CTCBAT wrote:Most of the notable teams play elsewhere and truly travel. Grapes tourneys are well attended in the true 14U age. Other than that it varies from tourney. Playing better competition comes before winning a tournament in October. The prize is a nationals berth (PGF then ASA) not a Grapettes tournament win.
Pretty good stuff here.
Keyword - Notable teams.
Although they are populated, the Grapettes 14U tourney's are well attended by the '00 14's. I dont think the '99 teams in the 14U grapes tourney this weekend are Notable by any stretch (Grapes 99 (Stockton) and Heat 99 (Sacramento) to name a couple). So that points to the other side of the spectrum too. Lose to '00 teams in 14U as a 99 or lose to 97/98/99 teams if you play up in the 16U with some/most of the other talented teams in your age group. That's a tough pill to swallow when one and done if playing an '00, but its also funny when the chests start to stick out when winning one of these as a 99 vs the '00's.
The 16U has several (counted 7 or 8 at first look) 99 teams. Regardless of the label 16U, its where the age group talent as a whole is playing (FC, KG, and Sorcerer to name 3 "NOTABLE"), therefore, if you find yourself as a 99 and NOT in the 16U, odds are you are in for a long spring and summer, assuming you get through fall.
In other words, dont get caught up in the age group "label" they are playing in or up to, find out where the talented teams in your age group are playing and JOIN THEM. It doesnt take much to see what teams belong and what dont. the label 16U or 14U up here really only truly applies in qualifiers and the like. However, what doesnt apply, should be worrisome and is easily identifiable is continued playing down, watch out for this more than playing up.