Adding 14U players to 12U team for a few months. Right or wrong?

[JJS]

A team in our organization was once left in the position of not having all their girls because some where in HS. They merged for a couple months with another team from a different organization for 3 months. Both teams had coaches on the coaching staff. They designed their own tee shirts to be worn as jerseys until they were done. I'm sure that some girls didn't get to play the position that they were used to, but a group of girls all got to play ball. Seems like a much better alternative than what yours is doing.

 

[quincy]

Here in Illinois we play MS in the Fall so 14U Teams gets squeezed on both sides. HS ends in May(I do not know of anyone playing varsity so playoffs have not affected us), MS starts in August. So you have 3 months with a full team.

 

[Rocketech1]

UPDATE:

So apparently the 18 players will be split up into two, 9 players teams for a few months until high school season is over. They will all practice together and during friendlies will not play against each other. It also allows for more playing time for all the players since we currently have 14 on the roster. The 12U team will join back together for the weekends when we play any PGF qualifiers.

Seems like a better approach, but my only real concern is that the 12U team might lose some of its team chemistry when they do form back in May?

Thanks for the great feedback and will let you know how it all shakes out.

 

[corlay]

the 2-team solution is a MUCH better alternative than an 18 person roster.
but in my view still a bad policy decision by the org to make this move if it wasnt a possibility explained to players/parents when the offer to join the team was made.

everyone assumes that everyone will jump at the chance to "play up" but its not universally true.


also, are the teams an even split skills-wise? or is it all 14s with a few of the best 12s on one team, and the remainder 12s on the other? if not an even split, (and no matter what you do, the teams will never be "even" in all players/ parents minds...), it may cause bad blood between players and parents left off the "A team".

its all a barrel of snakes if you ask me.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Rocketech1-

After playing in 14s in the fall, my DD and her bullpen mate pitched for the first time in 12s yesterday. Both looked like 14u pitchers playing 12s. I think you might be pleasantly surprised by how good this experience is for her.

 

[LTBlazers]

6. Have you checked with the "powers that be" at PGF, Triple Crown, ASA and USSSA about our girls registering up? If we play more than 3 tournaments at 14U will we be reclassified for the season at that level even after these girls leave(distinct possibility).

Illinois USSSA for this year are requiring teams that combine to reg. as a new team, this way we know its a combined team, no bids awarded, and when HS season is over all players go back to their teams.
If they play A it will not effect the Class B players

 

[Rocketech1]

Rocketech1-

After playing in 14s in the fall, my DD and her bullpen mate pitched for the first time in 12s yesterday. Both looked like 14u pitchers playing 12s. I think you might be pleasantly surprised by how good this experience is for her.

That's good to know. They had their first practice as a combined team yesterday and the two teams scrimmaged each other the last hour of practice and DD did fine pitching from 43 feet. She will practice from that new distance for the next 3 months and switch back to 40feet sometime in May.

LTBlazers - we only have two 14U tournaments scheduled with this combined team so we should be ok per the rules (and one 12U PGF qualifier, no 8th graders will join us), the rest are 14U friendlies.

 

[Rocketech1]

also, are the teams an even split skills-wise? or is it all 14s with a few of the best 12s on one team, and the remainder 12s on the other? if not an even split, (and no matter what you do, the teams will never be "even" in all players/ parents minds...), it may cause bad blood between players and parents left off the "A team".

its all a barrel of snakes if you ask me.

The four 14U players are two pitchers, a catcher and an OF. Which is perfect because we only have two healthy pitchers on the 12U team. My understanding is the talent on the team will be split up pretty evenly and during tournament/friendlies games the head coach and assistant coaches will alternate coaching the two teams every other game. Apparently they have done this in the past and it has worked out fine.

I do agree with you that it would have been nice to have some better communication with the parents earlier on in the process so we know what's going on. I do trust these coaches to do the right thing and the last thing they want to do is piss off the families going into the summer high season.