Should You Play Your Child Up an Age Group?

An increasingly common topic on sports websites is that of “playing up” - placing your young athlete in an age group above his or her actual age. Especially for younger children in club teams for hockey, basketball, soccer and others, moving up - or not - can be the difference in a player’s development. Of course, there are pros and cons to either decision, and you should take care to make yours as informed as possible.

Laid out here are a few questions to ask yourself and your youngster before you dive in:

• Is my child physically ready for the next level?
  This answer will vary depending on the sport and on your kid’s stage of development for his or her age. Since the primary candidates for changing age groups are still in elementary school, there is often a wide range of sizes. Take this year’s Little League World Series, in which a 4-foot 10-inch, 95-pound pitcher faced off against a 5-foot 10-inch, 160-pound batter of the same age. In baseball, the difference is manageable, but in an aggressive sport like hockey, you may not want to risk your child’s injury by playing him or her against larger opponents. On the other hand, acclimation against tougher competition will pay off for your son or daughter’s overall skill.
• Is my child mentally ready for the next level?
  You have to know your young athlete to tackle this question. Some individuals will use the higher level of play to improve, even in the face of diminished playing time. But other players will withdraw after riding the bench for too long, and the transfer could ultimately be a detriment. For the latter example, the best thing might even be to hold him or her back an age group and have the athlete learn how to be a leader and take on more responsibility.
• Will the team mesh with player of different ages?
  Young kids can be exclusive, and you don’t want to have older players freezing our or bullying your kid. You should talk to the coach and the other parents to determine the climate of the team your young player may join. If it appears to be open, then this may not be a problem - but if it is made up of a group of similarly-aged kids who group up playing together, your child might have difficulty joining the group.

Altering your young athlete’s age group can be a positive or a negative move, and sports team websites are a great resource.