Stay or move up?

[plsjms94]

DD is 11 (12 in October). Joined a new team mid-season after an "unpleasant" summer with her old team. New team is great-good coaching, talented girls who want to get better, organization with a structured program to develop players from 10 to 23u.

DD only played 2 tournaments before the summer season ended, but split time pretty evenly in her preferred position (ss) along with another player who ages up. The head coach is moving up with half the team that ages out to 14u. The AC will be staying at 12u with the younger girls. Both teams have picked up new players from tryouts. From what I saw DD will be a strong contributor at 12u. The HC who is moving to 14 has asked about bringing DD along with him.

Skill wise I think she can hang in with the older girls, but I am worried about the strength, size, and maturity differences between 11-12 and 13-14.

Stay at 12u or move to 14?

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

If you are confident that she will get plenty of time on the dirt on the older team, that is where she should be. The fall is a good time to make a change like this because it is usually a little less intense and easier to see if your DD is having any trouble with playing with the older kids.

DD has always played up at least one age division and we have never had a problem with strength, size or maturity differences. At 14 she played up to 18U and she didn't hear or see anything that she wouldn't hear or see from her older sister or parents.

 

[chinamigarden]

If she stays down will she play all the time at her preferred position? I say keep her on the team where she will get the most time at the position she wants to play.

If you are wondering out loud about if she has the strength, maturity... to make the move. Then you should probably stay down. Lots of girls can make the move but typically their parents already know they are strong enough, athletic enough, mature enough without asking.

 

[quincy]

You are talking about moving up this year or next year when she ages up. I would pick the coach and players she likes the best.

DD is an 11YOA and today is her 1st day of MS, my quess is she is going to be expossed to more junk at school then on the softball field.

 

[plsjms94]

She would move up now. She's played 1 full year at 12u but very recently made the move to Ss from OF and catching. I think she'd be fine if she moved up, but could also get alot out of being a leader on the 12u team. For now we are leaving her at 12, but the 14 coach may pull her up for a few fall tourneys.

 

[maliaschwenk]

The fall is a good time to make a change like this

 

[glf0845]

"New team is great-good coaching, talented girls who want to get better"

If your DD is keeping up with the "talented" players and she will get good coaching I would move up. If a good coach thinks your DD can contribute at the next level then she probably can. It's just the fall season and she can move down in the spring if things don't work out.

 

[alexander58]

I've seen alot of girls move up age groups through the years. With few exceptions, they were "playing catch up", for most of their softball lives. If you wonder if her strength stacks up against the 14u, it probably doesn't. I like to see kids get a chance to excel. When they are physically behind the competition, they don't.

 

[101stgopher]

I've seen alot of girls move up age groups through the years. With few exceptions, they were "playing catch up", for most of their softball lives. If you wonder if her strength stacks up against the 14u, it probably doesn't. I like to see kids get a chance to excel. When they are physically behind the competition, they don't.

Both my DDs have played up at times and both are on the smaller end as far as size for their ages. As long as the girls are competitive in the older age group, I don't see any issue at all with playing up. I think that it helps them to face stiffer competition. However, I tend to agree that if the girl struggles for more than a few tournaments adjusting to the higher age group, it might be a good idea to relook the decision.

 

[kew1076]

Allso need to consider next year..This year DD would be on a young 14U team with what seems to be all 13yr olds next year this will not be the case...I donot know how it works in your area but in my the older 14U teams can do next to nothing until June when HS season ends...