'99's moving up

[linedrivelouie]

BLUE I Couldn't agree with you more!!!

This playing up thing has become a joke. I have said it before If you are not killing everyone you play in your age, you have no biz playing up. Their is a big difference in the maturity of girls from 12u to 14u to 16u that is why they have the ages split the way they do. Athletes do not learn by getting it handed to them they learn by competing.

We now have 12 year old pitchers, catchers etc... playing 14s 16s. I heard the Breeze 99 team is planning on playing 16s. (just what I heard not sure if it's true) A few weeks ago I saw Heat Cota an 00 12u team was listed in 14u for their first tourney. No disrespect in this comment honestly but these individual players I speak of and teams did not dominate or really do that great last year what has changed now that they feel they can play up and compete?? I get these players and teams had a few good tourneys but never dominated. I think it was great that Breeze qualified for PGF and Cota qualified n went to Nats but again look at those results. I know their are many more these were just a few off the top of my head Prove you should move up before you do...

[Sftball Junkie]

Hey Wait a Second here, Mr Iluvblue

My daughter played up last year and I am proud to say we beat a team with Spiders on their socks, one team who had one red one black sock, 2 teams with Thunder in the name and really beat up one of the best teams in the age group... we know this because their uni's said ELITE on them!!!

Are you seriously telling me with those kinda results my 13 year old should not be playing 16s???

[Iluvblue]

Im not knocking any particular team, but playing up just to play up is stupid. 14u is a GREAT age. Exposure tourneys SUCK, so why rush to get into them.


My last year with the Grapettes I was in 14u, and we were VERY good. We played 14u all season, then the last tourney of the Summer prior to nationals, we played up... but not in 16u, we played in 18u. We went 2-1 on Saturday, and many of our parents were relieved as they thought I was going to get their babies hurt.

Sunday we beat the Grapette 18u (3rd team in the hierarchy of Grapette 18u teams at the time) and it wasnt close, then we beat 2 more 18u teams that had won their 18u metro, then in the championship game the Gold team we were supposed to play went home prior to the championship game.

But we didnt play up for any other reason than we knew the 14u and 16u division would have been a joke. I have no problem with GOOD teams playing up for the right reasons, but 14u gains so much more by staying in their own age division, the primary one being they get to play towards an actual championship game between the best two teams in the tourney. Just playing 5 games that mean NOTHING just plain SUCKS. if you dont believe me, just ask any parent of a kid playing in college which was their favorite year. A VAST MAJORITY will say 14u

Again, dont hate on me, i dont make the rules by which we must play, im just reporting on the game as I see it.

[Iluvblue]

One last thing.... would you agree that the best 14u team in this area is the former Smash and now Firecracker team? Why dont you stop by and ask coach Drewrey what he thinks about playing that 14u team up in these 16u exposure tourneys and see what he says.


And if ANY team would be playing up, it would be them.

[onlooker]

.............

[Iluvblue]

Im not slamming ANY team or their ability on the field, so please dont take what I said and run with it the wrong way. I just think 14u teams are better playing in a Sunday elimination bracket, over a 2 game guarantee against opponents that are picked for you instead of funneling the winners towards each other. Survival of the fittest, and I like it that way. I wish 16u did it this way.

[Stealing Home]

No mistake, Cota wanted 14u at first. After seeing the better/older 14's enter, he tried backing out and was put on the 12u waiting list. I agree with what most are stating - stay pure and win more than 1 game on a Sunday.

[Iluvblue]

Think how good the 14u bracket would be if all the 14u teams were playing 14u. That would be great... by the way, you get the honor of paying about 200 dollars more to play in 16u as well. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[wow!really?]

Hey Wait a Second here, Mr Iluvblue

My daughter played up last year and I am proud to say we beat a team with Spiders on their socks, one team who had one red one black sock, 2 teams with Thunder in the name and really beat up one of the best teams in the age group... we know this because their uni's said ELITE on them!!!

Are you seriously telling me with those kinda results my 13 year old should not be playing 16s???

That is awesome!!! That team with the spiders on their socks was no joke!!
Blue didn't realize you were making a joke, he needs to loosen up every now and then!

[Iluvblue]

I knew he was making a joke. I just needed to restate my point before people start twisting what I was trying to say.

Do you remember the Knuckleknockers team from 10 or more years ago? Now that was a team.