Team Names vs. Players Grad Year

[Tyler Durden]

As always, there are many regional posts regarding bragging rights for which team is dominant in the 10u/12u/14u circuit. (Yes, I was guilty of those posts when my kid was that age group. Not proud about that) For example, every time an '00 team beats a '99 team, it is cause for a Victory Lap on the Regional Board. For years, this nonsense has made me ponder the flaw in our fastpitch team name system.
My daughter is a '94. She played on an "all '94" team back in 12U. She is now an upcoming 2013 grad, where almost all of her old '94 teammates were 2012 grads. So when I was bragging about 'beating' a 93 team, I was actually bragging about her team beating a bunch of players who were probably the same grad year as most of the kids on her team. Oops.
My point is, some of the parents who's kid is still in 10/12/14 are confused, and get mistakenly hung up on the year those kids were born. Turns out, ultimately, birth year doesn't matter, and to brag about a '00 team beating a '99 team is disingenuous. This is especially problematic when you are comparing 14's, where some are playing HS ball while some are still 8th graders and playing Spring Travel Ball. If travel teams want their moniker to reflect their players' ages, they should call themselves Team 2017, Team 2016, etc.
Because let's face it, the end game is the College Scholly. The earlier you know who the REAL competition is, the better.

[Safebyahare]

Interesting,,,,,, I like the thought process, and it almost makes sense.
What about age group,,14u,16u,18, and sticking with this format? After all this is TB, and you can be a 14yr. player playing on an 18u team. Plus the shame can still be in play, nothing worse than a 16u beating an 18u team. Or better yet an 18 elite or gold team. So agreed not by birth year, but by age level.
College is goal,,,smirks on parents faces when they beat a superior team. Priceless.

[PDad]

... If travel teams want their moniker to reflect their players' ages, they should call themselves Team 2017, Team 2016, etc.
Because let's face it, the end game is the College Scholly. The earlier you know who the REAL competition is, the better.

SoCal A's are way ahead of you - they already have a 2020 team.

In case you weren't kidding, I have no issues with the current reality:

- Younger teams tend to form around a birth year in hopes of keeping it together multiple years because that is the criteria used by all sanctions.

- Older teams tend to be a mix of birth/grad years, so team names either just identify the age group (i.e. 16U, 18U) or purposely omit any age reference so they can play up.

[Dugout Dad]

... If travel teams want their moniker to reflect their players' ages, they should call themselves Team 2017, Team 2016, etc.
Because let's face it, the end game is the College Scholly. The earlier you know who the REAL competition is, the better.

SoCal A's are way ahead of you - they already have a 2020 team.

In case you weren't kidding, I have no issues with the current reality:

- Younger teams tend to form around a birth year in hopes of keeping it together multiple years because that is the criteria used by all sanctions.

- Older teams tend to be a mix of birth/grad years, so team names either just identify the age group (i.e. 16U, 18U) or purposely omit any age reference so they can play up.

Very familiar, that was DD's path....worked well