10A/B or 12C

[Alsmygal]

My daughter has a January 2002 birthday and we are trying to make the decision of keeping her in 10u for a second year or moving her up to 12u this spring. What are some of the factors we should take into consideration to help us make the best decision? She did get a huge confidence boost playing 10 A/B through the fall with tons of success, but I also know that the competition level may not be quite what it will be in the spring/summer. I'm just torn on what to do. Help? And please....if you're a coach that has seen her play, let's hear it from you, too. I've got different coaches telling me different things, and her main long-term goal is to play at the college level.

 

[coach james]

Im a strong believer in that your only as good as your competition. So maybe she wont shine as bright on a 12u team, but ask your self this... will she be a better player next year for it or not? As far as her confidence... just imagine how it will soar once she realizes she can hang with the older groups!

 

[JAD]

If the choice is between playing 10U A/B level TB or 12U C level TB, she needs to stay at 10U. The 12U - C level girls will be older, but there will be a lot of girls who are new to travel ball and may even be some who are new to softball altogether.

 

[David Carter]

Whatever you decide she needs to be PLAYING not SITTING on whatever team she is on, she won't learn anything watching 12U from the bench. My usual advice is girls should be on the very best team thy can PLAY on.

 

[humpty]

Does she pitch? Is she a big kid? Which team has the better coaches? She might see better pitching in 10a. 12c I'm thinking rec ball.

 

[Ryan]

I agree with coach James. I got my daughter on a better 10u team for a season whereshe sat quite a bit. But now that she is working with girls again from her old all-star team, there is a big difference. I was bummed to see her sit and not play her desired positions, but she improved greatly.

 

[Alsmygal]

Does she pitch? Is she a big kid? Which team has the better coaches? She might see better pitching in 10a. 12c I'm thinking rec ball.

She is a lefty pitcher. She's about 5 feet tall and bigger than an average 5th grader. She played on an EXCEPTIONAL 10A team that finished 24-1 this fall and her playing time was limited somewhat. She was their #3 pitcher and played first base and outfield occasionally. Then she also guest-played on a 10B team and was their #1 pitcher and their record with her on the mound was 10-1 through the fall. Several 10u teams have offered her their #1 pitching spot with first base as her spot when she's not in the circle. And two 12u teams have offered her spots, and if I'm understanding them correctly, she would more than likely be the #2. I definitely don't want to move her up just to have her sit, but she does need to be challenged. She throws an 11 inch ball in the mid 40's with pretty good movement for a 10 year old and most 10u players can't hit against her.

Honestly, right now, the whole thing just seems overwhelming to try to make the right decision and part of me wishes she was just a clumsy little bookworm that wasn't in love with this game.

 

[kew1076]

Unless it is a younger 12U(all 11 yr olds) I would stick with the 10U...

Something else to consider is ball size...There is a big difference between 11" and 12"...

 

[abrisley]

I abstain

But really she would be a primary pitcher with us. I say in the top two because everyone has an off day and she is taking on a new challenge with moving up to a 12 in ball at 40 ft. All of the girls on that team are 11 but 2. Something to consider.

 

[jacketsfan]

What exactly is 12C? If that's all kids that have never played before, that will frustrate her more, I think, than 10u.

One thing too that I think is very important is the maturity differences at these ages. Regardless of relative abilities, kids that act like they're 8 drive kids that act like they're 14 insane, and vice versa. You might want to make sure she's a match from that standpoint as well.

Last, no one signs scholarships in 10u or 12u, and half the kids at that age quit playing before 16u. Make sure she's learning, and having fun - that matters more than anything at that age.