Playing Up & Skipping Years 14U to 18U - Your Experiences

[Hube111]

Hi All. Looking for everybody's experience as far as playing up and skipping years in the 14U to 18U range. My DD has already made her decision so not really looking for advice, but would love to hear other's experience good/bad as far as skipping years and playing up and how it effected recruiting, life, etc.... My DD is 14, will turn 15 this month, and played 16A ball this year skipping her 2nd year of 14U ball. Now due to her 16U team having a couple older girls the team will be jumping to 18A next year. DD is an 04 so would have 4 years left to play at this level. DD is super athletic and was in the middle of this team, but had knee surgery and missed 5 months this past winter. Since then she has struggled to get back to where she was pre -knee surgery and is at the bottom of her team that is comprised of girls 1-3 years older than her. My biggest concern is that unless she gets her speed and confidence back she is never going to stand out on this team. She's made the decision to stay with this current team, which I'm totally fine with as it's a well coached drama free team, and if she can get back to pre-injury form can play at this level as a 15 y/o.

 

[Golfclubgreg]

DD plays for an org where she plays 14's, 16's and 18's. The softball is no problem when they can compete. Its being around the older girls who are into other things, other then watching spongebob like my 14yo . She made the Varsity high school team when she was 12 so learned alot of things from the older girls she didnt need to know yet haha. Trips and travel were a whole new experience for her at such a young age.

 

[canyonjoe]

It's a well coached drama free team and you are asking if she should stay?

 

[murphdog]

My DD is a late birthday as it is so she’s always been one of the youngest in her grade. She was still 17 when she graduated high school and had only been 18 for just over a week when college started.
She played one year of 14U, one year of 16U (when she was second year 14u eligible) and 3 years of 18U.

I agree that for some kids the shock of being around kids a few years older can be tough emotionally and maturity wise it shouldn’t be a problem athletically.
DD played both soccer and softball varsity as a freshman so she was used to being around the older girls and she’s always been fiercely independent and mature for her age so I was fine with it.

 

[Hube111]

It's a well coached drama free team and you are asking if she should stay?

Nope, not asking that at all. Just looking to read and learn from other people's experience whose DD played up several years and how it effected recruiting and other areas.

 

[canyonjoe]

Nope, not asking that at all. Just looking to read and learn from other people's experience whose DD played up several years and how it effected recruiting and other areas.

I'm just kidding. It's not often you hear those comments about a team.

 

[coach james]

physical maturity levels will not be much of an issue in terms of just playing softball... maybe stronger arms, bats, and pitching to some degree, like mentioned above. It's the girls who talk about sex and drinking etc in the dugout can become a problem.

 

[Hube111]

I'm just kidding. It's not often you hear those comments about a team.

Well Canyonjoe, it took the defection of 2 players this winter to get to this point of no drama. I'm hoping it can last through to next year. Coach is telling the team they will have vote on whether replacement girls will be added depending on whether they fit with the current girls. Coach is hoping to continue with the no drama as well I think. Team fit isn't what concerns me. Having 12 girls get along and play well together is great, but DD is 11th or 12th out of that group currently and playing up several years. It's the age old question of staying at your age level and dominating, which she did for 2 years, or playing up and being challenged. I'm just hoping she can regain her pre-injury form and be successful at 18A next season, or she could be in for a lot of pinch running duties all year. Only time will tell.

 

[FP26]

Much of this will depend on future goals. Does she want to play in college? If so, what type of tournaments do the coaches of her top choices attend.

When you are talking true National level "A" ball, most of the recruiting will happen at the 16u level. However, there are many schools out there that focus more on the 18u teams. When our team was technically 1st year 16u we did several showcases, only to find that many of the schools our players were interested in were busy at the fields watching the 18u division. When we were technically 2nd year 16u we played as an 18u team and went to many of those same showcases. It worked well for us.

Dd also played for her previous orgs showcase team as a 14u eligible player. That was also an 18u tournament.

The age difference is definitely a concern but kids are equipped differently to deal with that stuff. When DD played 18u travel ball at 14 all went well. When she made the varsity team as a freshmen she was exposed to some things. Some of her teammates were into drugs and spoke very openly and explicitly about their sexual encounters. That was initially a shock but she adapted well.

 

[RichK]

Depends totally on her recruiting goals. If going high, staying DOWN often gets more looks, by 18U P5 schools assume you've already been recruited. If you are D3 focused, 18U teams can be a better fit. Obviously the other thing to consider is what the team/coaching situation is.

From a young age my DD played 'up' one year and then we as a team jumped another year to keep everyone together around 14/16. She was fine, by that time everyone was in high school anyway.