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Had an interesting conversation today with some friends.  They have a girl who is a soph. at the local HS.  She's been playing her sports for two years, but at her age level -- she has not been moved "up" to varsity.  Her parents are upset.  She is upset.  She plays really well at her age level -- starter, leader plays most of the game, etc.  But now she is  quitting -- she doesn't think she'll get the opportunity to play varsity her final two years.  I looked at her parents dumbfounded.  I couldn't understand why the fact that she was not moved up "early" made any difference what would happen her final two years.  Frankly, they seemed to have poisoned the well. 

 

Now to tie this into baseball.  I go to the local games.  The freshman play on a field next to the Varsity, so you can essentially watch both.  Holy crap.  It is literally men vs. boys.  How can anyone honestly expect a kid to be moved up to a level where they play with men? 

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Can relate to this post. My son is a 2017, just finished first year of HS ball. Prior to season expectations from coaches was high. Started season on JV rather than freshman team with coaches expecting him to move to varsity by end of the year. I was excited & thought it would be great. He didn't have a bad season but it wasn't stellar by any means so he finished the season where he started; on the JV. Playing up doesn't seem nearly important as it did a short time ago & I wonder if he wouldn't have benefited from staying down with his buddies. Don't get me wrong, it was a growing experience but I see where you're coming from.

If it's a decent softball program if a girl is only good in her are group by soph year she might never make varsity. Girls mature sooner. A high school softball player who is any kind of player is usually playing 18u by soph year. College prospects are usually playing 18u by summer after freshman year. The real studdettes headed for the top college programs are often playing 18u after 8th grade. While my daughter played high school softball everyone who made varsity made it freshman or soph year except one pitcher buried behind a D1 prospect one grade ahead of her.

 

My son was good enough to make a weak varsity program when he was a freshman. But he was assigned to JV (rather than freshman team). What the coach was doing was allowing him to physically mature for a year and play for a winner while he finished cleaning out or graduation got rid of the last of the toxic problems on varsity. I was happy he made varsity soph year. JV ball is tough to watch. Freshman year he probably wasn't ready for the top shelf pitchers he would have to face half the time on varsity.

Last edited by RJM
Originally Posted by RJM:

If it's a decent softball program if a girl is only good in her are group by soph year she might never make varsity. Girls mature sooner. A high school softball player who is any kind of player is usually playing 18u by soph year. College prospects are usually playing 18u by summer after freshman year. The real studdettes headed for the top college programs are often playing 18u after 8th grade. While my daughter played high school softball everyone who made varsity made it freshman or soph year except one pitcher buried behind a D1 prospect one grade ahead of her.

 

My son was good enough to make a weak varsity program when he was a freshman. But he was assigned to JV (rather than freshman team). What the coach was doing was allowing him to physically mature for a year and play for a winner while he finished cleaning out or graduation got rid of the last of the toxic problems on varsity. I was happy he made varsity soph year. JV ball is tough to watch. Freshman year he probably wasn't ready for the top shelf pitchers he would have to face half the time on varsity.

I hear you.  But we aren't talking about studdette college prospects.  Just girls playing a game, representing their school.  At our school girls sports are weak -- they usually have trouble getting enough skilled girls to come out (which is why several get pulled up to varsity).  But I have a hard time believing a quality age level girl (woman?) wouldn't play significantly. 

 

As for the boys, my kid certainly could hang with the young kids.  But varsity?  No way.  They guys are men, manly men.  Big and strong.  (Ok, bodies like men, brains like kids.)  He's got a lot of growing to do.  No premature expectations here. 

Last edited by Golfman25

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