Coaching softball--philosophy 101

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May 13, 2008
29
3
Raleigh NC
huh?

I really dont think players can ever reach that point. Its just not that simple. There are times when anyone knows you can bunt, esp if the opposing team doesnt defend it well. But that doesnt mean you should. Not everyone bunts as well as the best one on the team. How many girls can objectively evaluate their own ability to lay down a bunt when called to do so against a given pitcher?

No outs, runners on 1B & 2B, double steal on, bunt called. If batter pops the bunt up, it will be a triple play against a good team. Can a girl decide if she is likely to lay it down properly against what the pitcher is throwing? Assess her own performance bunting recently?

Bunts are also called for many other reasons, when the defense least expects it and the batter has been struggling that day, also to help a struggling player get confidence at the plate by giving them some contact in a game, or even to make certain less proficient players practice it in non-critical situations, or just to evaluate how well an opposing team defends it so you can decide if you should use it later when you face them again. Its not always about the current game, you have to look forward a bit sometimes. Sometimes you dont want to show certain opponents your close game at all , or even use it at a tournament they are also at and could be watching, you dont want them to be prepared for it when it counts at state or national level. There can be many factors to consider, none of which a young girl is remotely aware of.


The goal is always to win, and there can be much more to it than seems at first glance. It is far from being determined exclusively by the talents of the girls on the field.


Why would you have a double steal on with runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs..?? Everyone in the park including Grandma in the concession stand knows to throw it up in the zone, to hopefully get a pop up....
Why would you have the runners moving without seeing the ball down?
 
Nov 5, 2009
549
18
St. Louis MO
I don't think players need to be told every little thing by a coach, but I also don't believe players should rule the game. Strategy is definitely the coaches responsibility, although it helps if the girls know the destination. Our coach does give signs to the batters, but each girl knows how much latitude they have for placement, etc, because the coach communicates with them and lets them know where their boundaries are. For example, one of the girls can slap or hit away and is pretty good at placing the slap. She knows that if the coach calls slap, but she sees 2B moving to cover expecting a bunt, she doesn't have to slap over SS or 3B, she can power slap it up the middle if the pitch is right. She knows that's okay with the coach, because she's been told. The better baserunners have also been told they have a green light to steal, unless she tells them otherwise. I think it's like good parenting and managing people - you set limits, give guidance, but the coach controls the direction. Just like anything else, communication and balance are key.
 
Sep 6, 2009
393
0
State of Confusion
Why would you have a double steal on with runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs..?? Everyone in the park including Grandma in the concession stand knows to throw it up in the zone, to hopefully get a pop up....
Why would you have the runners moving without seeing the ball down?

that was an example, not a rule. Ive seen it done correctly , and incorrectly resulting in a triple play. Usually would happen with top of lineup batting, the runner on 2B is the leadoff, usually fastest on team, 3 batters, 3 bunts and before defense knows what hit them the bases are loaded with the first 3 batters up to bat in a game, with the power hitters coming up to bat.

Point was just that there are all kinds of times and reasons to bunt, and depends on whos batting, whos on base, what kind of game the coach wants to play, and what point in a game it is. There is not really a way for a girl to know "when" she should bunt, any more than "when" she should try to steal. It can depend a lot on what the coach is trying to do in the situation, the # outs, who the next batters up are, the score, the skill level of the offense, and the defense. A lot goes into figuring risk vs. reward.

Thats just an opinion though, and you know what they say about opinions.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
There is a coach in our area who is a total control freak, or in love with his own brilliance. Not sure which. He's a nice guy and all, but he will tell every player what to do on every pitch, and is constantly telling his players what the situation is.

A few years ago at 14U we're playing his team. We are the home team. It's the bottom of the seventh, two out, we have runners on second and third. He clearly tells his infield if they get the ball they need to throw it to first for the out. Sure enough, our hitter hits an easy ground ball to SS. She picks it up cleanly -- and proceeds to throw home. The throw is high, our runner scores, game over.

He's mad at his SS. He's telling her "I told you to throw it to first, not home," blah blah blah. But the fact is I'll bet that girl, and every other girl on the team, tuned him out weeks ago. He didn't teach them the game, he just told them what to do and they did it -- until they quit listening. You have to teach the girls the game, and give them the opportunity to learn it, even if they make mistakes.

Constrasting story. We're playing another team at their park. Their leadoff hitter is a slapper, and she's continually dropping dinks over our infield but in front of our outfield to get on base. Bottom of the seventh, we're protecting a lead, this girl comes up. She dumps one into CF, but it turns into the third out because ON HER OWN my CF moved in to the edge of the outfield skin. No one had to tell her. She saw what was going on and adjusted accordingly.

Again, it's a fun game to play.
 
Jan 6, 2009
165
0
Texas
I agree about the thread being required reading. I like to have catchers learn to call pitches, not all of them can do it but when they can, its great. I get to a) take pictures, b) blame them when things dont go right. :) Just kidding - I completely agree that we need to teach these kids to think for themselves.

There is nothing more fun than for a kid to make a play that is just great on something they picked up. In our last tournament, I had a kid bunt on 2 strikes successfully - twice, on her own. She saw everyone back off on a 2 strike count - and got on base easily. A kid scored the winning run in a close game because she saw the 3rd baseman and the ss not communicate as to who had 3rd - the 3b got out of position and she knew she could make it, on top of that the throw hit her and bounced far enough away, that she scored.
 
May 12, 2008
2,214
0
I love that kind of stuff. Learning requires permission to make a mistake. Sometimes a good decision still results in an out. That still deserves praise.
 
Feb 6, 2009
227
0
That's exactly whay I was saying. This game should become instinctual but that requires the coaches to teach and let the kids understand why they called a particular play so next time they do it on their own. Great examples
 
May 7, 2008
442
16
DFW
I think some of these coaches think they are playing a Playstation game with their players. Just punch the buttons and watch them do the work. Until the buttons wear out.

There used to be this statement made by coaches back when I was a kid. "I want you to become a student of the game." In other words learn how the game is played so you can think on your own.

We have lost that in todays game. Its all about winning. Sure we all want the stud athletes but they do no good if they cannot think and we dont take the time to turn them into "Students of the game"

Dana.
 

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