Age Requirements for Softball Associations
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- Feb 17, 2014
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This was put up for vote at the NSA convention last fall and was voted down.
It was explained to coaches that the age of your girls at the moment of registration affects the age of the team so to speak.
For example if you have a girl that turned 13 on Aug 30 she and the team would have to register 13u or 14u. If she turned 13 on sept 1t then she and the team is still 12u eligible till sept 1 of the next year.
Well see how they utilize and enforce it on sept 1 2015
So nothing ACTUALLY changes... Instead of your team being a 14U team maybe you are now considered a 15U team (by some orgs - but not all).
Locally in Fall in Florida, USSSA just sets up what would be a 12U tourneys in Spring as a 13U tourney in Fall, 14U tourneys 15U and so on to allow you to keep your team together for a calendar year if you want to. Some mixed age teams decide to stay together - some don't.
I am Ok with it - apart form a few trophy hunting players/teams most of the teams that need to move up an age division do - and most of the ones that don't, don't. Sometimes it makes sense to stay down when you are not ready/experienced/mature enough to move up.
If you went 5-40 in Spring/Summer it makes no sense for you to be forced to go up and play even older teams in the Fall/Winter.
Locally in Fall in Florida, USSSA just sets up what would be a 12U tourneys in Spring as a 13U tourney in Fall, 14U tourneys 15U and so on to allow you to keep your team together for a calendar year if you want to. Some mixed age teams decide to stay together - some don't.
I am Ok with it - apart form a few trophy hunting players/teams most of the teams that need to move up an age division do - and most of the ones that don't, don't. Sometimes it makes sense to stay down when you are not ready/experienced/mature enough to move up.
If you went 5-40 in Spring/Summer it makes no sense for you to be forced to go up and play even older teams in the Fall/Winter.
I checked with the SoCal JO Commissioner and he said our region is not changing yet. He also said this has no effect on the age cutoff.It was explained to coaches that the age of your girls at the moment of registration affects the age of the team so to speak.
For example if you have a girl that turned 13 on Aug 30 she and the team would have to register 13u or 14u. If she turned 13 on sept 1t then she and the team is still 12u eligible till sept 1 of the next year.
Well see how they utilize and enforce it on sept 1 2015
I would expect the "For 2015" change would go into effect Sept 1, 2014 for the 2015 season. This change may force teams to age-up in the fall instead of waiting until January.
- Feb 17, 2014
- 543
- 28
I find it interesting that teams wait until January to age up. Around here, if you're 14u in January, then you have to play 14u in the fall.
Teams that stay down in the fall catch a lot of flak if they play in a tourney and do well. Sometimes it is just 1-2 players on the team that stay down for the fall and the team won't age up for another year.
For the record, I favor teams and players aging up in the fall. I also try to be understanding of exceptions as long as it's within the rules. Teams that do it to trophy hunt deserve some grief if the norm is to move up.
For the record, I favor teams and players aging up in the fall. I also try to be understanding of exceptions as long as it's within the rules. Teams that do it to trophy hunt deserve some grief if the norm is to move up.
