Oh What To Do

[2ddsplayingball]

Have two DDs' (12u and 2nd yr 10U (age 9)). Just found out that they will not let the 10u play up this season, because they feel she would be more valuable to the league and 10u division due to her being a catcher. Here is the issue, I coach the 12u team her sister is on and she would have been on the team as well. She was really excited to finally play some competitive ball. Now, I must decide if I let her stay in the 10u or let her go and play travelball. She has been highly looked at by a couple of teams.

What to do, what to do.

 

[JAD]

I would recommend you get her into TB ASAP.

 

[quincy]

In DD’s league adding a year to a player is OK and is routinely done. So an 8YO could play 10U no problem. Adding 2 or more years to a player requires a lot of signatures. So a 9YO playing 12U is really discourage.

I don’t know how parents of multiple players keep up with all the running around to different games and practices. If they will not let you keep your girls together you probably should move the younger one to TB.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

So you have 2 DD's in "league" ball, 9 and 12, and they won't let the younger move up? I'd be mad as hell. We always allowed sisters close in age to have the option to play at the same older level. I mean it's just common courtesy.

For me I'd probably ask one more time to the director. If he/she declines I'd move the younger to TB. Then with my older DD I'd put my foot on every other teams throat and not let up. I'd run the score up far as I could, run rule, steal every base I could............man I'd be mad!!

 

[Axe]

I will be very interested in the feedback here. My 4 DD's played in 4 different Rec age groups last year and will be in 3 age groups this year (2 moved up and 1 is playing up from 8U to 10U). As an organization we always struggle to balance the requests of parents, and needs of individual players against the good of the collective. Its a very tough tightrope for organizations. Convenience is not a good enough reason, and doesn't sound like your motivation as TB would obviously add complexity.

If she is truly a good enough catcher to play 12U, and her maturity level is high enough to share a dugout with teenagers then she would certainly learn much more catching 12U than 10U.

 

[2ddsplayingball]

She was actually rated as a high draft pick for the 12u, but, what I am gathering is they want her to be the team mother in the 10u. LOL. She is more than capable of handling her own. She is a complete 180 of her sister. As for gelling with the older girls, she is a magnet and all the girls love her. I was actually told by the 10u commissioner, not sure if he was joking, but, he told me he was going to vote against moving her up. In no way, does she want to play for him. She played on his tourney team after the season and hated every minute of it.

GOINDEEP, I was coach like that anyway. I never let up. Never show weakness.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

GOINDEEP, I was coach like that anyway. I never let up. Never show weakness.

I'm going to proudly give your first "thanks".

I was actually told by the 10u commissioner, not sure if he was joking, but, he told me he was going to vote against moving her up. In no way, does she want to play for him. She played on his tourney team after the season and hated every minute of it.

Y'all must have the same idiot that ruined our league. Before this guy took over we always bent over backwards to help families in situations or what might be beneficial to them. We had many sisters play together in the older groups. Only if safety was a factor would we "recommend" a younger not move up.

We also gave every player/parent a chance to write down a coach they preferred NOT to play for. It was optional to fill out and you could only put one coach's name.

On the application we had a line. Will not play for coach ________.

 

[David Carter]

As a league board member for our group I would never do this unless I thought it was a safety issue of the 9 YO not being able to compete at that level. Sounds like your DD has the ability to play 12U Rec or 10U TB. It depends on area but most 10U TB teams are better than 12U rec teams so there is NO WAY she is going to develop as a player playing 10U rec.

If you are serious and she has been approached by TB teams already and you can live with not seeing her play due to scheduling conflicts (which you might have anyway in Rec)...this is an easy one. You go tell the commissioner "You are doing what you think is best for the league but as a parent my obligation is to do what is best for my daughter, she will not play 10U rec! you can either allow her to play on my 12U team or I will let her go play 10U TB since she is already being asked by a couple teams to play for them.

Again this is NOT a threat you have to make the decision ahead of time that this is the course you really want and are prepared to accept the consequences. The only thing you can prepare for is if the board is a bunch of really crappy people who would take it out on you and your other DD and not let you coach or her play for the league after pulling your youngest out of the league.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I'd ask the 9-year-old what she wanted to do and do that. If she wants to play 12U and is not willing to play 10U, then politely tell the league that she plays 12U or she doesn't play at all.

I'm slow to judge the league. Sounds like the sisters would be fine together in 12U, so I'm not taking the league's side, but I still respect the fact that I haven't heard that side of the story. Clearly, they feel it's in the best interest of the league as a whole to have the 9 in the 10U. Maybe it's a bluff. Or maybe not. Sometimes leagues find it easier to set hard-and-fast rules that might cost them 2-3 players rather than judiciate 25 requests about playing up, playing w/ friends, playing for a certain coach, and then all the second-guessing by other parents/players about those decisions.

 

[2ddsplayingball]

I had actually confronted the league about taking them both out before they had the evaluations and told them I would coach if I could have both of the on the team. I was told that it would be voted on by the league, but, that it would not be a problem. Now, I am told something different. So, I may just have to pull them both. Trust and word go a long way in my book.