Is it a good idea to let your DD play in an older age group?

[Boogieman]

Take for instance this past weekends ASA March Kick Off in Lincoln. You had one team ( Team TS) that was supposedly the all star team of 14u. Made up of all the 98 & 97s that play on 16u teams that have gone dark because of HS ball. If all of those girls are the elite and play 16s shouldn't they dominate there own age group of 14u? So the question is why play up If you can't even dominate girls your own age. What are you really getting by moving up?

[wayout]

Take for instance this past weekends ASA March Kick Off in Lincoln. You had one team ( Team TS) that was supposedly the all star team of 14u. Made up of all the 98 & 97s that play on 16u teams that have gone dark because of HS ball. If all of those girls are the elite and play 16s shouldn't they dominate there own age group of 14u? So the question is why play up If you can't even dominate girls your own age. What are you really getting by moving up?

Let your DD play up! Wow I think not! A 13 yr old has no business hangin with 16 and 17 yr old, wow,ya it's all about the game BUT. AT that age girls are thinking about other things besides te game, let's face it they grow up fast enough. There is plenty of competitive teams out there , as we observed this past week end !!!

[6to4to3]

Here is my thinking – Let’s say your 2015 grad DD is bad a&& and is playing on a super elite 18U or 18 Gold team full of 2013 grads. When the colleges are scouting that elite ball club for their 2013 recruiting class I doubt they are considering your 2015 daughter. Even if she is the stud the schools don’t even know their budget/schedule/roster for the 2015 class your DD is in. Their many verbals haven’t committed yet so their needs can change whenever if those verbals change their minds last minute (which happens all the time). Sure they might take note but let’s say all your 2013’s sign letters and head off to college, your kid is there swinging in the wind without that super elite team playing in the super elite tourneys to even get looked at again. Unless she stumbles along another elite 18 gold team of 2015’s, and in that case she has to try to fit in to an established team in her biggest recruiting year(s). That and the coach from a couple years ago might have notes that have “player #10” from team “NAME”, then coach heads to a college showcase looking for those noted players…and that team is dust.

I know what you are thinking. We emailed and called that coach and he/she knows we switched teams. Your emails and calls (unanswered until Sr. year) are one of hundreds of thousands that coach has to deal with. Oh yeah while they are coaching their current season, tutoring players, proxy’ing tests, recruiting, and trying to have some sort of personal life. Chances aren’t good that coach will remember player A from back in the day and put 2 and 2 together unless she’s like THE STUD of the state, in which case she is verballed by Jr. year anyways so none of this matters.

This is what I see in the area (NorCal) way too much. 15 yr olds playing on a scrub 18U/Gold team so Mom and Dad can tell their friends that DD is an 18U/Gold player… A local team that would have it handed to them vs. most So Cal 14U teams anyways.

Get your DD age pure by 2nd year 14U or first year 16U is my thought. She can be part of the building that team process, learn what it takes to get a “team” to the elite status vs. showing up to another team that has already spent years doing so.

[GameTime23]

Mr. Boggie.....TS is made up of mostly 98's and a couple of 97's.

98's are waiting for their teams to play HS and will return older 14's. Not all of these girls play U16's, only a few due.

All of these girls on this team are IMPACT players and studs on there respective teams. I've watched these kids play for years and they are BALLERS!!!

If you are going dark and you can only commit for spring, play with top line other players and great coaching? Why not?

With only (1) TS practice and to beat a good Sorcerer team on sat and to lose to a VERY good Vasquez on Sunday is still very competitive. 1 hitters in all 3 games on sat and 6-1 lead on sun. Props to Vasquez and his girls. GREAT GAME!!!

Play up if your good enough to develop and get playing time.

[Coach11]

Play up if you're looking to challenge yourself personally, not to "dominate" as a team.

[ICMTM]

There is always comperable competition in your own age group. People move up for various reasons. All it means to me is you can perform at a level with kids older than you. It doesn't mean you are better than kids your own age.

TS got beat. Those kids come from teams that are considered some of the area's best. Even still there a kids in their natural age group that can play with them.

Why are you calling out a team that will break up in three months?

[Boogieman]

I didn't mean to bust on TS. Just wanted to share my thoughts. I believe that if you believe your dd is good enough to play up, then you must also believe she is better than girls her own age. But when you have a chance to play in your own age group and you do not dominate then you ask yourself why play up.

[GameTime23]

Mr. Boogie....All good brotha....Great tourny this past weekend....

Notice the teams that stayed together threw the fall all looked really good....Smash98, Breeze and Grapes-Vasquez ....

Sorcerer, TC and KG will do just fine, give them some time...

[FullCount]

Boogie:
So just to be clear, your definition of dominate does not include overall body of work over the course of the tourney, but rather merely the final win or loss on Sunday? All about the W's, is that right?

[Boogieman]

I am only saying if you are playing in a tournament format then you are trying to win. No one goes to a tournament to loose. Now if you are playing in a showcase then you are just trying to show your players talents for the scouts. The W does not mean a lot in showcase format.