I formed a 13u team that was the all stars of our eighteen league LL district. I targeted twenty players and got thirteen of them. I wasn’t looking for thirteen early bloomers. I took the 5’2” kid with the 6’2” dad over the 5’8” kid with the 5’6” dad. I took kids most likely to be high school prospects. The coaching staff was four of us with college ball experience. Two had pro experience.
At 14u I replaced three attitudes. At 16u, when the kids were fifteen I added three extra pitchers. We were one of the top travel teams in the tri-state area.
The next year (post soph summer) my son and four of his teammates were asked to play for a local 17u program that played a national schedule. An upstart academy acquired the rest of the roster that played 16u again and 17u the following year.
Every kid but one played some level of college ball. That one could have. He chose to play college basketball.
The focus of our team (13u to 16u) was to prepare kids for high school ball. The coaches were former pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. 17u team was designed to get kids committed to college ball.
From thirteen to fifteen a kid should be playing for a team that provides the best coaching in a competitive environment.