To Play Up, or Not to Play Up?

In response to my original post, a parent of a 14U travel player comments on the relatively non-competitive nature of 16U softball in their region. She goes on to indicate that many good 14U players skip right up to the 18U level which, in their area, is mainly showcase softball.  She asks: a)  Should her daughter play up?  and b) What type of team should she look for if she is not quite ready to be seen by college coaches?

These are excellent and compelling questions and, although there are no simple answers, I hope my perspective will be helpful to the many players facing similar choices.

This parent failed to mention what position(s) her daughter plays and whether she is an average player or is dominant at her current level. In general, as an athlete, you are always looking to push the envelope by challenging yourself to compete at higher levels. There is a delicate balance, however, between being challenged and being over-matched. One will create an atmosphere for accelerated development, while the other may be deflating and create frustration and a loss of passion.

Please, before making any decision to move up, have an honest assessment made of your abilities by an impartial third party. That third party should be independent of any team which may be looking to bring you on board.  With the proliferation of so called “showcase” and “gold” teams, many of those teams will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to sign up and, more importantly, to pay up. That being said, this parent was right on with her evaluation of 16U teams.  Obviously there are exceptions, but for the most part, if you have not made a legitimate showcase or gold team by the time you are 16U eligible it is unlikely that you will ever find yourself in tournaments that attract the attention of college coaches.  As I stated in my post, a 9th grader should not technically be garnering the attention of college coaches. The reality, however, is that even the top gold teams in the country have 14 and 15 year old players on their starting rosters. Obviously they are being seen. This leaves athletes and parents alike with the difficult choice of either pushing ahead or falling behind.

Find a team whose goal is to provide a nurturing, competitive environment for their players to develop their skills and to learn how to win as a team. This may not be easy but they can be found.

Even if you are late to the dance, if you have the moves when you finally arrive, you will be noticed. If you honestly believe that it is premature for you to be seen by college coaches, don’t put yourself in that position. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments.