Having played the Fall season up a year on a U13 team:

Pro: When playing back on age a few times she thought everyone was small and slow.

Con: Good enough to start on the older team, but not necessarily at her best position but just a better option at a different position.

Anonymous wrote:A player should only be playing up if they can start on the clubs next age group's A team.

This.

Anonymous wrote:There is no need to play up

There are good reasons why kids play up. Sometimes, you DC is more advanced than the players on age. I would look at maturity level and take that into consideration. Size shouldn't really matter if your child is not intimidated by playing up.

There is no need to play up

OP, did the coach say why they wanted her to play up? Some teams are desperately short on players. So if the coach says your DD’s skills, etc. is great and can be developed more by playing up compared to her current team, then this might be a good option. Otherwise, don’t do it.

Anonymous wrote:You have to consider the ages group. U9-u13 it is really of questionable benefit. U9-u13 is about developing individual skills and confidence. At these earlier ages the girls playing up are more injury prone. They get beat up by physical play and it will change the way they play and their confidence. They can be excluded socially which plays into confidence.

U9-u12 the one year up age group girls will have on average 10-15% more mass and height, their muscle are more developed, bone are stronger, muscles(like neck muscles) are stronger, the are faster but speed of play can be slower, the same or a little faster. Usually it’s just the girls are bigger and run faster which is different vs speed of play.

After u14 it matter less but you have to think about the social stuff more. U14 training is less about individual development and the girls have for the most part grown. This is where soccer iq and speed of play start to become important.

+1. Well said. My DD is a U13 player right now. Her body is much more muscular than she was last year. She has a late October BD so she was a lot less muscular compared to other girls with Jan/Feb BDs at U12.

[quote=Anonymous]What are the pros and cons to consider with playing up an age group? Girls team, starting line-up. Thanks for any insight/advice. [/quote]

What does your daughter need to work on? Is she physically bigger than the kids her age? Faster? More skilled? What challenge is she looking for to play up? Benefit can be found by putting her in an environment she’s challenged in, both in practice and game time to try those things out. If she’s not playing significant minutes, then plenty of cons to be found. If she’s barely hanging on at that age up, that can be disheartening and confidence damaging. But if she’s starting or playing as much as she would be at her own age and the team is a better fit for whatever reason, including you/she think highly of the coach, then go for it. Look for the place where she’ll be challenged. If the club doesn’t have the right fit at that age group, find a different nearby club or consider playing up as long as that team provides the right challenge for what she needs. There are a lot of right answers. Playing up is an incredibly divisive answer in this soccer community that as best I can tell is split right down the middle. Do what’s best for your daughter where’s she’s going to love it for whatever reasons she loves soccer. Take the cons listed in this thread so far as considerations and how they’ll impact your kid, but ultimately there’s not a right or universal answer.

A player should only be playing up if they can start on the clubs next age group's A team.

also you miss fundamentals that are taught at the younger age. if she's that much head and shoulders technically, soccer IQ wise then sure. but if not she will have gaps that will be easy to spot to the trained eye

You have to consider the ages group. U9-u13 it is really of questionable benefit. U9-u13 is about developing individual skills and confidence. At these earlier ages the girls playing up are more injury prone. They get beat up by physical play and it will change the way they play and their confidence. They can be excluded socially which plays into confidence.

U9-u12 the one year up age group girls will have on average 10-15% more mass and height, their muscle are more developed, bone are stronger, muscles(like neck muscles) are stronger, the are faster but speed of play can be slower, the same or a little faster. Usually it’s just the girls are bigger and run faster which is different vs speed of play.

After u14 it matter less but you have to think about the social stuff more. U14 training is less about individual development and the girls have for the most part grown. This is where soccer iq and speed of play start to become important.

NP, but posters are echoing the cons I see.

Coaches have been encouraging me to have my DD play up a year, but she's a head shorter than most of her teammates at age level already.

I think the social aspect is huge, if the older kids would accept her great. If not, it seems like it would be miserable

My DS plays up as a guest player only. He is one of the better players on his team and sometimes gets asked to play up with the next age up. Its good for him as the speed of the game is a bit faster. If it were a full time option I would say go for it and you will adjust to it sooner than you think.

Pro - 1. getting exposure to a higher level of play
2. Parents can brag that their kid is playing up

Con - 1. Can be social awkwardness with different maturity levels
2. During recruiting years those players tend to be shuffled down sometimes if they are not yet able to be recruited for those girls who are
3. If there is a size difference the smaller, younger player could be at more risk for injury
4. Middle of the pack player vs. a starter on their own age team

What are the pros and cons to consider with playing up an age group? Girls team, starting line-up. Thanks for any insight/advice.