At what age...

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At what age is it worth traveling a long distance to practices to play on a more competitive team? My dd had the opportunity to play on a few more competitive teams this year but we decided to stay local (by local I mean at least 30 minute drive to practice).. we are 2 hours from Columbus and Cincinnati. She is only 10 right now so wondering at what age it would be a good idea to make the longer trips...especially if college ball is an option one day?

 

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I also want to mention that there is a lot of talent in our area but for such a small area there are way too many teams...

 

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I would think answer will vary...no all encompassing right answer. I would try to find a right coach for development and to develop love of the game and having fun playing the game. Make sure academics are in order then if your family is ready for the commitment...jump in and have fun.

 

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Great answer Blue Ice...get solid fundamentals and don't make it a chore for her or the family. To actually answer your question I believe second year 12 or first year 13 is a time to be looking to make a move. This gives them a season to adjust to the higher level of play and several years of playing for fun and to improve before the jump

 

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We just started the travel experience for my dd at 12u. If I could do it over, I would've done it at 10u to get the experience, I wouldn't wait til she was 13 or 14. The coaching out there is so much better than local rec that she might be too far behind the other girls. The big leap for pitchers, because she is one, is tough the first year in 12u. Our goal was to find a competitive team and the distance was an issue for me. Luckiy we have 4-6 relatively competitive teams within a 30 minute drive. Right now, there is no way I'm driving over that until she has the talent level to make a highly competitive team.

 

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12-13 I'd say, but even that age burnout and resentment can set in sooner. Play for the love of the game and not worry about playing in college. 70% will never touch a college field, of the 30% that do, 10 % get decent money to play, the other 20 may not even finish their college career, as they are just done.....

 

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For my DD, it was 14. She played on a decent travel team close to home with her friends and had fun. When she was 14, SHE made the decision to seek out a higher level of competition. We were fortunate and found a great fit that was also close to home. The difference being the travel required every weekend. What made it the right time and right fit, is she was mature enough to know the commitment she was making, and what was expected of her.

 

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I would think answer will vary...no all encompassing right answer. I would try to find a right coach for development and to develop love of the game and having fun playing the game. Make sure academics are in order then if your family is ready for the commitment...jump in and have fun.

Amen. Being on a good college prep academics track and having a solid financial plan to at least pay for the best local state school should be done before thinking about a highly competitive team and should never be compromised by it.

From now through 12U, find a team that develops their players. The scoreboard takes care of itself if the coaches stay focused on constant improvement.

 

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OHsoftball, I see it like this. Up to age 14 yrs the game is mostly about your daughter developing strong fundamentals and learning how to properly play the game both from a mental and physical standpoint. To a degree the competition she plays against will also matter because it is important for her to be challenged regularly. If you have a local program that adequately addresses all of those areas there is no need to go anywhere else. Between her travel program and pitching/hitting coach she should have all she needs to thrive at this age. From 14u on, however, the emphasis shifts towards recruiting and while it is still just as important for her to continue with developing her game, she needs to be seen by college coaches to be recruited. That's when you see a lot of players jump from the teams with more local/regional schedules to teams that play a more geographically expanded showcase type schedule.