Tournament Questions

Playing Up?

I really cannot believe some of the comments I am reading when it relates to playing up, and how it is not good for the sport. This sport, along with every other sport is supposed to be for the positive development of these girls. Some develop faster than others, both physically and emotionally. NO PLAYER should be held back, if she indeed has the skills to play at a higher level of competition. This should not be about winning from any stand point. Just the positive development of these young ladies. Do all players have what it takes to be able to perform at the higher level, absolutely not, but the ones that do, should be given every opportunity and all of the support to be successful. This is no different that a freshman in high school being a starter on the Varsity team and having Seniors on the bench. Now, with that being said, I do see a lot of players playing up that really shouldn't be, but that mainly happens when mom and dad are pushing too hard, too fast, vicariously reliving their childhood through their daughters. This is the issue that should really be addressed.

 

I really don't think it's all about the talent. I think it is letting the kids grow up.

 

thank you

The voice of reason......

98% of your daughters can't and shouldn't play up.... don't penalize or hate the 2% that can.

 

Well stated "CD", if I wasn't tied up umpiring, we'd make a pretty good coaching duo. God help the umpires, but it would be fun. Hopefully someday we will be able to see everyone approach this sport in the right mindset, that no matter what is happening, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GIRL!!!"
Have a great day my friend.

 

No one's hating the ones that play up and I particularly dont. I simply think that there is some adjustment required in the way the associations manage the sport to improve the game when 14U teams are beating 18U teams... This isnt about the 2%, it is about an obvious problem. I just think it is worthy of discussing and not simply dismissing the subject.

 

I am all for girls/teams playing up. I do not like teams playing down in the fall.

The fall 14U tournaments have the following:
1.) 12U teams that have to move up next spring
2.) 14U teams that will continue to play 14U next spring
3.) 14U teams that will have to move up to 16U next spring.

Why would a strong 14U team that has to move up to 16U in the spring play in 14U in the fall? This is creating watered down tournaments where the gap in physical size and talent can be huge. I have to believe it is pushing some of the younger, weaker teams out of these tournaments.

Look at some of these fall tournaments - you have some teams with women playing some teams with girls in the same age group. The physical differences in some of these tournaments can be 3 years presenting huge gaps in size, strength, speed, etc... Some teams have 12 players that are all bigger and stronger than any one player on their opponent's team.

Should this be addressed by the sanctioning body? Should teams have to move up in the fall instead of the spring? Perhaps it is okay like it is and everything will even out in the spring.

 

This will sound like I'm contradicting myself but not really.

I believe it's ok to play up in some circumstances. The fall season is a time of transition to the next level. Obviously this is a time when moving up is the norm.

There will also be players that are far more advanced than their age level. They should also move up. And there are other legitimate reasons. But overall these should be the exceptions--not the norm.

I don't necessarily agree that players should be held down by rules and regs, though. What should make the difference is training.

As has been posted before, when a 14U team beats up on an 18U team something is probably wrong with that picture.

Players and teams should be allowed to play up if they can compete at the next level. In an ideal world this should be the exception--not the norm. Nowadays, it's the norm. And that's the problem. Something's wrong at the next level!

 

NORMALLY THE TEAMS THAT HAVE TO MOVE UP IN THE SPRING GO AHEAD AND MOVE UP IN THE FALL. THE ONES THAT DON'T WERE USUALLY BEAT OUT BY THE ONES THAT MOVED UP, AND ARE HANGING AROUND TO TRY TO WIN A TOURNAMENT FOR WHATEVER REASONS, MAYBE BUILD A LITTLE SELF ESTEEM OR MORALE BOOSTING. IMO

 

Where are you guys seeing 14u teams beat 18u teams? My daughter is an 18u player and plays ASA A ball and competes against A players or better. I have yet to see an 14u team beat a 18u A team. Admittly I have seen some 14u eligible players compete at the 18u level and they normally do well, most our pitchers this is do largely in my opinion to lack of quality pitchers available these days. I would have to say this is an indivual thing some kids improve ahead of others and need to move to a higher competition level. The rules that are in place are fine, it is up to us the parents,coaches, and team organizations to make the wise decisions about what level our girls should be playing at, that will best allow for their indivual development.

 

well...

discussion is good....
the problem is not with the 14u team that moved up...

The game should be open and available to all levels of play.....
What should we do, tell the 18u team they can't play anymore?

The associations are about the MONEY and that means number of participating teams......
They are not gonna turn down a team based on skill or lack of......
and I don't think they are gonna limited kids to playing only at their age group.

So what do we do?