Pros & Cons of players playing up

Just wanted to hear the general opinions out there regarding players playing up.

DD (04, 12U) has recently been asked to play with an older team with a mix of 03's and 02's playing 14U. This past Sunday DD played a friendly for them and more than held her own.

At first I was a bit hesitant but after talking to HC he brought up some very valid points to consider. 1st off, DD will get plenty of playing time at her desired positions. The one thing he said that made me look a this a bit different was "When DD gets to HS as a freshman and is trying out for a Varsity team, who is she competing against? And if she makes Varsity Freshman or Sophomore year, who will she be competing against? most likely seniors, 02 and 01 players. Why not get her comfortable playing with and against older girls now?"

This team/organization has plans on creating a true 12U team by August/September but until then the 04's DD included will be playing 14U friendlies. I know a lot of 03, 12U teams are already starting to play up in 14U friendlies as they get ready to make the jump to 14U in August.

So please let me know what you guys think generally about play ups, whether good or bad I always use feedback to get a better or different perspective of things. Thanks.

It usually comes down to if you're comfortable with the social aspect on the teams.

Sweet Lou said:

It usually comes down to if you're comfortable with the social aspect on the teams.

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Social aspect = 3 B's: boys (or girls, whatever), boobs, and b.s.

My 14yo DD is on Varsity - and WOW just WOW there is a world she is now aware of that she wasn't before. We just keep the lines of communication open, and I blush a lot during our conversations - but she's gonna learn it sooner or later, I guess.

Pros- Assuming she gets ample playing time she will get better faster.
Cons- Social issues grow with bigger age gaps.

DD did it when she was 12 and improved a ton, but her love for the game went down. It's my
biggest regret as a softball parent but I've seen many work out very well.

The biggest pro is experience against older and hopefully better competition. Also the chance to play with teammates that are more mature softball wise will help your DD. Being around good teammates that have a good softball IQ and work ethic will rub off on your DD.

The con is the maturity difference off the field. It is said in every one of these threads. My DD is a well adjusted and mature 13 yo but playing varsity with girls 3-6 years older than her can be tough. I don't think you will see as drastic of a difference as we do because of the smaller age gap. There is a huge difference between girls in the 6th grade and girls in the eighth though.

First thing to look at as others have mentioned is her maturity and if she’s ready to be around older girls. Most important from a softball standpoint is the quality of coaching. Next, consider the level of play. There’s very little benefit moving from 12U A to 14U or even 16U B. Consider the actual level of play and not just what the team calls itself. If your goal is an “A” team, make sure they’re playing in “A” tournaments. Finally look at playing time. You want her to get innings, but not at the expense of quality coaching or teammates without like-minded goals and commitment levels.

What would the 12U team be like? Good chance to win at the State/National level?

You might also want to consider the leadership aspect of this. Regardless of how skilled a younger player is, she will have a difficult time being a formal or informal leader on the team with older players. She may miss out on a chance to mentor a younger player, to be the motivator, the stand-in coach, the team captain etc. These are often overlooked experiences that can help a young person grow into a leader outside of softball in their high school, college, or in their eventual career.

MNDad said:

First thing to look at as others have mentioned is her maturity and if she’s ready to be around older girls. Most important from a softball standpoint is the quality of coaching. Next, consider the level of play. There’s very little benefit moving from 12U A to 14U or even 16U B. Consider the actual level of play and not just what the team calls itself. If your goal is an “A” team, make sure they’re playing in “A” tournaments. Finally look at playing time. You want her to get innings, but not at the expense of quality coaching or teammates without like-minded goals and commitment levels.

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This ^^^^. Coaching is extremely important at that age.

IRONMAN said:

What would the 12U team be like? Good chance to win at the State/National level?

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Not in Southern California, lol

I trust the coaching and winning tournaments isn't our primary concern. when the 12U team comes together I just hope they compete. If it's a true 04 team I'd hate to see them get blown away by 15+ runs to an 05 team, lol. What I have seen from them right now the 14U team can compete and play against some solid 02 teams. If the coaches can produce that level of team in 12U we will be happy, especially if DD gets to play a contributing role.