For a related
article, read "Playing Up and ODP".
Read about
Freddy Adu, one of the most extraordinary playing-up stories: "And, Then There's Freddy!"
 A child plays
"up" when he/she plays on a team of older children or when a girl plays on a
boys team. It's understandingly tempting to want to play your child "up",
particularly when he/she seems to be bigger, quicker, more aggressive, or more coordinated than other children his/her own age.
Parents of children who are physically and
emotionally equivalent to older children may consider playing up. In fact, for
most elite-track athletes, playing up for a few years may be essential to their
athletic development. But, at the the youngest ages, probably, only for a few
seasons, and probably only after a child has passed through puberty and is
approaching adult height and weight.
Once a player is permitted to play up in age, it is difficult to extract him/her
from the team of friends he/she has been playing on. For this reason, it is best not to start a
player playing up.
Parents should
consider the impact playing up will have on the playing season, because it is
possible that a player can lose a whole year of soccer. Since it is illegal in
California for players to simultaneously play on a competitive club team and a
high school team, high school athletes are forced (by law) to give up playing
on their club teams from November 15 through March 15 of each year. A child
who is playing up will be left high-and-dry for 4 or more months when his/her
older teammates start their high school season.
Read the actual law
here.
Another crisis
occurs when a player's team ages out
(i.e., when they go off to college). At best, a younger player will have to
find a new team for the last year or two of his/her youth soccer career. At
worst, the player won't play competitive club soccer.
The timing of playing up is important,
and it changes each year. An 6
year old playing on a U8 team will probably be fine, as will a 14 year old
playing on a U16 team. However, an 9 year-old playing on U11 team, or a 10-year old on a U14 team may find the
experience lonely. It's difficult for young children to be physically and
emotionally equivalent to older children who are passing through (or, have
recently passed through) puberty. Children who play up (and, many do), may experience
some emotional distancing from their own-aged friends (who are playing
together on other teams and attending other team parties) as well as from the
players in the older age group (who may never come to treat your child as a
peer). When a child plays up, he/she invariably gives up some age-appropriate
experiences with his/her friends.
 The age difference eventually catches up with
many young players on older teams. The older players go through their growth
spurts, and the younger children are no longer equivalent in size. The differences can be dramatic, both in teams of boys and teams of girls. Boys competing against young
men up to 1-2 feet taller, and girls competing on the field with young women
physically more mature are obvious mismatches. When 12-year olds play on teams
where the other players drive themselves to games, there are bound to be
issues that need resolution.
Playing up may not always be right for your
child. If your 10-year old has being playing on an 12-year-old team, you may
want to reconsider dropping back down to his/her own age group around the age of puberty, particularly if your child is a
"late bloomer."
Entire teams may
also consider "playing up in league" when same-aged teams no longer provide a
level of competition needed to sustain team development. Teams of girls are
more likely to do this than boys. Girls may also choose to play in a boys'
league. The goals, motives, and benefits of a team playing up should be
carefully weighed in each situation.
If you are
flexible and sensitive to your child's needs - if you have a clear
understanding of your motivations for having your child play up - you'll be in
a strong position to make appropriate decisions.
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