Anonymous
Years ago

Play out of your age group or switch clubs?

What are the thoughts of the following situation?

Under 18 div 1 girls player made state last season, is very disappointed with the coaching appointment at her current club and does not believe there is opportunity to be successful, learn, make state, or prepare for seniors. She is weighing up 2 options

1, switch to a club where there is a coach in place that can better support the players ambitions or,
2. Ask her club to move up an age group and get a run in under 23s or Reserves depending on which is the better comp.

Both coaches have agreed to support the player in either choice but her club is unlikely to allow her to move age groups (good old politics). What should the player do? And is it fair if the club to stop any player from playing up an age group?

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Anonymous
Years ago

So, where is the choice here? Obvious she has to move.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Not politics its club management. Players don't decide where they play, they play in the age group they're in.

Nothing stopping her potentially playing 18s and 23s but if she's a state player she's being rather selfish walking out on her peers and saying nah I don't want to play with you lot, I'm playing Youth League instead (by the way YL women is crap)

Stay, be loyal, plenty of ways to ensure as an individual she's getting the development she needs. Like work at home!

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.
Years ago

What about U18 and senior div 2?

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Anonymous
Years ago

Come to South.

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Open Run
Years ago

It would be great to see juniors play up at any chance they get. By forcing her to play in her age group, she doesn't get the option for a greater challenge. It would be a good precedent...talented U14 playing in U16 and so on. Why limit the competition? It creates an opportunity at the U18 level (letting her play on U23s) and allows her to scale up her game. I'd say stay (life is full of barriers) and push for the upgrade to U23s!

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Anonymous
Years ago

It's not politics, I think you'll find all clubs won't let a player play up an age group - it's not social.

If you're not happy with the coaching standard, you can chat with the JDO/CD, but changing clubs is not a pretty look for all involved IMO.

Take it from someone who was not happy with the behaviour (bullying and sometimes abusive) and coaching standard at my club of choice. If you decide to move, just move. There is no discretion if you make "discrete" inquiries and your current club will hear about it and make life difficult. If that is the case, she will drop out all together.

Switch clubs, don't accept rubbish.

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Anonz
Years ago

No well-run club will allow a player to determine where he/she plays, just because of a dislike for a particular Coach.

Sets a precedent for anyone to do the same thing.

Under 18 players play Under 18s. If you're also able to earn a YLM spot, great.

The only logical alternative is to change clubs.

But think about it. No single Coach will give every player what they need. You get one part of your overall skills from this Coach, another part from that Coach, sometimes nothing from the other Coach. It's a long process, and the variable is how much work you're willing to put in outside of the usual structure.

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Isaac
Years ago

Moving up an age group would just force someone else out of their position, right? Doesn't seem fair.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Sooooo all of you are against the Simons girl playing Premier League at 16 I hope

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Anonymous
Years ago

Seems like the only person playing "good old politics" is the OP. You sound like the self-centered selfish sort of nightmare any club would be better off without.

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.
Years ago

switch

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Anonymous
Years ago

^ 052 I think that's a tad harsh. It's a reasonable question for a parent standing on the outside looking in not understanding the problems with running of a club. You switch clubs if your kid is too good for the standard that they play but not to get your own way. Playing above your age group is not something that clubs want to see and don't generally do, because it can create a snowball effect. Your kid moves up an age group, then the second best kid says they don't have a good enough standard because you left, so they want to go up too, then the third and so on. Pretty soon there won't be anyone left in the age group.

Just be careful switching clubs, grass is rarely greener. And playing seniors isn't always the answer either. Many YL teams are of a lesser standard than 18's anyway. Unless you can be guaranteed a better life elsewhere (and you can't), then my advice for what it's worth is stay where you are and get some individual coaching on the side.

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Anonymous
Years ago

If she's a State player wouldn't she still need to be playing 18's for consideration for 18 nationals next year

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Anonymous
Years ago

Not sure which state you are referring to ^ 112 but I'm pretty sure you have to be a registered player, meaning you are playing to be considered, unless you are an absolute superstar and if that was the case, the OP would not have made the original post because they would know the ins and outs.

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Libertine
Years ago

Playing out of an age group for super talented kids is normal in other Australian team sports. I've never understood why it wasn't done more in basketball.

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Anonymous
Years ago

I know in the local football competition my son played in you could play up an age group but only up to under 14's, then you had to play in your correct age group after that.

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Hoops

Play out of your age group or switch clubs?

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