Playing up v. playing out of league?

[lawdawg]

As school ball ends, we have begun discussing tb team issues. My 13 dd is great kid, coachable, good teammate, decent pitcher, good defense (can play anywhere but catcher), avg hitter and can slap w good speed. In short, she is good all around player but is not a superstar. You are not likely to notice her during game but at end of tourney or season she always gets her due for steady performance.

Her tb team is scary good and she is prob 7-8 on that team (14u). She pitches sparingly on this team - is #1 on school team and other tb teams she fills in for. That being said she is youngest on team that has been together for most part last 5 yrs. She loves kids and coaches and is comfortable in her role. We were just informed that we are playing up in 16u for comp upgrade even though we have 2 yrs left at 14u. We played 14u last year - could have played 12u. She wants to stay w team but is intimidated by move up so soon (we usually move up 1 yr early). We weren't consulted - just informed. Would you gripe, move, or shut up and play.

 

[fastpitch]

What does your DD want to do? I know my DD would shut up and play. If she has been with the team for almost 5 years and happy; how could you really even think of leaving?

I don't know what area you are from; but it sounds like the 14u teams in your area just aren't very good. If you are consistently beating them you really should play up. Otherwise I'm guessing the team would have to travel pretty far to get some better competition. 16u maybe except for California from what I hear is generally pretty weak. The best 16s are playing 18 or for some sort of college exposure team. With that, I assume the best 14s are playing 16u/18u. So you really are probably only playing mostly good 14s at 16 level. IMHO its really not that much of a stretch to play 16u with a 14u team.

 

[sluggers]

Her tb team is scary good . . . Would you gripe, move, or shut up and play.

Shut up and play.

If your DD is the 6th or 7th player on a 'scary good' team, then your DD could be a very good softball player. You and she won't know how good she is until the competition is ratcheted up. At her age, it is time to find out just how good she really is.

Could perhaps you be intimidated, and not your DD? I'm asking because most athletes, and your DD sounds like an athlete, are more than willing to be challenged and to get their rear ends handed to them by playing better competition. To them, it isn't about winning or losing, it is about playing the game at the highest level possible.

 

[Coach JV]

Playing up is a good thing, an athlete rises to the challenge of her peers

 

[starsnuffer]

It she intimidated or is she saying, "bring it!"?

-W

 

[lawdawg]

I think she will shut up and play once we get kicked off. She just seemed a little intimidated when I told her the team's decision. Honestly, they should play up at 43'. Around here 14u is still 40'. Thanks for the input makes me feel a little better. Hopefully can return the favor (affirmation of Dad's thoughts) some day.

 

[starsnuffer]

I'd be more worried if she was 13 and was going to play with a bunch of 16 year olds. The dugout conversation is much different

It sounds like she's with the same team and her same friends that she's already comfortable with, so no worries there.

Honestly the best 16u players are already in 18G, or they're 14u players playing up, so I wouldn't worry too much about the competition being different. The game is the same, everything is just a tad bit faster.

-W

 

[jacketsfan]

Play up. My DD started playing 18U at age 13. She learned not to hang pitches fat over the plate in a hurry. She was scared to pitch at first, but it made her pitch, as opposed to chucking the ball past kids that couldn't catch up to it. We took some lumps when we made the jump, and some parents griped, but it was good for the kids. They actually were more excited, in general, than the parents were.

When we moved to 18, there wasn't really a 16U division, which is why we went to 18. Any team that was really a 16 was playing 18.