- Jun 12, 2015
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Do they? I keep my eye open for tryout announcements, mostly out of curiosity, and I only ever see anything about 05 teams for 10U.
The low A/high B conundrum
- Thread starter grcsftbll
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Typically a first year team at 8, 10, and sometimes 12u are B teams.... Second year goes to A or gold.
However, the kids should be challenged and should play against tough competition.
However, the kids should be challenged and should play against tough competition.
I think one of the things you have to do in this situation is learn to think like a 10 year old kid instead of an adult. Kids tend to be focused more on the here and now than 5 years down the road.
While you want to challenge them, if they're constantly getting knocked out all the time they will tend to get discouraged. Their world is more black-and-white than the adult world, so winning means you're good and losing means you're bad.
The other aspect to consider is the parents, who can also be rather black and white. If your team is close but not winning in the A tournaments, and that's all you play, at least some of the parents will start looking to see how they can get their kids onto the teams that are hanging around later in the tournament. Remember that the assumption of nearly every parent is that it's the other kids who are causing their DD to miss out on the wins. Or perhaps to be more fair, if their DD is on a team that wins then she'll learn how to be a winner too.
You don't want to bottom feed. If you're winning every tournament, or in the final game at every tournament, you've probably aimed too low and should look for better competition. But if you're always playing the minimum number of games, you may want to mix in a couple of lesser but are still of good quality to keep the fire lit. Besides, all it takes is a couple more teams like you doing the same thing to deliver a better level of competition.
While you want to challenge them, if they're constantly getting knocked out all the time they will tend to get discouraged. Their world is more black-and-white than the adult world, so winning means you're good and losing means you're bad.
The other aspect to consider is the parents, who can also be rather black and white. If your team is close but not winning in the A tournaments, and that's all you play, at least some of the parents will start looking to see how they can get their kids onto the teams that are hanging around later in the tournament. Remember that the assumption of nearly every parent is that it's the other kids who are causing their DD to miss out on the wins. Or perhaps to be more fair, if their DD is on a team that wins then she'll learn how to be a winner too.
You don't want to bottom feed. If you're winning every tournament, or in the final game at every tournament, you've probably aimed too low and should look for better competition. But if you're always playing the minimum number of games, you may want to mix in a couple of lesser but are still of good quality to keep the fire lit. Besides, all it takes is a couple more teams like you doing the same thing to deliver a better level of competition.
- Sep 29, 2014
- 2,421
- 113
^^^^ I think this is the answer play the mostly "A" schedule but mix in a couple B tournament so the girls don't constantly feel like they are punching bags, but give yourself flexibility to change things up if things go better or worse than planned. I'm not sure what your goal is or sanctioning body guidelines are but if they make you register sign up "B" so you are eligible for end of season tournaments but play mostly A tourneys except for maybe two or three qualifiers for B. As long as you are sub .500 and never make Sundays your sanctioning body should not hold it against you that you played some A tournaments...now if you get better and place in a couple of those A tournaments playing down to B at the end of the season might be frowned upon. If everyone can stay together you've built a strong A contender for next year.
- Apr 8, 2013
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- 0
One of the big 3 is always looking for players. I think you know which one. Go check it out one day and scratch your itch. Ask for honest feedback and form relationships. Doesn't hurt to look.
- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
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06 or 05? I see looking for players posts often for 05.
I would be wary of joining an elite team at age 9 or 10.
I know there are kids who thrive and have fun on those teams, but there are others who get chewed up and spit out and don't recover. I've tried to rehabilitate some of them, where the joy of the game is gone after they traveled out of state and hardly played, or got replaced in the lineup by a pickup player, or lost their position to a late-season roster add.
So be careful not to rush kids into ultra-competitive situations when they were doing just fine where they were. How good players are and what level they're playing at 9 and 10 isn't nearly as important as their eagerness to play and learn and get better. I'd be careful not to mess that up, IMHO.
I know there are kids who thrive and have fun on those teams, but there are others who get chewed up and spit out and don't recover. I've tried to rehabilitate some of them, where the joy of the game is gone after they traveled out of state and hardly played, or got replaced in the lineup by a pickup player, or lost their position to a late-season roster add.
So be careful not to rush kids into ultra-competitive situations when they were doing just fine where they were. How good players are and what level they're playing at 9 and 10 isn't nearly as important as their eagerness to play and learn and get better. I'd be careful not to mess that up, IMHO.
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- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
- 83
Right now, mine absolutely loves it. She was the stand out on a weak team last year, but loved her coach. She was very resistant to the idea of leaving him, and her best friend (his daughter). We took her just to work out with the 05 team in our current organization and she totally changed her tune. She loved it. They were forming an 06 team and offered her a spot and she wanted to do it. She's in heaven so far, 5 tournaments under our belts. She says she never wants go to back to B, even if she could pitch more on a B team. She's very competitive and so far, is thriving.
All that said, if it ever becomes not fun for her, we change things for sure. I try to be very conscious of how she's feeling, when she needs a break, etc. She is far more dedicated at 9 than I have ever been to anything, except her and her sister. I'm pretty much in awe of her all the time. But I hear you, and we try to be sure that our first priority is FUN.
All that said, if it ever becomes not fun for her, we change things for sure. I try to be very conscious of how she's feeling, when she needs a break, etc. She is far more dedicated at 9 than I have ever been to anything, except her and her sister. I'm pretty much in awe of her all the time. But I hear you, and we try to be sure that our first priority is FUN.
- Apr 8, 2013
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05. Vipers and EC don't even have '06 teams. Out of the big 3 05 teams there is one that has been looking lately and will give you a fair assessment and let you see where you stack up
- Jun 12, 2015
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- 83
Yeah, I see the Vipers posts a lot. Maybe at some point we'll check them out but we're content for the moment.
