14U or 16U exposure?

SBFAMILY said:

Yes, but our goal was D2. Can't sign yet. In the visit mode, but she is being recruited in two sports and like a typical 17 year old it is a tough choice for her. Many D3 are trying to have her play both, but I don't think she can handle it.

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Well congrats!! I pitched D1 and can tell you that's one hard schedule. So many games, lots of travel and then keeping up with studies. I'm trying to explain to my DD D1 means little in softball. Really just a bragging right, because there is no pot of gold after it. No million dollar contracts like in BB. I'm hoping she can get a scholarship close to home ( so I can go to as many games as possible ) and to a school that specializes in her field of study.

DD has a pitcher friend that is 14U eligible but was recruited to an 18U team. DD who is 1st year 14U commented, I'd rather play 14U and pitch a lot than be the number 3 on an 18U team. If a kid thinks this way maybe you should consider it. Putting your DD on a 16U where she gets lots of innings is one thing but if she is rounding out the rotation perhaps waiting would be better.

Putting your DD on a 16U where she gets lots of innings is one thing but if she is rounding out the rotation perhaps waiting would be better.

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Good point.

GOINGDEEP said:

Well congrats!! I pitched D1 and can tell you that's one hard schedule. So many games, lots of travel and then keeping up with studies. I'm trying to explain to my DD D1 means little in softball. Really just a bragging right, because there is no pot of gold after it. No million dollar contracts like in BB. I'm hoping she can get a scholarship close to home ( so I can go to as many games as possible ) and to a school that specializes in her field of study.

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Amen! D1 to me is for bragging rights. I am trying to convince my DD (17YO) find a school YOU like. I graduated from a Big Ten university and I think the smaller private school give you a better education that will pay off later in life. I also try to explain if you go D1, you will probably sit your first year (not a pitcher) or go to a smaller school and start right away & make a contribution to the team right away.

Seeing your kid play on ESPN or the Big Ten Network would be cool, but is it really the goal?

Thanks for all the feedback. My DD is definitely a young 13 (Oct). Being in 7th grade, most of her classmates are still in 12U. You have given us a lot to think about. Right now she is currently #1 on her team. She gets plenty of innings. In 16U, I can't be sure where she would fall in the depth chart. Have any of you been through the process yet? If she were to go 16U and lets say, she gets knocked around in Colorado, whould that have a negative effect on recruiting? Could coaches remember a shelling and stay away? First impressions go a long way.

I would be against my 7th grader(DD#2) playing with 18YOs. The maturity level is completely different, socially. Some of the dug out talk might alienate her & she is just not old enough to deal with all of that.

However, the team I coach is a 98 team (she is on it) and the entire team will be playing up (high school division) 2-3 tourneys this spring/summer. I haven't decided exactly how many yet. I think this is a good way to challenge our team. Seems there are a lot of bad 14U teams and why would you want to be a big-dog team in that setting? Teams should play at a level where they squeek out a win or play their best and still lose a close game. That is what we are looking for.

Tough call.

We are registered 14U, and play all 16U except State/Nationals; we're very successful at 16U (win over 50% of the time, don't get blown out, etc.). We play every exposure tourney we're allowed into. The girls are better off socially because of it, IMHO. They can play together as a team, and socialize together off the field as well. Making a huge jump may work socially for some girls, some might not. Once they're HS age, IMHO the social aspect doesn't really matter as much, because they're always around older girls anyway.

Playing time is huge though.....be number 1 and dominate getting a ton of successful innings on the 14U team...or as said above, being number 3 and getting the Saturday pool game cleanup? No comparison in my mind, gotta get the game time in the circle to truly get better. I wouldn't agree with having my DD move to Gold this year, if what the coach is really trying to do is lock her up to be a 1 or 2 for the following year, it doesn't make sense to me.

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GOINGDEEP and BD857. Need parents to read what you posted and let the kids understand its about an education and are they going to enjoy those four years. I'm letting her decide . One thing that turned her off about D1, many of the kids told her about the 5 am to 7am workouts, and many had to go 5 years to get a degree, with the demands a D1 sport puts on you. Also she noticed the turnover , few making it 4 years.. I have seen more than my share pushed by parents and then no longer having fun.

Experience here has similarities and all I can do is share my thoughts as I don't have any conclusions yet:

At first eligibility for the 14U year we went from the previous years 12U Bminus-level TB where DD got "lots of Ooo's & Ahhh's" to belonging to a best-in-state mostly 2nd-yr 14U Class A TB team. We were there rounding-out (as you say) their one year older existing pitching staff.

The combination of being the young one and the rounding out the pitching squad had DD sitting on bench too much.

The next year, as a second year 14U, we had to leave to get more pitch-time and got aligned with an B+/A- club that was 18U "exposure" that needed a pitcher. Unfortunately DD got injured in HS before that TB season. This 18U season was just lack-luster in all regards as DD was still rebounding from injury with a changed motion to avoid further injury. (too many details here on how we got aligned with this TB squad but it felt good about it at the start - the early winter prior of course)

Point being that in both cases here my DD really got pushed and it definitely humbled her from her 12U days of glory. There was also the social adjustment in each case where it was equally dramatic in both just a year seperation in 14U (where going to Class A was a big part too) and then obviously relating to 18 year olds in the following year (even though DD was probably the most matured on that 18U TB team from a competativeness perspective).

So here we are now at the first year of getting her back to her "right age bracket" for her first year in 16U and I question all those previous decisions. Was it a good move to stretch her like that? Did I do damage to DD's confidence? Did I make a tougher, more grounded, and harder working first year 16U player? I think only a crystal ball will tell. I want to believe the latter....

(Know that DD being back in her right age bracket wasn't by design but only by desiring to align with any TB team with more in common,...including expected pitching time.)

The thing is though I let DD be final say in what we do. I know that there is a side of her that wanted to just please Daddy but I am pretty sure we did what she wanted to do. Mommy was big in helping with this decision too!

Hopefully after this HS & more importantly the TB season I can look back and see that I gave her a good amount of change and challenge to evolve her quicker to put her in a better place for her critical Junior year in HS. We'll see......

SBFAMILY said:

GOINGDEEP and BD857. Need parents to read what you posted and let the kids understand its about an education and are they going to enjoy those four years. I'm letting her decide . One thing that turned her off about D1, many of the kids told her about the 5 am to 7am workouts, and many had to go 5 years to get a degree, with the demands a D1 sport puts on you. Also she noticed the turnover , few making it 4 years.. I have seen more than my share pushed by parents and then no longer having fun.

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Yes sir. We had those 6-8 am workouts, classes in the day, then practice in the afternoon. You were mentally AND physically worn out. You know a few years ago I dreamed of seeing my DD on tv pitching, but now after I came back to reality I'd rather see her as often at home and see as many games in person as I can. I want her to enjoy college......because after that its time for the real world.

Girls just don't have the same opportunities in this game that are available to BB players. ( because of MLB ) Give you an example*** My nephew took a full ride to a private Christian college in AR. Heavy class load and playing baseball. But he has been invited to play semi-pro baseball during the summer in New York. So college is free, the BB schedule is not that demanding of D1, and all summer will be trying to get that look playing ball at a higher level. ( when he can devote his full attention and not worry about school )