10U Rec or 10UTB?

[Bigflipdaddy]

The summer all start season just ended for my daughter's 8U team. There's a handful of girls who are the "better" ones on the team and it seems like it would be a disservice to keep these girls playing in this fall/winter league coming up. There isn't enough girls who sign up for winter ball to make enough 8u and 10u teams to have separate divisions, therefore, they combine the 8's and 10's. It's kind of frustrating to mix 10's with some beginning 8's because of the skill level. I experienced this last fall/winter cause I was an AC for one of the teams.
A few of the parents were thinking of putting together a "club" team for better girls from our all star team and recruit a few other girls to round out the team. We'd practice a couple times a week and play friendlies on SUndays. Then maybe play a local tournament once or twice a month. I've talked to my daughter about this, and she wants to keep playing with these girls from her all star team. The handful of the better girls have created a pretty good bond and play well together. I'd hate to break that up. Part of me would like to just in the fall league just to get some experience playing with other girls and just have "fun". But in a sense I know she's super competitive & will get a little irritated with the lesser skilled girls. I don't know...
Just curious on what some the other members of this board have done. My daughter will be 9 this fall...that's one of the things that's holding me back...playing ball should be about having fun! Maybe 9 is too young for club or tb....Any input would be great! Thanks.

 

[Sweet Lou]

I've talked to my daughter about this, and she wants to keep playing with these girls from her all star team.

It sounds like you and your DD have different ideas.

 

[robertc3]

Why can't TB be fun? I think it can be really fun.

We created a team like you are describing for our 10 year olds last year and it worked really well. Lots of work, but gave the girls a more competitive environment while still allowing them to play rec during the season. The girls who played on what we called a "tournament team" were all of the best players in their rec league this past spring. They rolled into all stars and things went well. We are really looking forward to the fall season starting up next month.

 

[Eric F]

From our league's all-star teams this year, two 10U "select" teams have been formed for pretty much exactly the reasons you mention - giving the more skilled players a continuation of their development that they wouldn't get in the league's Fall Ball program. One of the teams is all girls who will be 2nd-year 10U players, and the other is primarily girls moving up from 8U to 10U. Both teams will be playing in the San Dimas Winterball program, which allows independent teams to participate. When the Spring season comes, the players from both teams will be back in the league. There is are no plans to create full-time TB teams.

For us, my 9yo DD and her teammates formed a very tight bond last year during 8U all-stars when they won the District Championship and went to States. The older 10U "select" team for this Fall is based on that group of girls. A few from the original 8U team have drifted away for various reasons, and we've brought a couple of new recruits in, but the core of the team remains intact. It's a great group of players and parents who are all on the same page.

As for "fun", there's nothing my DD and her teammates like more than competing. Put them in a pool, and some sort of competitive game breaks out (often with rules they make up on the spot). Walking through a large parking lot becomes a running race. For every one of them, NOTHING is more fun than being on a softball field together...especially if we go get ice cream together afterwards.

 

[JAD]

My DD started playing C-level TB when she was 9 years old and never looked back.....if there is appropriate level TB in your area I would highly recommend making the switch.

 

[marriard]

When the Spring season comes, the players from both teams will be back in the league. There is are no plans to create full-time TB teams.

Hahhahhahahahhahahaa.... Oh Eric, you kill me...

 

[Eric F]

Hahhahhahahahhahahaa.... Oh Eric, you kill me...

I could see it happening when they move to 12U in another year, but for the upcoming year of 10U, they will stick with rec. This has already been discussed among the coaches and parents. We're all on the same page.

 

[JJsqueeze]

I could see it happening when they move to 12U in another year, but for the upcoming year of 10U, they will stick with rec. This has already been discussed among the coaches and parents. We're all on the same page.

I'm with you Eric. This is what my lil ones team does. The TB org has full time 12s and 14s but for the 10s he plays them in the fall and disbands in the spring and they go back to rec for the all star experience. He thinks that this gives them a couple of months of being a stud, then they get an equivalent level of challenge during all stars, then they play TB in the fall. The spring rec season becomes 3 months of fun with 9 other months of competition. He doesn't think they should go full time TB until they hit 12s.

On another note, now that you are playing TB in the fall maybe we can accidentally make sure we sign up for the same friendly.

 

[Eric F]

I'm with you Eric. This is what my lil ones team does. The TB org has full time 12s and 14s but for the 10s he plays them in the fall and disbands in the spring and they go back to rec for the all star experience. He thinks that this gives them a couple of months of being a stud, then they get an equivalent level of challenge during all stars, then they play TB in the fall. The spring rec season becomes 3 months of fun with 9 other months of competition. He doesn't think they should go full time TB until they hit 12s.

On another note, now that you are playing TB in the fall maybe we can accidentally make sure we sign up for the same friendly.

"...accidentally make sure..." Sounds like a good plan. I'm not the HC, but we're good friends, so I might have some influence.

 

[Turtle]

We have a team of 7-9 year olds that we started last fall with in 8U rec. In the spring, we moved up to start a transition to 10U in rec. We're done with our transition now and making the most of it. We are not seeing the win column much right now, but the girls are getting a lot better all the time.

As for fun, we purposefully have a group of very competitive girls. They have determination to be better. Even though we're taking our lumps playing against bigger and more experienced girls right now, we still have plenty of fun through competition, improvement, and random spats of goofiness.

I say take the more competitive path. Why be good when you can be great?