June Classic

[lookingIN]

Great job OBS Monarchs GM winning the 16U gold bracket. Very impressed with the base running and the small ball I saw being executed.

[GameTime23]

CONGRATS OBS!!!

A lot of 98's and 99's playing in this tounry.

16's seem like the lost div...Top 16's playing up and top 14's playing 16's....

[lrfastpitch]

i have seen the obs monarchs team play strong team.wether they play true 16 teams or younger 98. They can play.so props to obs and harrison for making the ship game.

[WhoMe]

Top 16's playing up? Hmmm, who do you consider a top 16 team that is playing up vs just a 16's playing up?

[GameTime23]

Most 2014 & 2015 are playing Showcase....

OBS WON and that's all that matters...you play who they put in front of you...CONGRATS!!!

[FullCount]

12u girls playing up on 14u teams playing in 16u tourneys, and 14u on 16u in 18u. Who knows who is playing who and what age they are anymore anyway?? Agree with GT, you play who you get. Period.

Did catch a great game being played in front of a packed stadium on 5:15 Saturday afternoon.

[Iluvblue]

In the past 2 weeks our 18u team has played at least 3 and maybe more 16u teams playing up..... they got pounded every time, and one was even pissed that we didnt slow down on them... so what is the point in playing up?

Depending on the tournament they play in, the TD is no dummy, and he takes those 16u teams and puts them up against weak 18u teams, or a bunch of 16u teams all in the same pool playing each other, so again, what is the point. You aint going to see any 16u getting put up against the Scorcerer, so again, whats the point.

We leave our 16u in 16u for the most part. If I wanted them in 18u, Id make them an 18u team. And if they did play up, many of the weak 18u teams are not as good as the better 14u teams playing in 16u. So IMO, our 16u got better games by playing in 16u then they would have gotten playing in 18u.


To each their own, but makes no sense to me. Imagine the 14u division if all of them stayed in 14u?

[GameTime23]

Hey Iluvblue.... I get it and not surprised that’s your point of view...You have always made it clear about playing up and it makes since most of the time....

But I would ask did your 16's team really get challenged by other 16's team or was 14's the ones that gave you a good game this weekend?

Not sure playing vs 14's will get you to your highest level and don't see it helping older teams in a showcase format either. I would play up and take my lumps!!!!

[Iluvblue]

They wouldnt take their lumps. They are a 16u team, so we would probably get stuck in a pool that is weak, and they would stomp on the teams they play(in a weak 18u pool). I think almost every player on that team played varsity this year, and several were all league first teamers. We played in a 16u tourney, and we play against whoever shows up.

Worse thing for me to hear after beating some team is a parent or coach talking about how they are a 14u team playing up.... like I care. If you can play, you can play, makes no difference the age IMO. So if you are playing 16u, you are a 16u team as far as Im concerned. We are not playing down.

I am curious as to other posters views on who the "Top 16u" teams are that were playing "Up."

Last weekend, I felt that my 16u team played about the same quality of teams that my 18u team played, and one team played in 16u, and the other played in 18u.... so just playing "Up" doesnt ensure you play better teams when the pools are determined by the TD and it is showcase format.

Oh, to answer your question,they have had maybe 4 good games in 2 weeks, and I THINK that every opponent was a 14u team... not positive, but I think that is the case.

Why? IMo because any 16u team that thinks they are any good are playing up to appease the parents.

[GameTime23]

Fair enough Iluvblue....

I think everything you said is correct and thats why I think 16's is the lost div right now...

No matter what...CONGRATS OBS 16's!!!!