Make the Jump or not?

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Your dd has come a long way in softball and you all should be proud of that. Many competitive players in my area go from 14u straight to an 18u showcase team. IMO I would keep her w a B team and just have her play up, rather than move up a division. Most of those girls playing at the A level have done so for years. You want to challenge your dd but not put her in a situation where she is doubting herself and her abilities. Best of luck in whatever she decides to do!


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If your DD has aspirations of playing in college she needs to get on an A-level team asap. If she is just playing for fun, let her follow her heart.

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DD was on a team with great kids and parents, but rhe level of commitment was different from player to player. DD was taking the sport seriously and began to get frustrated as she was out growing her team. On the ride home from a hitting lesson, she asked me, "Do you think I am on the right team?" She came to the decision on her own, but I had known it for quite some time and wanted her to come to her own decision. Leaving friends for the unknown is never easy, but it was the right decision. Still have great friends on her old team, but it's never exactly the same.

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BobInMadison said:

She's not sure about playing in college.
She wants to be a pre-Med so I would lean against it.

On one hand she would love to play higher level ball.
OTOH she would be leaving a great group of girls.

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She will make new friends on the new team, and get to push herself to compete against the best.

DD had a very similar decision to make during 2015. She was playing for a solid "B" team with girls she became very close with. Ultimately, she had mixed decisions about playing college ball, but wanted to keep it open as an option. The team she was with didn't like to travel much and very few of the girls had any desire to play college ball. Another local team called and asked her to play during a weekend DD's team wasn't scheduled to play. Reluctantly, she gave it a shot. By the end of the weekend, I was amazed how close she was to girls she really just met. She started talking about "snapchat streaks" and other things I don't understand. A few days later the head coach called and asked if she would join the team permanently. The timing was perfect and she jumped at the opportunity. Now two years later, she is still with that group. While technically this is still a "B" team, it is much more aggressive with it's scheduling. And to be honest, I don't think calling it an "A" team would be much of a stretch. Bottom line is that I feel this was the right decision for my DD at the time and I know she does not regret it at all. In fact, she is still close friends with several of the girls from the previous team, even though she doesn't see them as often.

It sounds like your DD was very involved in this decision, and I think that bodes well for it being a positive experience for her. Good luck!

BobInMadison said:

I just paid the initial fee for the A team.
This was DD 3's decision. She bugged me last year, but I started a new job about a year ago, and it would not have worked then.
This year she thinks she is ready. It will be tough to say goodbye to her old coach and her old team.

VERY mixed emotions.

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There will be mixed emotions from just about everyone involved. I think you'll find that the new team is having just as much fun as her old team.