DD wants to play IF

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
DD has mostly played IF until this past year, never saw IF this year except pitching.

She made 1 good catch and 3 routine catches this weekend.

Wonder if I should ask her to start dropping balls?

Being sarcastic a little bit but give her a chance at IF too. She is better at IF then OF, give her a chance.

End rant.
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Generally speaking, the best way to get the position you want is to be better than the player that has it now. Being "just as good" doesn't get you the job. A coach isn't going to take a girl out of her usual spot - a spot she earned - for a player who isn't an improvement for the team. You need to be better. Undeniably better. Be so good you can't be ignored. If you're not, then get to work!

All that said, sometimes there are situations where the better player at one position isn't the best fit for the team's overall defense. This is where parents get hung up a lot. They only see their kid, and not the bigger picture of the whole team.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
This past Wednesday night I watched a combined practice between both our 16 & 18U National teams, it was strictly a defensive two hour practice. It was like watching a very smoothly run well oiled college program practice, I was very impressed! Every girl there in the dirt could get it done! But with as good as every girl there was, the few that stood out was the 2 or 3 with that had the best footwork, and constantly moved through the ball and never stopped, true infielders who didn't think or overthink the play, that just "played".

This coach who was hitting balls never just hit them a ground ball, everything was scenario driven, making the girls think, making them think ahead, with balls hit into almost impossible spots. With this coach you better never screw up a cut and you better be where you're supposed to be! Very impressive practice to watch!

quincy........footwork, footwork, and more footwork! Make her move through ground balls and throw on the run, make her throw to her target without getting vertical (SS to 2B or 2B to 1B) and teach her to dive! The AC at USC Upstate said everyone of his infielders had scabbed elbows, and they better continue to have them until the season is over!
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
My DD was the best 1B on her team Oct 2017-Aug 2018. The coach needed her arm and IQ in the outfield and needed to hide a bat at 1B. She was mostly fine with only getting about 6 garbage time innings at 1B this past year. She was happy playing where her team needed her.
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
18
If she is in the OF and doing well, that's good, right? I get it that a lot of girls want to play infield positions but so long as your playing and helping the team win, wherever you play is a good position.
 
May 22, 2015
410
28
Illinois
DD had a short time where she thought she lost her middle infield position to girls that were not as good as she was. The truth of the matter is that they needed her speed, glove, and softball IQ out in center field. Once I explained that to her she has taken that & ran with it and really embraces her outfield role now. I know that she wishes she could play IF more though. She does occasionally get some innings in the dirt on her TB team but is in center 80% of the time. School ball is a different story lol...coaches favorites are generally the infielders regardless on the school teams.
 

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