This might belong in the whining forum...LOL.
WHY do people assume outfielders are a dime a dozen? I am so tired of people saying "my daughter got stuck in the OF", or "any good infielder can be a good outfielder" or "put the weak player in outfield".
Good grief - my daughter has spent most of the past 4 years behind the plate, but over the last few months has started to play some CF. She is a great catcher - but maybe even a better outfielder. She is fast, she is not afraid to dive, she can track a ball great, she is smart - knows where to throw after the catch and she has a cannon for an arm and can throw in quickly.
We have watched numerous games be decided based on missed catches in the OF, or girls who don't know what to do with the ball after retrieving it.
The OF is so important - especially at the upper age levels. They are the last line of defense! If a ball gets missed by the infield it is usually a double. If the ball is missed in the OF it is a triple or HR. It is a SKILL to be able to track a ball and catch it, a SKILL to know how to drop step and run, rather than back pedal, a SKILL to know when to lay out for a catch and when to stay on your feet, a SKILL to know where to throw, when to use a cut, etc. I hate how people just assume that girls who play outfield "can't" play infield. People are so quick to fault an OF if a catch is missed, yet when an IFer misses the ball it's ok. It's assumed "anyone" can play OF. So not true. DD's coach last year thought he could turn any infielder into an outfielder - it was a disaster. Between the "I don't want to" attitudes and the lack of outfield skills DD's team lost a lot of games. DD's new team celebrates their outfielders - gotta love that!
Now admittedly - at 10s and 12s the outfield could be pretty boring...but now that the girls are older and stronger so much depends on the SKILLS of the girls in the OF. I truly believe a strong, smart OF is just as important as a good SS or 2nd baseman (or 1st or 3rd or C or P).
My DD is proud of being a catcher, but maybe even more proud to be a CFer.
Ok - vent over...
WHY do people assume outfielders are a dime a dozen? I am so tired of people saying "my daughter got stuck in the OF", or "any good infielder can be a good outfielder" or "put the weak player in outfield".
Good grief - my daughter has spent most of the past 4 years behind the plate, but over the last few months has started to play some CF. She is a great catcher - but maybe even a better outfielder. She is fast, she is not afraid to dive, she can track a ball great, she is smart - knows where to throw after the catch and she has a cannon for an arm and can throw in quickly.
We have watched numerous games be decided based on missed catches in the OF, or girls who don't know what to do with the ball after retrieving it.
The OF is so important - especially at the upper age levels. They are the last line of defense! If a ball gets missed by the infield it is usually a double. If the ball is missed in the OF it is a triple or HR. It is a SKILL to be able to track a ball and catch it, a SKILL to know how to drop step and run, rather than back pedal, a SKILL to know when to lay out for a catch and when to stay on your feet, a SKILL to know where to throw, when to use a cut, etc. I hate how people just assume that girls who play outfield "can't" play infield. People are so quick to fault an OF if a catch is missed, yet when an IFer misses the ball it's ok. It's assumed "anyone" can play OF. So not true. DD's coach last year thought he could turn any infielder into an outfielder - it was a disaster. Between the "I don't want to" attitudes and the lack of outfield skills DD's team lost a lot of games. DD's new team celebrates their outfielders - gotta love that!
Now admittedly - at 10s and 12s the outfield could be pretty boring...but now that the girls are older and stronger so much depends on the SKILLS of the girls in the OF. I truly believe a strong, smart OF is just as important as a good SS or 2nd baseman (or 1st or 3rd or C or P).
My DD is proud of being a catcher, but maybe even more proud to be a CFer.
Ok - vent over...