I honestly think it comes down to playing time, especially at 12U. If she is going to get the same amount of playing time at 14U as she would at 12U, and she would get a similar number of innings at 14U as she would at 12U, then it's a no brainer. If she is going to pitch less at 14U, and sit on the bench when she is not pitching, it makes no sense to me to move a kid up just to say she is playing on a 14U team. What she is really doing is watching a 14U team play.
play 12u or 14u?
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- Mar 28, 2013
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Top level 12u ball is better than mid/upper middle level 14 u. If she is that good find a top level 12u team and play other top level teams, let her be with kids her own age. A group of 2nd year 12uA teams last year went and played a fair amount of 14u tournaments and even won a few, then when it came tome to play state, Metros, regionals, nationals the top 12uA teams thumped them hard. I get the impression from seeing the kids playing up (not all) are there to feed the parents ego, not to get better competition or improve faster. If a kid works hard enough to be that good she deserves a shot at holding a state championship trophy, or placing at nationals. Holding up the D1 carrot does not do her any good if she quits because she never had a chance to develop a sisterhood with team or never revels in the greatness she achieves.
Why do you feel that way? I don't disagree, but curious. Do you think the same for development as a hitter?
This is another interesting comment. ... Don't have an opinion on this either, but I can see where there is value in the experience of reveling. You don't want to trophy hunt, but winning and success breeds confidence, which helps at the next level.
In order to play top level 12u ball you gotta travel to the regional and national tournaments. few teams around me do that.
- Mar 28, 2013
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That's a great point and I should have mentioned if you are in an area where its cost prohibitive or not feasible for whatever reason to play top 12a a ball then It would make sense to move up.
Pitchers need to throw against the best hitters possible. Throwing gas and a little movement will allow them to rack up K's and is great for confidence but it does not really advance their game. Playing up forces the pitcher to up their game significantly especially playing up in 18U where you play college teams in the Fall. Most hitters in 18U can hit whatever heat you throw their way so you must mix speeds and have real movement not a wrinkle. If you can't mix it up and keep the ball on the river you pay for it. I have pitchers throwing in HS School right now that spent the Fall throwing against college teams. So regardless of what they face, no High School team is going to intimidate them. One was a total stud in 14U and 1 season in 16U. She came to us last fall and I put her in against a very good JUCO team for her baptism of fire. She lasted 2 innings. That had never happened to her and was a big wake up call. Subsequently she started taking things more seriously and started working much harder. By the end of the Fall season she threw against another JUCO in a showcase and did quite well. Needless to say she is dominant in High School.
College teams will do the same thing to initiate their players. MY DD experienced the same lesson. She threw against Florida State and Tennessee and held her own but knew she had things to work on. She probably got hit harder than she had in a while but did ok. Then she threw against the Gators and got her butt whipped. Found out what it was like to swim with the big fish. Bottom line is that you only get better by playing with and against the best players possible. The same can be said for hitting. If you are hitting .400 and dominating where you are it may be time to move up from JV and play varsity. If a player is really going to excel they need to let go of the nonsense of staying on the same team from 10U through 18U. Not saying jump teams every season, but when it is time to move on and up, move on and up.
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I have coached several 12U and 14U teams and have seen this many times. Of course, each individual set of circumstances and each individual is different, so different scenarios may work for some better than others. Without knowing this girl or knowing her true ability, I cannot make a definitive recommendation.
I can, however, pass along a few observations:
1. I have never seen a player who was adversely effected because she decided to play with girls her own age.
2. I have seen more than a few girls who lost confidence and had their track derailed when they tried to compete against girls a couple of years older than them.
3. For pitchers especially, that year of being dominant .... of being a "star" .... has often been the defining moment in their career that launched them to even bigger and better things. The confidence seems to stay with them for life.
4. A select few girls can go out and get shelled and think nothing of it. A few others never recover. The majority, however, seem to me to somehow get used to being hit hard and to lose a little bit of their fight as a result.
5. The luster of "playing up" is often more alluring to the parents than it is for DD. It quickly fades for all when DD gets yarded a few times by some 5'10", 175 pound 15 year old.
There is hardly anything more fun and exciting than really, really good 12U ball. The quality can be astonishing. If you have an excellent team near you and there are excellent teams for them to play against, I'd try to get her on that team and let her roll.
I can, however, pass along a few observations:
1. I have never seen a player who was adversely effected because she decided to play with girls her own age.
2. I have seen more than a few girls who lost confidence and had their track derailed when they tried to compete against girls a couple of years older than them.
3. For pitchers especially, that year of being dominant .... of being a "star" .... has often been the defining moment in their career that launched them to even bigger and better things. The confidence seems to stay with them for life.
4. A select few girls can go out and get shelled and think nothing of it. A few others never recover. The majority, however, seem to me to somehow get used to being hit hard and to lose a little bit of their fight as a result.
5. The luster of "playing up" is often more alluring to the parents than it is for DD. It quickly fades for all when DD gets yarded a few times by some 5'10", 175 pound 15 year old.
There is hardly anything more fun and exciting than really, really good 12U ball. The quality can be astonishing. If you have an excellent team near you and there are excellent teams for them to play against, I'd try to get her on that team and let her roll.
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I think one thing to keep in mind is that many of the girls playing 12U and 14U never make it to 16U or 18U. The attrition is significant as players enter High School when priorities change and other opportunities are presented. Playing up is not for everyone. Some have what it takes and some don't. But for those that do the results are phenomenal.
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,981
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Ugh... Pet peeve... No pitcher will ever find "mound" time in softball. There is none.
She will find circle time, pitching time and a host of other times.. But NO mound time..
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