Defense, can anybody play anywhere?

[marriard]

Think your DD is an exceptional player. Coaches dream. If she is not pitching she is still on the field. There are many pitchers that can not field a gb or fb and have weird overhand throwing motions.

We have another pitcher on DD's HS team who also fields (and another who is a pitch and sit) - and ALL our pitchers in travel play the field though one is really a 1B only when she does field. I guess I don't see it as unusual because that is what we have always done through all ages. In travel the fact that they all take innings off before they start and also after a start is one of the reasons we rotate player positions so much.

I think too many pitchers are pressured into becoming sit-and-pitch players too early which is great if it is really all you want to do or if you are clearly always are going to be the best pitcher - however it sucks when you are not. Our HS pitch-and-sit pitcher is going to be a sit-and-sit pitcher this year - it is not going to be a fun year for her.

 

[Vertigo]

I love that on our travel team every player has a secondary position and gets innings there, including pitchers. A few of the schools dd is interested and have seen her both pitch and play the field and have openly expressed that they love her versatility and can definitely see using her on the field if she isn’t pitching. That is a huge draw for dd.

Can she play every position? No, but I strongly feel that all players should have at least one backup position to help in the recruiting process. Dd had one college coach ask to see her play a position she never really plays just to see how she’d handle it. It definitely worked in her favor.

 

[radness]

Anyone care to comment on this
part of development?

Players early age learn all/most positions....some even try pitching and catching to a degree.
* some dont shuffle pick early on.
* some stick to say middle infield, corners, OF.
Few keep pitching/catching.

At what age then does making a decision on a primary position become important to focus more on?

What age does this impact tryouts?
At some point trying out against others who have longer focus at their 'Primary Position' develope game sense thru playing experience.
* agree or not?

Adding again-
Notice in so cal generally top teams focus on picking up Position players for starting 9
Then atleast 3/4 pitchers
Then 3 to 6 utility some only
Big Hitters- no defense

 

[Rolling Hard]

How'd coach's DD do there? ; )

She was decent athlete. Would make some nice plays then boot the routine gb. My DD only played ss when she was ill. She played well and had the ACs whispering. Lol.

 

[HighStrung]

Coming to a new team this year, I expected DD to be #2-3 slot pitching, which was okay with us. Higher level than she'd played before, plenty of mound time still and DD is a very solid defensive player anywhere on the field (never played 1st though). We thought this was a great opportunity to continue to get positional time in when not on the mound, we were expecting 30% pitching time. Last season was 80% pitching and 10% SS and 10% any outfield. She doesn't mind outfield, has a great jump on the ball and can track like nobodies business.

What we came to find, was that the other two pitchers weren't quite as accurate as coaches had hoped (they are both P/1st base players), and DD has been slotted #1 as primary starter. Great for her, I think. They aren't over-using DD on the mound, which I'm happy about, but she's not getting as much utility time as we were expecting. She's starting 65% percent of the games and they bring relief in around the 4th. She's not wearing out, but they're saving her for later games (other pitchers are a little faster which changes tempo on batters and is working for our team this far).

DD is okay, loves pitching, but we've helped her grow into a true utility player and she doesn't want those skills to grow weak. She's still getting some time in at 2nd and outfield so far this year, SS is being played by a girl who I would say deserves it over DD (stronger arm and second to none fielding), so no complaints. I'm not complaining about too much mound time, by no means, but I do feel that a pitcher must be able to play another (preferable multiple) positions. How many girls pitched all the way thru HS then weren't quite good enough to pitch in college? If your a pitch and sit, doesn't that just limit your ability to be useful in some other way to a team that may have wanted you.

DD is only 12u, so I know we've still got some years to go, but I want to keep her as well rounded as possible, for as long as possible. I'd hate to see a door close because all she can do is pitch.

 

[radness]

Coming to a new team this year, I expected DD to be #2-3 slot pitching, which was okay with us. Higher level than she'd played before, plenty of mound time still and DD is a very solid defensive player anywhere on the field (never played 1st though). We thought this was a great opportunity to continue to get positional time in when not on the mound, we were expecting 30% pitching time. Last season was 80% pitching and 10% SS and 10% any outfield. She doesn't mind outfield, has a great jump on the ball and can track like nobodies business.

