I'm looking for some guidance...Looking for ideas.
The state of MN doesn't allow 12U players to play up into 14U teams unless they stay with their community travel ball program. The state currently has a policy that 10u and 12u is not an "open" division and that club teams are not allowed at the 10u and 12u levels. An issue in and of itself, but unfortunately the ASA/MMFL has a strangle hold on the policy and it will not change. I've tried numerous times through our ASA Director as well as the National offices in OKC to at least look at the idea of coming up with a way to allow outlier type kids to perhaps play on 14u teams. OKC at least responded, but said it is a state issue, the MN ASA director will not even return an email/phone call.
Before I turn this into a my daughter is above and beyond playing at her age, I know she has things to work on. She does some things very well, others need work. A little info on my DD:
She played at the 12A level last year as a 10u eligible and was arguably one of the better pitchers in the state. Our 12u team won our "A" level ASA state qualifier as well as the ASA state tournament. She is a big kid...right now at 11 years old she is 5'7" and 160 lbs. As a pitcher, she is good. Not great, good. She was just chosen as a Direct Select for the Midwest Region for the USSSA Futures game in FL in early August, and evaluated as the fastest pitcher in the 11 year old age group at the tryouts and top 15 in all age groups 10-14. If you need proof, the results are posted on the USSSA site. You can probably figure out who she is if you want to.
She has been playing dome ball vs 16u and 18u girls this winter and does just fine pitching against them. She has an older sister that plays at a high level of softball, so she is the product of being a big strong kid, that's been around softball for a while.
The problem I have is that there are no club teams that are willing to put her on a 14u roster because of the threat of ASA sanctioning against the team, basically banning them from any ASA sanctioned events (PGF is just starting to creep in here in MN)....Yes, it's been threatened.
Does anyone have any sort of idea in a course of action to try and push this issue? Playing 12u community travel ball for two more years is going to be awful. They are good kids but not one was a 12A player last year.
I'm not looking for affirmation where my DD is, just wondering if anyone has an idea of how to push allowing a 12u eligible to be able to play 14u.
Thanks in advance.
Back in the day, in the TC, MN, we were in your shoes. Exactly at the same point your in now.
Well almost. My DD was the best player on her 12U team. However, 14U had no elite teams, so our choice
was easy (play 2nd year of 12U). The next year, 14U club was here and we bolted to one of the new 14U club teams. In my estimation, Not playing 12U club level made no difference in the grand scheme.
We lived in Maple Grove and drove down to Rosemount where she played on a dome team all winter long.
They didn't have the amount of domes back then that are here now. Hence Rosemount, an hour drive, one way.
It's far more important to play year 'round. Domeball is informal and highly developmental. Most of the dome teams had the best TC players on their roster. They also mixed age groups occasionally.
If the same individuals are in charge of youth softball who ran back then, I really feel your pain. It's a money making endeavor for them.