What age? It may not seem like a big deal but depending on the age it can be a big difference. In the younger ages the older year group will be bigger and more developed. On average a year older player is 10-15% bigger(weight and height), stronger, quicker and more coordinator. If you kid has skill on the ball he will take a beating. I have seen kids lose confidence and change the way they play.
You also have to consider the social side.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is playing up a a smaller club maybe see your DC can make 1st team in own age at bigger club. In either situation heavy minutes on the field will only help in development.

He was offered that, after we’d paid at this club. We aren’t in a position to pay for 2 clubs and the more competitive leagues travel more than we are comfortable with.

My DD played up for many years. Just having the size and speed is not enough to play up. Your DC should also be more mature than the other players. You probably will eventually outgrow the club unfortunately, which is what happened to us.

We had to play "up" a grade because the year before my son had to be benched after our team was 5 goals up, then he would go in score, score, score, then benched.

The only other option was play up.

Every team develops differently because every coach develops differently. I'd leave. Your player will spend a year developing under somebody else, and then guess what? You're back to the same spot next year

Playing up is a joke.

A 2008 January birthday “playing up” can be ONE day older than a December 2007 kid.

We had a dad going on and on about how is son was playing up an entire year. The kid was a January birthday .

That December kid has essentially been playing up in his own age group. JFC

The only time it should be allowed is if the kid is one of the top players in the older age group.

We have had play ups that really needed to go back down. These kids could not keep up in the puberty years. I’m all for it if they are a superstar. Same with girls playing with boys. In all my years in soccer, I only saw one girl who truly needed to play with the boys. There are enough girls playing soccer and highly competitive teams that a girls can find a team at appropriate level in her own gender.

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is playing up a a smaller club maybe see your DC can make 1st team in own age at bigger club. In either situation heavy minutes on the field will only help in development.

He was offered that, after we’d paid at this club. We aren’t in a position to pay for 2 clubs and the more competitive leagues travel more than we are comfortable with.

If your kid is playing up a a smaller club maybe see your DC can make 1st team in own age at bigger club. In either situation heavy minutes on the field will only help in development.

If he is a super star on the team in his age group, I think it is worth it to have him play up. If he is average/above average, he will likely miss a whole year of development at his age group. This matters if they are still small-sided.
We had my daughter play up. It was a disaster. The girls were way bigger, she didn't play as much, got frustrated. We moved her to a team with kids her own age. Socially, it is 100 times better too.

Anonymous wrote:Only play your kid up if it’s on the 1st team.

It’s 1st team but in small not particularly competitive club.

Anonymous wrote:Only play your kid up if it’s on the 1st team.

+1

second team on a squad that is a year older will not help your kid develop.

Only play your kid up if it’s on the 1st team.

A lot of factors go into playing up. If your kid is big, fast and skillful, then they should be playing up until everyone catches up or not. The thing you need to watch out for is little playing time and missing out on skill development. This is more so in the younger age groups. You don’t want them trying to run before they can even walk so to speak. Just ask the coaches why they think this and would your kid miss out on any developmental training, or do they already think he has what is needed and ready to move into a different stage of training.

Older age group, small club and already on top team in age group this would be the top team in next age group.

Anonymous wrote:My kids club is proposing this. Kid is new to the club and we picked because of the coach which makes me lean towards no, but maybe there is some advantage I don’t know about that would at least convince me to go watch the other coach?

playing up on an older age group team? Or up on a better team, same age group?

My kids club is proposing this. Kid is new to the club and we picked because of the coach which makes me lean towards no, but maybe there is some advantage I don’t know about that would at least convince me to go watch the other coach?