8u Transition to 10u

[Razor011]

Hello all! I’d like to get some opinions on how/when is best to move from coach pitch to kid pitch. Our current situation: DD’s team is a 2011 8u team who plays local league (for practice and field availability) and plays 2-3 tournaments a month traveling up to 2 hours regionally to get competition. League play is of no benefit as we are killing every other team. Tournaments are better, but we definitely don’t win them all. And, I know there is stronger competition at other venues we would not compete with. However, we do have 2-3 2010 players who we are gonna lose in the spring due to age. So, HC is wanting to play 10u league (so our girls get to face stronger competition and to get them ready for 10u) and start the spring playing 8u tournaments and then evaluate and go from there.

I personally think this is a horrible idea. My oldest daughter also plays so I know the challenges of the transition. I value the need for a “warm up” season. I just don’t think your last spring season of 8u is the perfect time. I see girls on the team still struggling very much with basic fundamentals. I need some help understanding the benefit better i guess. It has always been my understanding and experience that you move up the fall before. Just for clarity, we carry 12 girls. One has been in pitching lessons for quite some time, one other is just now starting.

If this was your team, what would you do? As a parent, how would you present your opinion to the HC?

Thanks all! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!


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[badmonkey]

Not that it's the right thing necessarily, but around here every girl that is halfway decent jumps up to 10U a year early in rec, and a good amount do it in TB. Comparing the development, DD was on a team of girls that moved up early. There was another team that used to kick the tar out of them in 8U. They played up to 10U in a tourney at the end of the year and it was a massacre. The girls that moved up just looked better in all aspects of the game. Our coach was actually shocked, and halfway expecting to get beaten. Of course, it was their first 10U tourney, but the tables had turned completely.

 

[Razor011]

Not that it's the right thing necessarily, but around here every girl that is halfway decent jumps up to 10U a year early in rec, and a good amount do it in TB. Comparing the development, DD was on a team of girls that moved up early. There was another team that used to kick the tar out of them in 8U. They played up to 10U in a tourney at the end of the year and it was a massacre. The girls that moved up just looked better in all aspects of the game. Our coach was actually shocked, and halfway expecting to get beaten. Of course, it was their first 10U tourney, but the tables had turned completely.

Did they still compete as 8u in tournaments? And by a year early, you mean a whole year, not just the Fall season prior?


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[badmonkey]

DDs team did not compete in any 8U tourneys. The previous season it was all year, summer and fall. The decision to move up to 10U was made over the winter.

 

[Rick M]

DD played 8U through the fall of her second year. It was everybody's first go-around and we just didn't know any better

That transition from coach pitch to kid pitch is tough for a lot of reasons, mostly because the pitching is awful. Like, really awful. I think your coach has the right idea about mixing some 8U and 10U games. If your Rec league games are blowouts at 8U, then absolutely move up to 10U for Rec. In 10U Rec, you can do stuff like modified coach pitch, where the coach comes in after four balls and gets three additional pitches, with no walks.

And if your 8U tournaments are competitive, keep playing them at 8U. If your girls are struggling in 10U Rec (and they will), it's nice to go out and be competitive every few weekends. Maybe even throw a 10U tourney in at the end of the summer. By next fall, they'll be ready to play 10U full-time.

ETA: Completely different because of the skill level, but DD played a full season of 14U in Rec this past spring while playing 12U travel. It made the Rec games worthwhile, and she's transitioned seamlessly to 14U TB this fall.

 

[cnardone]

Just so I understand. you have a team made up of mostly 2nd year 8U, and last year in rec you destroyed everybody. Why would you stay in 8U rec if there was no competition last year? This year will be even worse. Sure, they are going to lose some in 10U, but the rec around me has lots of girls that lack basic fundamentals.

For Tourney's you'll continue to do 8U and evaluate from there. That sounds like a good idea to me.

My only hesitation would if you don't have any pitchers capable of throwing strikes. You need to have a girl (more is better), that can throw enough strikes that the team gets to play instead of just standing in the field. I've watched 32 out of 35 or so pitches be called balls. walk in 5 runs inning ends. That is not helpful to anyone.

good luck.

 

[canyonjoe]

At the very least you should move up for the rec season.

 

[Eric F]

How ever you decide to move forward, keep this in mind....Results don't matter. Playing an appropriate level of competition is a valid, but winning or losing is irrelevant. The focus should be completely on developing skills and game knowledge. If player development is taking a back seat to game results, there is a very big problem with the program.

 

[Razor011]

DD played 8U through the fall of her second year. It was everybody's first go-around and we just didn't know any better

That transition from coach pitch to kid pitch is tough for a lot of reasons, mostly because the pitching is awful. Like, really awful. I think your coach has the right idea about mixing some 8U and 10U games. If your Rec league games are blowouts at 8U, then absolutely move up to 10U for Rec. In 10U Rec, you can do stuff like modified coach pitch, where the coach comes in after four balls and gets three additional pitches, with no walks.

And if your 8U tournaments are competitive, keep playing them at 8U. If your girls are struggling in 10U Rec (and they will), it's nice to go out and be competitive every few weekends. Maybe even throw a 10U tourney in at the end of the summer. By next fall, they'll be ready to play 10U full-time.

ETA: Completely different because of the skill level, but DD played a full season of 14U in Rec this past spring while playing 12U travel. It made the Rec games worthwhile, and she's transitioned seamlessly to 14U TB this fall.

We don’t have the option of the “coach assisted” pitching. Here, coaches pitch in 8u, 10u is all kid pitch. Big girl ball.


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[Razor011]

How ever you decide to move forward, keep this in mind....Results don't matter. Playing an appropriate level of competition is a valid, but winning or losing is irrelevant. The focus should be completely on developing skills and game knowledge. If player development is taking a back seat to game results, there is a very big problem with the program.

And this is the exact reason that in previous seasons with my oldest DDs team, we wouldn’t play league at all. We rented a field for practice facilities and focused on development instead of playing 2 one hour games each week.


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