A ball vs playing up thoughts?

[_MIA_]

Say there is a struggle this Fall playing 14B. Could she move back down to a 12A team in the Spring or going forward must she always play in 14?


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She can always play her age group (assuming she isn’t still registered with an older age group team)

14b in the area you are in (since you mentioned Top Gun) is probably not going be any more difficult than the schedule the Top Gun 12A is going to play.

 

[PapaBear]

Play at at the age that is going to give her the most reps at that age. If she is a pitcher you have to consider distance going from 35 to 40 to 43 feet. If she had an A offer in 12 than I'd stay there as most 12A teams beat 14B teams. If they are truly an A level team.

 

[wheresmycar]

What you do during your 12U years isn't that important, but you definitely want to be on a team with the same recruiting class before your first 16U season. You do not want to be the lone 2028 on a team of 2026 players in 16U. Personally, I'd have probably gone with the 12A team this season, and give them a year to see if it's a team worth staying with long term.

 

[NJZoo]

We've done both. My daughter played up at 12U B when she was 10U B eligible, and was asked to move up to 14U B with the team when she was still first year 12U B. Moving up with the team would have been the "easy" thing to do. She was with most of the girls since 8U, she was a starter and one of the better players on the team, and there was definitely a comfort level there. We chose to leave the organization, stay at 12U and play a higher level of competition. She made some great new friends, but it definitely wasn't smooth sailing. We bounced around a couple of teams until we found the right fit. She just finished a great year for her final year at 12U A level and is with a group of girls her age that can grow together.

I don't think there is a "right" answer, as other have said - it depends on the situation. Hope that it works out for you and your daughter.

 

[ang2bmd]

There is a world of difference between 14B and 14A anyone who says different has never seen a real 14A team. A real 12A team will beat a good 14B team 9/10 times. Top Gun is an excellent organization keep the lines of communication open if she decides she wants to play in college.


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[PapaBear]

There is a world of difference between 14B and 14A anyone who says different has never seen a real 14A team. A real 12A team will beat a good 14B team 9/10 times. Top Gun is an excellent organization keep the lines of communication open if she decides she wants to play in college.


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That was where I was going with it my thoughts too.

 

[radness]

Softball is not about age brackets,
*It is about Talent levels and competition.
Play with and against teams that challenge players and can still see successful results mixed in.

 

 

[Rolling Hard]

A vs B?
Who decides which teams are As and which teams are Bs? Just have to imagine there might be some politics involved.
Another question: Who registers players? Once registered, is the player stuck in that age group or team?
We register rosters for PGF and Alliance. There is a deadline date to add players. This year the deadline for 16u was extended basically to 4 days before PGF started. Not sure what that was about.

 

[radness]

We register rosters for PGF and Alliance. There is a deadline date to add players. This year the deadline for 16u was extended basically to 4 days before PGF started. Not sure what that was about.

Ya kno' last minute need to pick up a player due to injury or last minute team hopping decisions from offers of the number one team pulling from their number two teams... and then other families on teams leaving because their kids weren't picked. Yep happens

Now pgf, alliance and attendees battle each others ethics, integrity and scrutinous decisions along with trying to produce a softball tournament.

Hmmm travel ball transfer portal guidelines

 

[uncdrew]

It is important that you don't force her to do something she doesn't want to. That said most girls at that age will make new friends pretty quickly. Top Gun is a good org so my guess is the 12A team will be better, and play better competition, than her current team which is going to be 14B. The other thing is circle time..do you have any idea where she will fit in with regards to the other pitchers on the 12A team? The coach may say one thing but you have to be able to step back and evaluate on your own with unbiased eyes..

This.

We learned the friend thing isn't really a thing. Or shouldn't be a thing. If the girls love softball, they'll be friends in no time. If the girls on the old team are really her friends, they'll stay friends.

With two girls and dozens of teams we've been on, we've learned that the vast majority of girls are nice, kind, friendly and great. Don't stay on a team just because of friends - it will most likely hold her back.