When to move a player to a higher level team?

[bmakj]

Seen a bunch of kids that were fireballers at 10U that turned into average pitchers when they went back 5' and started with a 12" ball. Probably the toughest transition for any kid that pitches.

spot on, two big transition in one season

 

[NJgators14uSPARK]

My dd is 2nd year 10u. She’s been playing travel ball for 31/2 years, she’s a left handed starting pitcher, 1B, and either a lead off batter, or bats 3/4. They are trying to develop a couple new lead off batters on her team so they moved her to bat 3rd this season, but in their last tournament they had her bat lead off on bracket day because she can get on base and doesn’t strike out very often,

She is on a B level team with dad coaches. They are mostly ok, but her pitching and batting coaches, along with college player coaches, camp coaches etc. have been telling me for over a year to take her off this team and put her on an A level team. She likes this team, but it is the typical expensive daddy travel ball team. For ex. When my dd started pitching on the team last year, the head coaches wife asked me to take her off the team and put her on an A level team, because my DD surpassed her DD in velocity and accuracy, and was a threat to her self esteem and progress. I told her DD liked the team (dd has actually been on the team longer then her DD, but her DH took over coaching the team) and I wasn’t going to drive out of the area for a 10 yo to play on some A level team, I don’t think at 10u, they need to play A ball, but that’s just me.

Well...now that she’s going into 12u in the fall, my thoughts have changed a bit. She’s been recruited to play on a local A level team with a non dad coach whose own DD is a starting pitcher at a D i college and he is also a lefty! The team just formed this past year, but my dd didn’t want to leave her team. He assured me he would be coaching the team in the fall and move them to 12u. I think 1/2 the team stays on 10u.

They need pitchers. He’s watched DD pitch in games, and he’s been emailing me on and off all spring season to have her come play with them but we are already committed for the summer. I’m leaning toward fall, but just worried to leave her team. It’s the only TB team she’s ever been on, and I’m worried if we leave, they won’t let us back on the team if it doesn’t work out just to be spiteful even though many other players on the team opt out of fall ball to play other sports.

It's always a touch move to another team. Especially with the thought of leaving friends. The best way I explained it to my daughter when this situation came up was: At the beginning the girls weren't your friends at the time. Those friendships grew through the game. When you move to another team you have the opportunity to gain more friends. It was the truth then and will always be the truth. Change is hard but we have to embrace it.

 

[EmToTheDee]

Oh....here’s another thing....the president of our travel league told me he doesn’t was my DD to guest play on any other team for any reason...even a friendly. I think this is unfair. It will give her experience with playing on another travel team and see if she can handle pitching to higher level teams, which I think she will be fine, and how she stacks up with the rest of the team.

Run, do not walk, away.

Your daughter is playing 10U ball. The leaders of the organization should be thinking of your daughter and her long term development as a human being, not themselves and their orgs ability to win B level tourneys with an A level pitcher.

 

[Long Baller]

Run, do not walk, away.

Your daughter is playing 10U ball. The leaders of the organization should be thinking of your daughter and her long term development as a human being, not themselves and their orgs ability to win B level tourneys with an A level pitcher.

I have never seen an org encourage their kids to sub on any other team, but they sure are receptive of others subbing for them. Today's guest players are tomorrow's poached players.