Should My 9 Year Old Son Play in Upper Baseball League with Older Boys?

Its very common for talented younger kids to play in an upper baseball league. Baseball is a non-contact sport and not very physical. So, there is no worry there. If the coaches from the upper divisions believe that he can play, there is no reason he should not. This happens in my town and 9, 10, 11 and 12 year olds play on the same team without any issues.

To me the question should not be posed to us, but to HIM> What does your son want? Tune into him and what is real for him and you will have your answer. Even at 9 he should be empowered to make his own decisions. Yes, you will guide him but truly you could give him this opportunity to lead his own way.

B.
Family Success Coach

This is not your decision to make. Nor is it your husband's. Talk to your son. What does he want to do? Empower him to make a decision for himself. We learn to make good decisions by making decisions. Give him some practice at that. If he's unhappy with the outcome, he can choose to change course.

Be well,
G. B., M.A.
Child Development Specialist & Parent Educator
www.GilaBrown.com

If he has the playing skills of the older kids and his age is allowed, why not? as moms we will always worry about our kids, trust me it doesn't change when they are grown. Juliua

Playing in an upper division with boys who have been playing longer and are more technically developed will help him become a better player. They will be able to challenge him more and help him develop his skills. If at some point during the season it turns out that he is not ready, or he misses his friends in the other division, he could always go back down. But, being drafted into the upper division is a good thing. I think it will help his confidence too.

I would let him play as long as the other kids are still in Elementary School... I am sure you will have to re-visit this again if he advances and he is in Grade School while other kids are in Jr High...

As long as he is having fun, I would let him do it. I would have a talk with the coach as well as your child about sportsmanship... And its a great time to learn about it.

My son got drafted to an older team as well. We let him play. It was challenging for the first couple of weeks. He was intimidated a little and it showed in his playing style (only temporary). He seemed more timid and didn't play as hard. I talked to him about it and he said it was because he didn't know anyone and he was a little nervous to be around older more advanced players. We talked with him about it and explained he could be as good as them and could do anything he put his mind to. He soon got comfortable and was back to his normal self. I do have to say that it took awhile for us (mom and dad) to get adjusted as well. They were much more disciplined, strict, and had more frequent and longer practices. Also my son went from being the best on the team to being just so so on this older more experienced team. All and all it went very well. He learned SO much more on this team that he ever has (he has been playing since he was 3 pee wee). I suggest giving it a shot. If he is good enough to be drafted to a higher division it is because his skills surpass his own level. It will be good for him to expand his playing skills.

Good Luck!
T.

Congrats to your son! If he got drafted to play with an upper div team, then it shows he's got developmentally the same skills as the older kids. I'm sure in time, he will make friends on the team. As far as being the littlest, I wouldn't worry. My daughter is very petite for an 8 year old and has been playing soccer with 10 year olds. Since she is little, it is hard for her to out run a tall 10 year old girl, so it causes her to actually 'understand' the game more, use angles instead of speed, etc. I think this is a great opportunity for your son. It will give him the chance to not only play, but really think strategically what to do given his size (if he is the smallest on the team). In a year, he probably won't be the smallest.

My son did this for football. He was playing with the next age up. I was kinda worried at first because even for his age he is short, but he can hit, take a hit and run fast. He is very good. I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about as far as him playing with the bigger,older kids. He has alot more experiance now and I am glad we let him move up!

Hi A.:

My son is 9 years old, but will be 10 years old in May. My husband and I are both quite adamant that he not be moved to an upper division for several reasons, namely: 1) he is not ready, though his baseball skills may be comparable to those of older boys, he is not emotionally nor intellectually as old as the "big" boys (the stuff they chat about on the bench during the games is surprising and I know this because I have an older son, as well)...2) his little body is not ready, my son is quite small for his age and though baseball may not be a "contact" sport per se, I've seen enough accidents to know that it can be and little bodies can get seriously hurt when big bodies fall on them...3) the league is doing it (in our case and many other cases that I know of) because it is hard to recruit bigger kids than younger kids. Sadly as kids get older many (thank God not all of us) parents tend to not be as involved. That is not a good reason. While I understand that Little League is a "business" I feel that it is our business as parents to do what is best for our kids and a need for more kids in the upper decision is not a good enough reason in our case...and finally 4) kids need a season where they are the STAR of the team, where they are the best at what they do and are lauded for it by their team mates & peers. I know that one more year in the lower division will help our little guy's ego tremendously and this confidence that kids get transfers over to the rest of their life (acedemics, personal relationships, etc).

These are our reasons, of course it is a personal decision and being the great mommy and daddy that you and your hubby are, I know that you will take some of these "thoughts" and make the best ultimate decision for your little guy...

Best of luck and enjoy the season!

M.

Hello, This could go either way. On one hand, your son is a good player and could probably make it with the older ones. On the other hand, he could have a lot of "bench time" with them. Our now 11 year old grandson was much like your son. ALL of the coaches wanted him. He is not only able to play ANY position and will play gladly wherever he is placed, but is a great team member and good sport. HE opted to play with his age group as he has come up in the league. I think this was right for him. This year he will move into Majors in his league. One of the grandparents said it just right, "'Mike" could just stand there and the coaches will be clamoring to get him because they all know him." Last year his old T-Ball coach returned to our league and was so excited to see him. He could remember how good he was way back then. It is important that our grandson is such a good sport. Actually, it is more important to us that he is a good sport than that he is such a talented player. He knows kids on all teams and will have conversations with them during the games and smile so big. It warms my heart. This is a boy who would step up to the plate and look at me and smile when he felt he was going to hit a homerun. He was always right and would give me the "there it goes" look as he ran the bases.
I would make sure that your son really wants to either go up to play with older kids or wants to stay with his age group. I would also make sure that Dad isn't just wanting to be slapping his son on the back for making it so young. I am not saying that is the case, but just a small possibility. Dade might very well be right with what he is saying. Like I said, I would just make sure what your son wants.
Good luck with your precious little boy.