Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn’t a date change like that blow up a lot of teams? Our 12U team has 6 girls with Sept-Dec birthdays (including the coaches daughter). I assume they’d play another year at 12U and the rest of the girls would have to find another team? That really sucks!

The team would have split up in time anyway. IME parents have these romantic dreams about their 10- and 12U squads staying intact all the way through HS but it never happens that way.

This. And honestly, it's often better that the girls get to play on different teams with different teammates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Vienna Smash, Vienna Raiders, and McLean Magic will (I assume - my kids aren't part of those teams) use USSSA because they are USSSA registered.

For their rec sides: McLean will be Little League (still Jan 1). VGSL uses their own cut-offs that are grade-based. The rec/all-star tournament in spring used January 1 last year, but I think the interleague group still has to meet to figure out what cut-offs they will use this June. Because of the all-star tournament I would think the rec leagues will have to get at least somewhat on the same page, not including the Little Leagues.

Rec leagues in the Fairfax County interleague group as of my knowledge right now - not sure about Loudoun or MD:

- Arlington uses their own cut-offs that are grade based.
- CYA follows USA softball currently (Sept)
- All the Little Leagues are Jan 1 (and there are a bunch of new ones)
- Ft. Hunt follows USA softball as of last spring (Sept)
- BRYC is January 1
- SYC is January 1
- NVGSA is January 1
- VSRS doesn't publish a cut-off. Being exclusively a single-team-at-each-age offshoot of Stingrays I would think USSSA but I'm not sure.

First of all, one of those teams is not like the others. Smash and Raisers are barely travel teams while Magic has a longer history of being higher caliber.

Second of all, they are likely registered in multiple sanctions. USSSA may host the most tournaments in this area but USA does a number of them too and actual travel teams (ie the ones that actually travel) will play Alliance, PGF, Sportsnation, NSA, Top Gun, etc. Each sanction has a different registration process and roster policy. They also have slightly different rules.

Obviously you are more familiar with the organizations than I am. Still, none of what you wrote changes the fact that in each of those organizations the teams are registered with USSSA, which means their rosters follow USSSA cut-offs for 2025 which is January 1. I guess they could have a separate USA Softball/Alliance/PGF/whatever roster, and if PP is curious they are welcome to look them up on the appropriate sanctioning body and check.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn’t a date change like that blow up a lot of teams? Our 12U team has 6 girls with Sept-Dec birthdays (including the coaches daughter). I assume they’d play another year at 12U and the rest of the girls would have to find another team? That really sucks!

The team would have split up in time anyway. IME parents have these romantic dreams about their 10- and 12U squads staying intact all the way through HS but it never happens that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Vienna Smash, Vienna Raiders, and McLean Magic will (I assume - my kids aren't part of those teams) use USSSA because they are USSSA registered.

For their rec sides: McLean will be Little League (still Jan 1). VGSL uses their own cut-offs that are grade-based. The rec/all-star tournament in spring used January 1 last year, but I think the interleague group still has to meet to figure out what cut-offs they will use this June. Because of the all-star tournament I would think the rec leagues will have to get at least somewhat on the same page, not including the Little Leagues.

Rec leagues in the Fairfax County interleague group as of my knowledge right now - not sure about Loudoun or MD:

- Arlington uses their own cut-offs that are grade based.
- CYA follows USA softball currently (Sept)
- All the Little Leagues are Jan 1 (and there are a bunch of new ones)
- Ft. Hunt follows USA softball as of last spring (Sept)
- BRYC is January 1
- SYC is January 1
- NVGSA is January 1
- VSRS doesn't publish a cut-off. Being exclusively a single-team-at-each-age offshoot of Stingrays I would think USSSA but I'm not sure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Vienna Smash, Vienna Raiders, and McLean Magic will (I assume - my kids aren't part of those teams) use USSSA because they are USSSA registered.

For their rec sides: McLean will be Little League (still Jan 1). VGSL uses their own cut-offs that are grade-based. The rec/all-star tournament in spring used January 1 last year, but I think the interleague group still has to meet to figure out what cut-offs they will use this June. Because of the all-star tournament I would think the rec leagues will have to get at least somewhat on the same page, not including the Little Leagues.

Rec leagues in the Fairfax County interleague group as of my knowledge right now - not sure about Loudoun or MD:

- Arlington uses their own cut-offs that are grade based.
- CYA follows USA softball currently (Sept)
- All the Little Leagues are Jan 1 (and there are a bunch of new ones)
- Ft. Hunt follows USA softball as of last spring (Sept)
- BRYC is January 1
- SYC is January 1
- NVGSA is January 1
- VSRS doesn't publish a cut-off. Being exclusively a single-team-at-each-age offshoot of Stingrays I would think USSSA but I'm not sure.

First of all, one of those teams is not like the others. Smash and Raisers are barely travel teams while Magic has a longer history of being higher caliber.

Second of all, they are likely registered in multiple sanctions. USSSA may host the most tournaments in this area but USA does a number of them too and actual travel teams (ie the ones that actually travel) will play Alliance, PGF, Sportsnation, NSA, Top Gun, etc. Each sanction has a different registration process and roster policy. They also have slightly different rules.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Vienna Smash, Vienna Raiders, and McLean Magic will (I assume - my kids aren't part of those teams) use USSSA because they are USSSA registered.

