To play "A" ball or "B" ball? advise needed

[elizabeth]

My daughter is 13YO and is on a 12U B team. She will have to move up to 14U in August. The team she is on is HORRIBLE. My daughter is a pitcher and she has no defense behind her whatsoever. She gets very frusterated with her team. Her frusteration is affecting her performance. She is the "rockstar" on the team, meaning her talent level is much higher than anyone else's. Looking back, we should have put her at "A" ball. But hindsight is 20-20. But now, our options are open since she is moving up and we want to make the best decision on which team we should join.
We have gone to 3 tryouts this week. All 3 teams were 14 A teams, and part of an organization. Watching them practice, you knew why they won tournaments. The teams were awesome. My daughter fit right in performance wise, but she was intimidated by their size and abilities. She pitches 48-52 MPH, and these girls were pitching 60MPH. I am worried a little that if we put her on any of these "A" ball teams, she would not get the mound time because of how much slower she pitches than the other girls. But it is apparant that these teams would definately prepare her for High School.

The other option would be putting her on a 14U B team. Alot of these teams are just like 12U, in that they win some and lose alot. They are individual "daddy ball" type teams, that have only been around for a couple of years. There is some coaching but not near the same as "A" ball. She would probably get a lot more mound time, & playing time and also would not be as indimitated. But these teams may or may not prepare her for High School. I know that some of you will ask "what does my daughter want"? the true answer is that she does not know. She would rather her mom and dad make the decision for her. In all honesty, she has been so used to the rock star status, she is used to showing up and automatically being the best. She has never experienced a true challenge in her life and I think being challenged would scare her a little.

Her goals are to play softball in high school and college.

Thanks
Elizabeth

 

[SoftSocDad]

If she only wants to pitch and cannot be the #1 or #2 on an A team right away, then go B this year, A next year.

What other positions does she play?

 

[sluggers]

Her goals are to play softball in high school and college.

At her age (13YOA), it is time to put up or shut up. She either can be a big time pitcher or she can't. She either has to step up and compete with the other girls on her team for playing time, or quit pitching and do something else.

She may not be good enough. She may fail. (No doubt she'll be emotionally scarred for perhaps 30 or 40 minutes, tops.) But, it is time to find out.

Right now, you and she are pretending that she is a star. In reality, she is (perhaps) a big fish in a little pond--or maybe just a middle size fish in a very small pond. She should either move to a bigger lake, or quit complaining about the view.

Let's face it--it is emotionally safer for you and her to go on pretending that she is great, but she just is on a bad team. Until you and her put yourselves at risk, she isn't going to play in college.

By the way, letting her blame her teammates losses is something *YOU* should not let her do. She is throwing the ball. It is up to her to figure out a way to win the games.

 

[elizabeth]

She can play any position except catcher. She has a great bat, but her biggest weakness is she is not fast on bases. They timed her last night and it takes her 14.87 seconds to run around bases. Other girls were 13.5. The coach was ready to put her on the team but he recommended her to start a jogging regimen to increase her speed. He was happy with her in everything else.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

If your DD wants to play college ball she needs to move up NOW. She needs to be on the roster of the most competitive team that will have her, even if it means she isn't the rockstar that she is on a B team.

My DD (and her crazy parents) went through this exact scenario last summer. She chose the A ball route and is 10 times the pitcher/player that she was just last spring.

 

[EP Dad]

14U is pitching 60?

I was watching college ball on the Telly just a week or so ago and they were only throwing 60. What gives?

 

[SoCalDad]

14U is pitching 60?

I was watching college ball on the Telly just a week or so ago and they were only throwing 60. What gives?

On the SoCal tourney circuit 60 is not uncommon in 14U. That doesn't necessarily mean they are good pitchers. The best pitcher I have faced in the past year threw only a couple of fastballs all game. She threw rises, drops, changes with screws and curves. Most of her pitches were in the lower 50s. Her location and control plus pitch selection were far more of an asset than being able to throw 60.

 

[sluggers]

On TV, you see "cruising speed" for the pitchers--what they can throw during a game and consistently put the ball over the plate. Most college pitchers are in the 62-65 mph range. Trust me, you go out to the ballpark at a tournament, and you won't see many 14YOA girls throwing 60 MPH.

But, that is not fun...so Daddy wants to talk about is "one time max"--what she threw one time, with the wind at her back and without regard to the strike zone.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

On the SoCal tourney circuit 60 is not uncommon in 14U. That doesn't necessarily mean they are good pitchers. The best pitcher I have faced in the past year threw only a couple of fastballs all game. She threw rises, drops, changes with screws and curves. Most of her pitches were in the lower 50s. Her location and control plus pitch selection were far more of an asset than being able to throw 60.

Agree totally. Speed is great at 10u maybe 12u. After that a DD can't just overpower the batters. Now I have seen a few 14u this year at or around 60. One hit 62, on multiple guns. BUT, BUT, BUT..........speed is no substitute for movement. I'll take a 55 pitcher with movement over a 65 without.

 

[amanda_cake]

I say go A ball, honestly.