Should we move up??

[So Cal Seth]

What part of the country are you in, Julian?

As the parent of a 2011 player, I agree with the responses so far - not time to move up.

 

[Eric F]

I think there shouldn't be any 8u TB teams, that age group should stick in rec. If your DD is good enough, then find a 10u team that would take her. I've umpired 8u in rec, while it's a rough game, I understand its a learning process.......I wouldn't want to ump a 8u tournament game though.

8U All-Stars in So Cal can be pretty darn good. That said, 10U TB is a whole different level.

 

[Julian93]

Thank you all for your input, the only issue i have is if she stops playing TB then she would really have no where else to play. Our rec league is a joke, our 1st year of Fall Ball we had a team of only 6 players, we played every game with 1 outfielders and no catcher. Not to mention i had to step up and coach because they were about to refund 8u money due to not being able to find a coach. here where i live they dont pay much attention to Softball rec league. but nonetheless me and her mother will be have a conversation moving forward this year. Again thank you all for your input.

 

[Julian93]

What part of the country are you in, Julian?

As the parent of a 2011 player, I agree with the responses so far - not time to move up.

We are located in the South Central Florida area in the middle of no where. nothing but cattle and Orange Groves around us lol.

 

[clemenslee1]

So my DD is currently 7 Years old (Turn 8 in August) and is playing for a 8u team, well the team has had trouble finding tournaments to play in due to not enough 8u teams ever signing up to play. We recently had a parent meeting with the coaches and they are deciding moving the team up to 10u will be a great way to play in more tournaments. the issue i am facing is that this is my daughters 1st year playing travel ball and 1st full season actually playing couch pitch, she just moved up to coach pitch last fall. My DD one of the youngest players on the team and is still developing so in tournament she does sit on the bench a lot of the time. which is not a issue to me. i know she has to put work in and has to be able to work her self to a position on the field. my question is, do you think a 8 year old playing up in 10u a good thing or a bad?? i have always heard playing up challenges a player. i just hope that true. i don't want her to lose interest if she has to sit every tournament. im just trying to see what other parents think about it?

IMO, there is no reason to move up: Here is a few reasons, based on the fact that she just had a 1 full season of coach pitch and she is young. She will NOT be behind by not moving up.

1 Coach pitch will allow her more opportunity to swing the bat. More pitched at a single at bat.
2 Along with #1 10u pitching is really subpar for the most part. You will get some good pitches to hit, but very few. So lots of walks LOL
3 Generally especially if coaches rotate players around the field often at 8u your DD will get more touches on the ball. More touches on the ball means more experience and gaining knowledge of the game and Confidence!

Edit: Unless your DD is just not being challenged at all, or there really is no other options left, then there is NO rush in this game.

These are just a few, but hopefully help.

 

[radness]

Just to ADD 2 perspectives
So far this conversation has been
Stay at a lower level rec and play all the time. But its not goood....
1. *( how about your contribution to that helping your rec community! Make it a better place! )
Or the question....
To move up and not play as much against bigger more experienced players....
Or
How about
2. *(Dont play for 6 months and do something else!!)
You can still do some softball at home/at the park.
Didnt this start with a decision for a 7 year old?!!
Grow size and skills.

Uncertain in your area of what could actually be better calling a 10u team travel "travel" without even say 2 years of rec??? Huh??!!

However extremely certain of what time effort dedication money and traveling can be..."being on an better or some development travel team requires." (past atleast 2 years of participating in any level.)
(thats a few years from now)

Your in the little kid stage !!!
emphasis on little

ENJOY

 

[softball dad 6]

Thank you all for your input, the only issue i have is if she stops playing TB then she would really have no where else to play. Our rec league is a joke, our 1st year of Fall Ball we had a team of only 6 players, we played every game with 1 outfielders and no catcher. Not to mention i had to step up and coach because they were about to refund 8u money due to not being able to find a coach. here where i live they dont pay much attention to Softball rec league. but nonetheless me and her mother will be have a conversation moving forward this year. Again thank you all for your input.

DD played 10u rec from 7 years old in our local Dixie league. Many of the games were atrocious. We had one year we had 17 girls on the team. The coaches were parent volunteers that in many cases didn't know much of anything about softball or coaching. We had games were our pitchers didn't through 5% of the pitches for strikes. We also had games were the other team had a "stud" pitcher and we had 100% strike outs. It bothered the parents but not the girls at that age. DD developed her love of the game at those fields. She is now headed off to college to fulfill her dream of playing softball in college. Would she be a better player if she had started travel earlier. I doubt it. To succeed in this game at a high level takes a love of the game and huge dedication. Your dd will be fine if she develops those. DD was a little behind the first year of playing TB at 11 yo but caught up quickly because she wanted to work hard and get better. I know will all want what is best for our kids and I have made a lot of mistakes along the way. The best advice I can give is it is a long journey there is no need to rush it.

 

[Eric F]

Thank you all for your input, the only issue i have is if she stops playing TB then she would really have no where else to play. Our rec league is a joke, our 1st year of Fall Ball we had a team of only 6 players, we played every game with 1 outfielders and no catcher. Not to mention i had to step up and coach because they were about to refund 8u money due to not being able to find a coach. here where i live they dont pay much attention to Softball rec league. but nonetheless me and her mother will be have a conversation moving forward this year. Again thank you all for your input.

This brings a different issue, and might require a different perspective. If the ONLY opportunity she has to play is 10U, then so be it. To develop, she needs to practice and play, in whatever form that takes. In my area, there are a variety of opportunities in every direction, at every age. My previous comments were based on my environment, and our experiences. My advice for your situation is to be continually mindful of her emotional state and enjoyment level. No matter what happens on the field, ALWAYS go get ice cream afterwards.

 

[MadBandit22]

So my DD is currently 7 Years old (Turn 8 in August) and is playing for a 8u team, well the team has had trouble finding tournaments to play in due to not enough 8u teams ever signing up to play. We recently had a parent meeting with the coaches and they are deciding moving the team up to 10u will be a great way to play in more tournaments. the issue i am facing is that this is my daughters 1st year playing travel ball and 1st full season actually playing couch pitch, she just moved up to coach pitch last fall. My DD one of the youngest players on the team and is still developing so in tournament she does sit on the bench a lot of the time. which is not a issue to me. i know she has to put work in and has to be able to work her self to a position on the field. my question is, do you think a 8 year old playing up in 10u a good thing or a bad?? i have always heard playing up challenges a player. i just hope that true. i don't want her to lose interest if she has to sit every tournament. im just trying to see what other parents think about it?

Playing-up can be a good thing if the player has good overall skills and knows the game.
Is sounds like your daughter is pretty much just getting her feet wet with softball.
At that young of an age there isn’t a huge amount of separation between your good players and average players. As players get older the gap widens.
I would say if your DD is committed to practicing outside of team practice with you and really enjoys the game give it a shot.
It’s better to sit and watch tournaments then not be in them at all. Your DD will pick-up nuances of the game she never noticed before.
Hopefully with some good instruction and dedication she will crack the line-up when she gets where she needs to be.