOU think the #1 answer would be?

---> Without question the #1 reason would be academics/job related (and by job I do NOT mean house wife). If you are right, then there are sure as Hell a lot of very pissed off parents every year when they find out they've paid tens of thousands of dollars so their daughter could marry a statistically unlikely to graduate loser frat boy (a reference to your earlier statements).

I remember clearly what a young womans mind is like , the nesting instinct kicks in, I knew several people who had girlfriends that got pregnant on purpose. or told their boyfriends they were. Ive seen girls become willing to marry almost anyone, when they start to see all their friends getting married, and I have no problem whatsoever believing what the #1 choice was.

---> In your early 20s you knew what a young women's mind was like? You are indeed one in a million. Make that billion. I have yet to meet a 50 year old with that knowledge. I sure as Hell don't have it and never will. Whatever your income is now, you can surely make many times more if your would write a book on the matter.
Re the "nesting instinct": How did the male "hunting instinct" manifest itself during your college days? How about since then?

If I re-phrased it as the #1 thing that entering freshman girls would like to have when leaving college, would it make you feel better. Its really the same thing. Maybe the questioning is a bit like leading the witness, but it draws out the truth. No doubt it is done that way for a reason.

---> Same response as earlier.

If you disagree, cool. You have that right. Have a great day.

Lastly, yes I definitely have issues. I would guess about the same number as other folks. One issue I definitely have is with those of my fellow males who are chauvinistic and/or have demeaning/insulting views of females. And anyone that posts remarks that I view as being such, particularly in an internet message board whose focus is the activities of young females, can expect me (when I become aware of it) to respond. At the same time I believe your objectionable assertion is actually quite instructive as it provides evidence that female college students today and into the near future should expect to encounter men from time to time who still have antiquated views of women.

Have a great day.

John

14 "A" or 16 "B", which one is more competitive?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

JC heir

Mark H

Oside

Guest

softballfan94

mudbug

Blind Squirrel

Guest

Blind Squirrel

Guest

mudbug

Blind Squirrel

Guest

Similar threads

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Share this page

Online statistics

Forum statistics