Barely Any At Bats

[radness]

Friendlies.
Everyone bats.

The coach has a different agenda than developing all players.

ask your hitting coach if they have another team suggestion to tryout for

 

[Rick M]

Just curious, we always hear people advise “talk to the coach.” Has that ever worked? Anyone ever seen a bench player (or their parent) explain all the work they’re putting in and then find themselves in the starting nine?

DD was in the same position as the OP as a first-year 12. She had been an every-inning player the year before, but the coach got starry-eyed about some new players and put DD on the shelf.

Every weekend other parents kept telling me: “you need to talk to the coach!” My reaction was, why? He knows what he’s doing, he’s in the dugout with my daughter every inning, watching the other 10 kids play. What am I going to say to change that?


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[Eric F]

Unfortunately, they don't bat the lineup in friendlies. Sometimes they bat just 9, sometimes 10 or 11. It makes no sense. They will usually flex my DD in friendlies.

The coach is doing it wrong. If they are using DP/Flex in friendlies, it may be a strong indicator that the coach cares way more about Ws (even in games that don't matter) than they do about developing players. Using your DD as a flex in that situation may also be a strong indicator that the coach thinks your DD's hitting is very weak. Getting the coach to change their opinion may be difficult.

Obviously, there are a lot of details about the situation we don't know, but it's not uncommon for a coach to squeeze a player's time and limit their opportunities as a way to get them to leave the team.

 

[_MIA_]

Curious as to how your DD was chosen for the team. Did the coach have a say in the matter or was your DD just "placed" on the team (that doesn't happen much but isn't unprecedented..)? I am just trying to figure out her (misguided) motivation for doing what she is doing..

 

[Shiloh]

Absolutely! Every team my DD has played on has had pitchers who are a regular part of the batting order. On her current 18U team, the #1 P bats in the 4 spot, and one of the other Ps bats 6. They also play other positions besides P. We only have one P who is primarily just a P, but she bats at friendlies, most pool games, and plays OF when our roster is thin.

If your 11yo is being slotted as a P-only, it's time to find a new team...now! 12U is a time to be developing as an all-around ballplayer.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[uncdrew]

It's so easy for us arm-chair quarterbacks to say "Find a new team".

My advice is for you to find a new team.

 

[Shiloh]

Doesn't matter if she is pitching or playing first, she isn't always put in the lineup for whatever reason.

that's crap

 

[uncdrew]

It's so easy for us arm-chair quarterbacks to say "Find a new team".

My advice is for you to find a new team.

Somehow the coach has decided that your DD doesn't get to bat. My experience is that this won't change. And if he/she is adding more players? Yikes.

Try to get some funds back on your way out, but (easy for me to say) don't let money spent be why you stay. Finding the right team for your DD is worth more than that money lost.

12U? She should come home from a weekend of ball with at least 2ABs per game.

 

[Shiloh]

My thoughts exactly. She feels like if she doesn't hit a bomb, then she won't get another at bat. How am I supposed to tell her that's not true when in the back of my mind I think it might be?

Your instincts are correct.
The coach is putting up a unreasonably high bar for your DD for some reason.

It may be that because her Dad is your DD's hitting coach, she is setting your DD up for failure as a way to prove a point.
Or maybe there's some other friction going on between father and daughter.

How long has she been coaching?
Do other players on the team take lessons from the org head?

 

[Shiloh]

Unfortunately, they don't bat the lineup in friendlies. Sometimes they bat just 9, sometimes 10 or 11. It makes no sense. They will usually flex my DD in friendlies.

That's crap.