What League is Appropriate for Your Kid(s)

"Is my kid in the right group?"

"My kid has been playing for a long time and has outpaced his/her teammates"

"My kid is clearly better than the other kids in his/her group"

Coaches hear these things said about kids by their parents all the time. And for sure, there are kids who play better than the other kids in their age group, class, or league. But are those kids as good as their parents think? And do they all deserve to be moved up to a higher, more experienced, or older group?

Sometimes: Yes. Other times: No.

Speaking for myself, (with input from others who I coach with and trust), I can explain it like this. They may be ready to pitch, and their group is still coach-pitch. Or they may be constantly making good glove plays that end with the kid(s) on the other end of the play not being where they should be. Or they may have consistently good at-bats and are no longer challenged by the pitching/fielding of the defense. Essentially, when we move a kid up, we do so because that kid is no longer benefiting by being in their current group.

But before moving a kid up, there are other things to consider. One, is age. Personally, I try to stay within age groups as much as possible. I really don't want to have 10yo kids playing with 14yo kids, regardless of how amazing the 10yo may be. One clear reason is that no matter how good that 10yo may be, s/he has not seen too many rockets off the bat of a 14yo and does not have the experience or reaction times to protect him/herself. Other considerations are more nuanced and less about physical protection, but just as important. For example, the 10yo who is used to hitting the ball hard and getting on base constantly, is now hitting the ball to a field of players who are making great plays and getting that kid out. Now the 10yo is losing confidence, or worse, (and I see this all the time), is thinking that someone is not playing fair because how in the world are they getting out so often when they used to be on base constantly?

Of course, each kid is a separate discussion and should be given specific consideration. That said, we composed a profile of the different types of players we see and have given each its own rating. You can use the ratings below to see where your kid fits or speak to your coach about where they are at and what they need to do to "move up".

PLAYER RATING: A

Throwing: Beginner, learning to throw with some accuracy, needs work on distance and consistency. Not yet pitching.

Catching: Glove and body not in proper catching posture throughout the catch.

Fielding: Can field balls hit at player, needs work going left/right.

Batting: Hitting balls but not adjusting bat to high/low or inside/outside. Missing more often than making contact. Stance needs to be consistently in the proper position. Not turning with the body. Back leg / front leg not in proper balance or position during and after swing.

Baseball IQ: Understands baserunning and throws to first base.

PLAYER RATING: AA

Throwing: Can throw with some accuracy from all bases. Needs work on distance. Beginning to pitch, needs more consistency with both distance and accuracy.

Catching: Catching on both sides of body. Glove and body in proper catching posture throughout the catch. Catching overhead fly balls, needs to improve on deep and shallow fly balls.

Fielding: Can field balls hit at player and left/right. Needs better adjustments to forehand/backhand. Needs work on properly tracking path to ball.

Batting: Hitting balls, some adjustments to high/low or inside/outside. Stance more consistently in proper position but not always turning with the body. Back leg / front leg not always in proper balance or position during and after swing.

Baseball IQ: Understands baserunning. Understands throwing to the proper base. Understands ‘covering’ first base.

PLAYER RATING: AAA

Throwing: Can throw with accuracy from all bases, needs to be more consistent. Distance good from most bases. Throws from the outfield to home or cutoff needs work. Can pitch with distance and some accuracy.

Catching: Catching on both sides of body. Glove and body in proper catching posture throughout the catch. Catching overhead fly balls, needs improvement tracking deep and shallow outfield fly balls.

Fielding: Can field balls hit at player and left/right. Starting to adjust to forehand/backhand. Starting to properly track path to ball.

Batting: Hitting balls, making adjustments to high/low or inside/outside. Stance more consistently in proper position. Turning with the body. Back leg / front leg in proper balance or position during and after swing.

Baseball IQ: Understands baserunning. Understands throwing to the proper base. Understands tagging up. Understands the cut off. Understands ‘covering’ all bases.

PLAYER RATING: MAJOR LEAGUE

Throwing: Can throw with consistent accuracy from all bases. Distance good from all bases, needs improvement from the outfield. Can pitch with distance and accuracy.

Catching: Catching on both sides of body. Glove and body in proper catching posture throughout the catch. Catching overhead fly balls, going in/out OK. Showing improvement tracking the route to the ball.

Fielding: Can field balls hit at player and left/right. Adjusting to forehand/backhand. Properly tracking path to ball. Learning to use the spin to throw to first, and learning to circle the ball.

Batting: Hitting balls, good adjustments to high/low or inside/outside. Stance consistently in proper position. Turning with the body. Back leg / front leg in proper balance or position during and after swing. Hard contact. Identifying pitches.

Baseball IQ: Understands baserunning. Understands throwing to the proper base. Understands tagging up. Understands rundowns. Understands the cutoff. Understands ‘covering’ all bases. Understands the differing roles of 2nd base and shortstop.

PLAYER RATING: ALL-STAR

Throwing: Can throw with consistent accuracy from all bases. Distance good from all bases, including from the outfield and hitting the cutoff. Can pitch with consistent distance, speed, and accuracy.

Catching: Catching on both sides of body. Glove and body in proper catching posture throughout the catch. Catching overhead fly balls, including moving in and out. Tracks fly balls hit anywhere.

Fielding: Can field balls hit at player and left/right. Adjusting to forehand/backhand. Properly tracking path to ball. Circling ground balls in preparation of the throw.