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My son was lucky enough to play for one of the top 10 teams from this list. It was the best experience of his life. But it was a lot more then the wins and ranking. It was the team chemistry and the coaching staff. Those with top players know there are choices when it comes to teams. We picked this team because of the coach and the coaching staff. even if we did not make the list at all, I would say it was the best choice. My son got the exposure he needed while playing for a top coach in a truly fun environment. Just to reiterate how important this type of chemistry is: My son is a senior who is committed to play in college. But since he has a May birthday, he can play 17u again. When I asked him what he wanted to do next summer, he told me he wanted to play for the same coach again. To me, that says a lot. So even though he will not need the college exposure, the experience of playing for this coach for another season made this an easy decision.
So what I am trying to say through this rambling message, is don't just look at ranking. Pick the team that makes your son feel welcome, helps him improve and gets him the individual exposure he needs.
Agree chemistry is very important. My son will be turning 18 at the end of the month so his 17u days are over. He played for the dirtbags organization, awesome group and now will have the opportunity to continue playing baseball in college. I personally feel lucky to have found the group he played for and the men and woman bloggers here who have the foresight of sharing their experiences with the rest of us.
Is this out for 16u yet?
All age rankings are on the same website. You'll have to click on one of the dropdowns to find 16u.