age

What do you think?
I've always been told that you need to challenge a pitcher, to make her the best she can be. Do you think a 14yr old freshmen pitching 18u is too much for a dd that can probably hold her own against alot of the teams she would face ? Just wanted some opinions.

 

only if that person is willing to eat one off the bat of an 18 yr old if you slip up and put one across the middle. anyway, a coach will let you know if you can handle it by either using you or not. i think the problem will be if you end up pitching against college players that will hammer the ball. plus, you will always be seeing your teammates move on as they age out and you stay on.

 

Question

Is she a star at 14U, basically dominates? Does she throw three to four different pitches consistently for strikes? Can she hit her spots 95% of time or higher? Does she have a tight spin on the ball and the pitches move as well as hit their spots? Is she mentally tough? Is she mature for her age? Will she be on a team where she does not have to carry the weight and will be able to develop all the items mentioned above? Ashton Ward, maybe the best player to come out of NC played for me at 14, actually late 13 and we gave her a chance to develop some and all know what she has accomplished. I can remember a time in Va Beach against a tough team where Ashton gave up five runs before she got an out! We pulled her but she was mature enough to shake it off and pitch the very next game we needed. That is KEY! Maturity and dynamite skills, let that make your decision not somebody saying she needs to pitch 18U! She has some time if she is 14. Even if she pitches varisty HS, don't let people convince U to move her before she is ready, most HS teams are not going to be as good as the top travel teams.
My two cents! Best of luck.

 

Great advice Rodney!

 

I agree GREAT Response......

I agree with Abbeyfan, for he (IMO) is the MASTER of softball knowledge!
Every player is different! You can't judge one against the other!
Our DD played 16U ball as a 12 yr. old, physically she was ready, but mentally she wasn't! Not so much on the mound, not mature enough, but not mature enough, to handle the age difference of her and the other teammates! Meaning they were so far ahead of her, socially speaking, they had nothing much in common, off the field time, which left the DD feeling like an outsider, kinda! She requested to go back down to a team that had players closer to her age. So she did! She was thankful for the experience but for her, playing with kids closer to her age was the best answer! Hope that helps a little!

 

JMO

The real deal is maybe an education of a new vocabulary !! Girls tell too much about their personal lives in the dugout....way too much...


14-----

18-----

 

Not just vocabulary, but lifestyle things such as dating, driving and where they are driving to and what they are doing when they get there, etc... That is what I meant by the socially speaking! But anyway you are correct!

 

The Guru knows, and so does Abbeyfan. Abbeyfan makes very good observations about the most important thing is MENTAL maturity. There are always exceptions to every general rule of thumb. I remember seeing Danielle Glosson throwing against 18's as a 14 year old and Chelsea doing the same. Pretty sure that Crystal Cox probably did as well as Mendy Mckenzie. Seeing a trend here. Some of the top names in NC softball but they are exceptions. For every one of them there are probably 10-50 that it didn't work with. Cometfan told me of a young lady who tried it and after getting hit a little here and there walked away from the game forever. Hadn't thought of Guru's take but that makes perfect sense. As someone who has one who could still be playing 14 and one playing 18, I hear the difference in the conversations around the girls. Cars, Boys, makeup, boys, ball, boys, school, boys. Yep they experience it at school but still basically with kids their own age not around older girls that much. Bottom line is do what's best for you and your family and let everyone in your inner circle have a say. Remember if she's the type who can play 18U she's the type to start having a big say in what she wants to do. Good luck.

 

Very true! There will always be the occasional 14 who can benefit from a little 18 exposure, but in reality the number is microscopic. Just make sure it's to benefit DD, not mom's and dad's egos.