16 vs 18

[softballtaxi]

here we go tryout time again

If your daughter is a 2011 and is still 16U eligable but can play 18U where would you have her go? Keeping in mind "exposure" what is the best place to be?

[fathrof3grls]

Assuming that your daughter is going to play HS this up coming season... She is already playing against 18U's at that level...move her up to 18's. Can she play at the 18/18 Gold Level?...Move her up. Are you ready for "exposure tournaments" instead of playing all tournaments for trophies? Move her up. Is she immature and can't handle the pressure or the possibility of sitting a season on the bench as a "newbie" on an established team... Leave her on 16's..She's not ready. If she has aspirations of going to college then move her up to the Gold level.

[Sftbll4ever]

When it comes to exposure, I think in the end, there is more at 16u if you make it to nationals. I had talked to a friend that went to 18u Nationals and she said there were not that many scouts there.

My personal feeling, if she can not play gold, stay 16u and get on a team that will be going to Nationals. I may be eating my words in a couple of weeks though, but, oh well!!!

[softballtaxi]

imagine this result - one for 16 and one for 18

[Old Darter]

Get her on a national caliber 16u team that plays 18 exposures in the fall. With the NCAA having removed that silly 4 week recruiting window this fall, there will be more coaches in more places. Then make sure she gets to 16u Nationals. It is the place to be seen for sure. Then send her to 18G the following year. Most players at Gold Nationals are already recruited, and coaches go mostly to babysit...

[Sam]

College coaches don't watch much 16U at exposure tournaments...they aren't at the good fields...and they just don't like it. They do, however, go to 16U Nationals in droves.

So....what Sftblfvr said.....thats the way to go.

Old Darter is close, but if you don't play on Meyers' Batbusters, you are not going to be looked at in an exposure tourney around here. The only reason your kid would be seen on Meyers' teams is that Haning lets them play up against 18G competition.

[Intel]

Our 16u team played Las Vegas, Boulder/Longmount Colorado, Champion Cup and 16U nationals. We averaged per game about 2 coaches at Vegas, 5 to 6 coaches in Colorado, 3 to 4 coaches in Irvine, and 12 coaches at 16 Nationals. Twice at Nationals we had over 20 coaches watching the whole game. In the fall playing at 3 Surf City tournaments in 16 Division we averaged about 3 coaches per game.

I have a 2011 DD who has played 2 years of 16u and will be moving up to 18 Gold. I had very few coaches at any of our tournaments looking for Juniors. We did not see many low DI, DII or DIII schools who would be looking at Juniors.