Should my child move up to a higher level of play or age group?

 An athlete's parent wrote me the following note about the gameplay happening at a Camp at the Academy.  

"Is it possible for movement to a higher group in the camp, or is it possible to divide the group where she has been placed to raise the level a little? The calibre of gameplay is not what she is used to."

A widespread request by parents and athletes who like to play sports in an older age class because the level of play is higher, which they assume will allow the participant to grow faster and to a higher level. The coach, not the parents or athletes, should always start the movement to a higher level or different age class. Below is my response to this email.  

One of the biggest problems we have in the Canadian Amateur sports scene is that athletes always want to tier themselves until they are at a skill level closer to the bottom of a group of athletes. Many younger athletes want to play on a better team as they feel this will help them become better players. I believe younger athletes become better players by learning how to make others around them better. The best player on a team has a role to play as a leader, to save rallies using their advanced skills to get the level of back and forth they want in a game. The challenge of raising the back and forth rests on the shoulders of the better players.  

 

The group she is now playing with loses her ability to raise the level of play. She will keep moving up the groups until she becomes the one which slows the playdown. How would tiering her to a higher level improve the gameplay for all the camp or club players?

If she is used to a certain level of back and forth, I propose she does everything possible to raise the level of play on the court or team in which she is playing. If she does not have the leadership qualities or the skill level to raise the level of play, then she is not good enough to move to a higher level. She would like someone better than her to raise the level of play so she can then be part of the level.  

I suggest that if she wants a higher level of back and forth, she should make it happen.

Playing at a higher level means some of the best athletes in the sport never learn to become leaders as they are always at the lower or mid-range on the higher level teams. It also means that many of these younger players moving up to an older age bracket will not get as much playing time as they are not the best player anymore.

There are always exceptions to a rule. Some athletes moving up to the next level would be the best thing for their development. But a coach will recognize this and suggest the movement, and with the parent and athlete, the move might happen.