Playing up at 18 vs 16?

Gambler Bob said:

I would pay a lot of attention to the bolder area in the above quote. Your daughter has to get a good amount of playing time to warrant playing up at 18u. If she is going to be sitting half the innings I don't see this being a good move for your daughter. For recruiting purposes I would have to agree with the others that recommend playing a year at 16u.

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Yes D1 is not for everyone because of both the time commitment and player talent.

DD did not want to go through the D1 grind. She wanted to be in a family atmosphere where softball wasn't the sole focus every waking moment, so she focused on D2 programs that met her academic needs and were also nationally competitive. Besides, she isn't top D1 talent anyway, so her desires worked out well. Not sure she avoided the grind as much as she wanted to, but she committed to her number one D2 school on her list a few weeks ago.

As far as your DD's choice. Playing time is never guaranteed. Tell her to play 18s and be so good they can't sit her. It will be good practice for college.

riseball said:

If she is a stud pitcher she is better off playing high level 18U where the better, older hitters play. Quite frankly, I think playing 16u is more about staying in a small pool to not get crushed. Like they say if you can't hang with the big dogs...

You also need to decide on a recruiting strategy. If your plan is to go showcases and get seen, then play 16U and get seen with all the other players. However, if you will truly work the process and to get noticed, then play at the highest level with the best team possible, in an environment where you will get better. If you do your job the coaches will be there.

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I tend to agree with Riseball on this. If you have worked the process, and the college coach has put you on their list they will go see you. If I were a college coach I want to see a player going up against the best competition, the best pitching, the best hitters. At most showcases, the 16's and 18's are literally playing next to each other. I have seen stud's in the 14/16's division wither and fall apart in 18's.

It also depends on how deep the organization is. If it's a large one then you will typically play your age. If it's smaller, then there is a higher likelihood that you will be pulled up if you can help the older team.

cuzmail said:

Yes D1 is not for everyone because of both the time commitment and player talent.

DD did not want to go through the D1 grind. She wanted to be in a family atmosphere where softball wasn't the sole focus every waking moment, so she focused on D2 programs that met her academic needs and were also nationally competitive. Besides, she isn't top D1 talent anyway, so her desires worked out well. Not sure she avoided the grind as much as she wanted to, but she committed to her number one D2 school on her list a few weeks ago.

As far as your DD's choice. Playing time is never guaranteed. Tell her to play 18s and be so good they can't sit her. It will be good practice for college.

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BTW, Congrats! My DD's teammate growing up/HS will be going to the same school next year.

Be on the team that we will make your DD happy and help her reach her goals whatever they are. It is clear that there are regional differences across the country, so what will work for one DD is one area might not work for another somewhere else.

Once they leave 14U it is all HS age softball as far as I am concerned. They could get rid of the 16U division for all I care for almost everything but nationals. The best value showcases we have been at for college exposure goals have been 'open' division anyway.

Edit: I have enjoyed having my DD on teams with girls all the same age as her. That has worked well for her. But that is her and I live in a state with LOTS of options. Your mileage may vary.

riseball said:

If she is a stud pitcher she is better off playing high level 18U where the better, older hitters play. Quite frankly, I think playing 16u is more about staying in a small pool to not get crushed. Like they say if you can't hang with the big dogs...

You also need to decide on a recruiting strategy. If your plan is to go showcases and get seen, then play 16U and get seen with all the other players. However, if you will truly work the process and to get noticed, then play at the highest level with the best team possible, in an environment where you will get better. If you do your job the coaches will be there.

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If she is a stud pitcher at the 16U age level, she has already been identified, followed, and likely offered by schools.

JAD said:

I would stick with 16U for the recruiting advantages if your DD plans to play in college.

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I have heard this from parents before but I don't think it means what they think it means. I really dislike that statement as it's an incomplete sentence for reasons others have pointed out.

Agree with others who say to play 18U. Around here (NJ/PA/DE) it seems that there are way fewer higher level 16U teams - most of the above average talent will move from 14U to 18U, making good competition at 16U a little scarce. You will also see several organizations around here (even the big name ones) with only one 16U team while there will be 2-3 teams at the 14U and 18U levels.

cuzmail said:

Yes D1 is not for everyone because of both the time commitment and player talent.

DD did not want to go through the D1 grind. She wanted to be in a family atmosphere where softball wasn't the sole focus every waking moment, so she focused on D2 programs that met her academic needs and were also nationally competitive. Besides, she isn't top D1 talent anyway, so her desires worked out well. Not sure she avoided the grind as much as she wanted to, but she committed to her number one D2 school on her list a few weeks ago.

As far as your DD's choice. Playing time is never guaranteed. Tell her to play 18s and be so good they can't sit her. It will be good practice for college.

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There is a myth that D1 somehow equates to high quality, high commitment, etc. Most D1 programs do not fit that description. High quality, high commitment programs can be found at all levels. Those in the process would be well served to put this popular, yet incorrect bias aside and evaluate programs objectively on the experience they provide.

riseball said:

There is a myth that D1 somehow equates to high quality, high commitment, etc. Most D1 programs do not fit that description. High quality, high commitment programs can be found at all levels. Those in the process would be well served to put this popular, yet incorrect bias aside and evaluate programs objectively on the experience they provide.

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Popular - yes. Incorrect - not quite. Anyway your due diligence advice is sound and exactly what we did and where my statement originated.
No not all D1 equates to a grind, but more do than do not. At least around our area. Of course your mileage may vary.

What is more important is the fit. D1, D2, ...etc doesn't matter as much unless someone wants to wear the D1 commit badge around town.