Produce good softball players, not good robots.

There is a strange problem developing. Kids have better skills than ever, but kids know less about the game than ever.

They can throw the ball, hit the ball and catch the ball, but they don't have a clue how to *play* the game.

I place the blame firmly on coaches. There is a tremendous of micromanagement in softball. Coaches try to control everything the kids do.

The best example is the routine double play ball to 2B. The SS covers, the 2B flips the ball to the SS, and then...the SS holds the ball. Why? Because the coach is afraid the kid will throw the ball away.

(The solution to this is pretty simple: (1) teach the SS how to throw the ball, (2) Teach the 1B how to catch the ball and (3) teach RF how to backup. )

Yet, go to the old ball park, and you can watch a dozen 14U softball games without one team attempting a 4-6-3 or 6-4-3 double play. It is crazy.

Do you teach cuts? Do you teach relays? Do you teach the players (not the coaches) to direct traffic on defense?

I agree with you completely sluggers. IMO, there are two types of coaches. Those concerned about winning and those concerned about player development. Ironically I believe those concerned with player development will win more games in the long run, and will have a team with a higher ceiling.

IMO, turning 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 double plays is not something I'm concentrating on for a couple of reasons. One, I'm not confident that, despite instruction and example of, the 5 or 4 is going to recognize a ball hit hard enough to warrant the double play attempt. Secondly, I find more often than not, with stop watch in hand, we cannot turn the 6-4-3/4-6-3 quick enough. The whole sequence of events - cover, cradle, separate WITH a controlled (read, "not rushed"), accurate throw has been difficult for us to consistently perform. I time the girls running speeds from home to first and home to second and then average their speeds and surmise that all the other girls in the division are pretty much in or near that average of speed to those same bases. Unless we are turning the 6-4-3 double play in the same or lesser time, I shy away from spending much time here.

Conversely, I constantly practice defense that keeps a runner off second base to include double play efforts of other combinations. I have this concept that second base is the center of the Softball Universe and if we are able to keep it vacant, we are a smart and strong defense. That being said, I concentrate on all bunted ball play to second, the 5-3 double play when there is a force out at third (meaning we let someone get on second - Grrrr) and, the 3-6-4 with our LH at the 3 position.

I agree with the idea however, that "playing" the game is somewhat a lost art. Something I find myself saying often is, you have to "play" the ball... referring to anticipation and shuffle steps used to avoid the awkward in between hop.

Where are you getting your "statistics"? I'm sitting here watching numerous 12u national qualifier games and every time there is a runner on first base and a ground ball hit to SS or 2nd base they attempt a double play.

Even at 10u all stars our coaches taught double plays. Maybe it's a regional thing and/or less talented teams but my 12yo DD has been doing this for at least 3 years.

FP26 said:

I agree with you completely sluggers. IMO, there are two types of coaches. Those concerned about winning and those concerned about player development. Ironically I believe those concerned with player development will win more games in the long run, and will have a team with a higher ceiling.

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The unfortunate thing when you really work fundamentals with the younger groups you do not win much. Most of the time is spent playing players who may be learning a new position or letting them make the needed mistake to learn and grow from them. Most of my younger teams did not do much over .500 as I worked making better players, not winning games. Most of the younger kids I've worked with usually ended up starting in HS and in college. When they've made older teams they were always able to get a lot of innings because they had a good foundation to build on from the start.

Every year I would get those who didn't come back because the team didn't win as games the parents thought they should have. Those parents who understood what was happening have fundamentally strong softball players.

If your DD is a pitcher, you certainly want the kids to learn the double play.

That is why I sit there clapping and yelling "Yes, yes, yes" if there is a broken play. I want the girls attempting it.

Was just checking the stats of some players I had when they played 10U. One is a soph playing in the BIG10. I turned her around when she was 9. She's batting .386 with on OB of .460 and only 4K's in 80 PA's. She's playing 1st and has only made 2 errors in 163 chances for a .988 fielding percentage.

Another one I had is hitting .316 with an OB of .385 as a Jr..

We didn't win much at 10's but these girls have started their entire HS and college careers as well as on their travel teams over the years. As well as most of them I had when they were young.

FP26 said:

I agree with you completely sluggers. IMO, there are two types of coaches. Those concerned about winning and those concerned about player development. Ironically I believe those concerned with player development will win more games in the long run, and will have a team with a higher ceiling.

Click to expand...

There are two other types of coaches, speaking mainly of tournament ball here. Those who win enough games to keep their teams together and those who don't. While winning shouldn't always be THE priority, the length of time you can use "player development" as the explanation for losing is limited. At some point, your players need to be "developed" enough to win some games, or the losing wears everyone out, and they start looking elsewhere. Even in Rec ball, if you want to keep your team's attention, you need them to win at least occasionally.

Work on the double-play from 2B in practice because it's a worthwhile use of 20 minutes for higher level players, but I've seen teams waste time on this that have little chance of doing it in a game. Lots of things need to go right for it to work, and it's certainly possible to be successful without it. There are other ways of getting a double play that are more executable, like runners on with a fly ball or line drive; SOMEBODY is going to be off the bag. I teach my players to look for that.

Strike2 said:

There are two other types of coaches, speaking mainly of tournament ball here. Those who win enough games to keep their teams together and those who don't. While winning shouldn't always be THE priority, the length of time you can use "player development" as the explanation for losing is limited. At some point, your players need to be "developed" enough to win some games, or the losing wears everyone out, and they start looking elsewhere. Even in Rec ball, if you want to keep your team's attention, you need them to win at least occasionally.

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No argument here, but you almost make it sound like it is impossible to do both. I disagree.

Sparky Guy said:

The unfortunate thing when you really work fundamentals with the younger groups you do not win much. Most of the time is spent playing players who may be learning a new position or letting them make the needed mistake to learn and grow from them. Most of my younger teams did not do much over .500 as I worked making better players, not winning games. Most of the younger kids I've worked with usually ended up starting in HS and in college. When they've made older teams they were always able to get a lot of innings because they had a good foundation to build on from the start.

Every year I would get those who didn't come back because the team didn't win as games the parents thought they should have. Those parents who understood what was happening have fundamentally strong softball players.

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I always find this interesting and have lived through some of it myself. In each case, if you would ask the player, I wonder how many wanted to leave and how many were forced to leave by their parents? I have a good friend that fits that description perfectly. What I learned is that the move had nothing to do with the child. It just provided the parents a better opportunity to brag on facebook.