For their rec sides: McLean will be Little League (still Jan 1). VGSL uses their own cut-offs that are grade-based. The rec/all-star tournament in spring used January 1 last year, but I think the interleague group still has to meet to figure out what cut-offs they will use this June. Because of the all-star tournament I would think the rec leagues will have to get at least somewhat on the same page, not including the Little Leagues.

Rec leagues in the Fairfax County interleague group as of my knowledge right now - not sure about Loudoun or MD:

- Arlington uses their own cut-offs that are grade based.
- CYA follows USA softball currently (Sept)
- All the Little Leagues are Jan 1 (and there are a bunch of new ones)
- Ft. Hunt follows USA softball as of last spring (Sept)
- BRYC is January 1
- SYC is January 1
- NVGSA is January 1
- VSRS doesn't publish a cut-off. Being exclusively a single-team-at-each-age offshoot of Stingrays I would think USSSA but I'm not sure.

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn’t a date change like that blow up a lot of teams? Our 12U team has 6 girls with Sept-Dec birthdays (including the coaches daughter). I assume they’d play another year at 12U and the rest of the girls would have to find another team? That really sucks!

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what governing body Vienna or McLean follow?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is more to do with younger kids not being separated from their peers early on into the sport. Forcing 1/4 of a grade to play up with an older class was never a good idea. Plus study after study has proven that opportunity heavily skews towards the oldest quartile with the youngest getting less attention and coaching especially early on in a sport when it matters most. So telling the oldest girls in a class they have to be the youngest in their sports classification was incredibly awkward. 5th grader competing against a 6th grader is way different than kids who have gone through their growth spurts competing in HS.

Anonymous wrote:From the chatter I have seen online it seems like people's perspectives on this change depend entirely on:

1) How old their kids/teams are (younger kids think it's a bigger deal while older kids don't care because the distribution is already more about talent than age)

2) How good their kid is (better teams/kids care less because they may already be playing up anyway)

My Fall birthday 5th grader on a 12U travel team has been playing against 7th graders who have gone through puberty. It has been ridiculous so very happy for this change.

Wait...I have a fall birthday 5th grader and she's still 10U eligible through this year (and now next year, though under the current cut-offs she would have been pushed up in August). Did you chose not to try out for 10U teams? Under USA softball/new cut-offs fall birthday 2014s currently count as 9.

No, it sounds like your team does not play USSSA, in which she would have had to play 12u this year as a 5th grader but will not under the new rule.

I just realized that you probably meant a fall 2013 while I have a fall 2014. Doh!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is more to do with younger kids not being separated from their peers early on into the sport. Forcing 1/4 of a grade to play up with an older class was never a good idea. Plus study after study has proven that opportunity heavily skews towards the oldest quartile with the youngest getting less attention and coaching especially early on in a sport when it matters most. So telling the oldest girls in a class they have to be the youngest in their sports classification was incredibly awkward. 5th grader competing against a 6th grader is way different than kids who have gone through their growth spurts competing in HS.

Anonymous wrote:From the chatter I have seen online it seems like people's perspectives on this change depend entirely on:

1) How old their kids/teams are (younger kids think it's a bigger deal while older kids don't care because the distribution is already more about talent than age)

2) How good their kid is (better teams/kids care less because they may already be playing up anyway)

My Fall birthday 5th grader on a 12U travel team has been playing against 7th graders who have gone through puberty. It has been ridiculous so very happy for this change.

Wait...I have a fall birthday 5th grader and she's still 10U eligible through this year (and now next year, though under the current cut-offs she would have been pushed up in August). Did you chose not to try out for 10U teams? Under USA softball/new cut-offs fall birthday 2014s currently count as 9.

No, it sounds like your team does not play USSSA, in which she would have had to play 12u this year as a 5th grader but will not under the new rule.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is more to do with younger kids not being separated from their peers early on into the sport. Forcing 1/4 of a grade to play up with an older class was never a good idea. Plus study after study has proven that opportunity heavily skews towards the oldest quartile with the youngest getting less attention and coaching especially early on in a sport when it matters most. So telling the oldest girls in a class they have to be the youngest in their sports classification was incredibly awkward. 5th grader competing against a 6th grader is way different than kids who have gone through their growth spurts competing in HS.

Anonymous wrote:From the chatter I have seen online it seems like people's perspectives on this change depend entirely on:

1) How old their kids/teams are (younger kids think it's a bigger deal while older kids don't care because the distribution is already more about talent than age)

2) How good their kid is (better teams/kids care less because they may already be playing up anyway)

My Fall birthday 5th grader on a 12U travel team has been playing against 7th graders who have gone through puberty. It has been ridiculous so very happy for this change.

Wait...I have a fall birthday 5th grader and she's still 10U eligible through this year (and now next year, though under the current cut-offs she would have been pushed up in August). Did you chose not to try out for 10U teams? Under USA softball/new cut-offs fall birthday 2014s currently count as 9.