What we came to find, was that the other two pitchers weren't quite as accurate as coaches had hoped (they are both P/1st base players), and DD has been slotted #1 as primary starter. Great for her, I think. They aren't over-using DD on the mound, which I'm happy about, but she's not getting as much utility time as we were expecting. She's starting 65% percent of the games and they bring relief in around the 4th. She's not wearing out, but they're saving her for later games (other pitchers are a little faster which changes tempo on batters and is working for our team this far).

DD is okay, loves pitching, but we've helped her grow into a true utility player and she doesn't want those skills to grow weak. She's still getting some time in at 2nd and outfield so far this year, SS is being played by a girl who I would say deserves it over DD (stronger arm and second to none fielding), so no complaints. I'm not complaining about too much mound time, by no means, but I do feel that a pitcher must be able to play another (preferable multiple) positions. How many girls pitched all the way thru HS then weren't quite good enough to pitch in college? If your a pitch and sit, doesn't that just limit your ability to be useful in some other way to a team that may have wanted you.

DD is only 12u, so I know we've still got some years to go, but I want to keep her as well rounded as possible, for as long as possible. I'd hate to see a door close because all she can do is pitch.

Sounds like a good 12u place to be. Playing time both pitch & defense. Nice to be a pitcher with defensive skills!

Notice 12u starts to define players. (especially 2nd yr 12). Age into teen's starts to define luv or not so much the game. Where dedication starts defining talent more.
Notice 14u defines talent in the crowd more so.
Top tier teams tend to select priority position players, with ultility fill ins
vs. Average teams more shuffling, while players find their nitch.

This feedback from so cal with many many team options bulk of which average.

12u utility players moving up...
who havent prioritzed yet hard to beat out those who already have in the top 12u teams moving up to 14u.

This is why i mention goal can make a difference.

Interested to see feedback from other states on this.

 

[Westwind]

Katie Reed, one of my favorite college players, played ss in the SEC but was a second baseman on the travel team she was recruited from.

I don’t know who was primary ss on her travel team. Don't know who the coaches were. Maybe Katie was already recruited and they were still trying to showcase the primary ss. Who knows. Just sayin’.

All players should be developing infield and outfield skills as much as possible at every age. No player can predict where they will be most needed by their team.

Not everyone can play every position. That question is so painfully obvious I swore I would not respond. Yet here I am.

When should you specialize? It depends. It depends until it doesn’t matter because someone else on the team can make a bigger impact there OR a player “can’t play anywhere else.” Or won’t play anywhere else.

Being a flexible player is a blessing at sometimes and a curse other times. Big picture it’s what you want though.

 

[HighStrung]

Sounds like a good 12u place to be. Playing time both pitch & defense. Nice to be a pitcher with defensive skills!

Notice 12u starts to define players. Age into teen's starts to define luv or not so much the game. Where dedication starts defining talent more.
Notice 14u defines talent in the crowd more so.
Top tier teams tend to select priority position players, with ultility fill ins
vs. Average teams more shuffling, while players find their nitch


Again feedback from so cal with many many team options bulk of which average.

12u utility players moving up...
who havent prioritzed yet hard to beat out those who already have in the top 12u teamsteams moving up.

This is why i mention goal can make a difference.

Interested to see feedback from other states on this.

Overall, we're very happy with this org so far. Playing A/PGF so she's finally able to start playing with and against girls to measure herself against. This team is pretty well put together in terms of players owning their spots, a few that are still shifting around trying to find the best place to play them, but starting to get the puzzle put together. We had several rain outs in the fall and that limited us a little. I know central Indiana isn't necessarily the best of the best in the nation, but so far I think we'll have a team that can hold their own come summer.

 

[radness]

Katie Reed, one of my favorite college players, played ss in the SEC but was a second baseman on the travel team she was recruited from.

I don’t know who was ss on her travel team. Don't know who the coaches were. Just sayin’.

All players should be developing infield and outfield skills as much as possible at every age. No player can predict where they will be most needed by their team.

Not everyone can play every position. That question is so painfully obvious I swore I would not respond. Yet here I am.

When should you specialize? It depends. Until it doesn’t matter because someone else on the team can make a bigger impact there OR a player “can’t (or won’t) play anywhere else.”

Ss/2nd Middle infielders
Common to learn both

Thanks for adding!

 

[Westwind]

I deleted that.

Do you think I was referring to you? Because that would be interesting indeed!

The point is this: did a Midwest travel team really have a better ss than Reed?

Or was there a diff reason she played there?

So how moot can this stuff get?