Take sign on 1-1 count?

10U AS coach gave DD a take sign with 1-1 count, no one on, and no outs. Pitcher was not struggling, game tied 0-0, 5th inning. DD sees a meatball and drive into left center gap for a double. Ends up scoring games only run. Btwn innings, Head Coach lays into her for missing sign. After game I asked if she knew sign and she says, "Yes, but the pitch was just too good not to hit."

Confidence shattered she has worst at bats of season in next game.

Am I missing a tactical advantage that the coach wanted or what? Seems like a lame time to take a pitch.

Am I missing a tactical advantage that the coach wanted or what? Seems like a lame time to take a pitch.

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One should follow orders from the Coach like they are the words of God...unless, of course, they are wrong. I've never heard of a take on 1-1. But, I don't like to give a take on 3-0.

The coach was stupid.

Confidence shattered she has worst at bats of season in next game.

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Getting criticized by your boss is something we all have to learn to live with. It isn't always fair. But, do you stop doing your job because your boss said something stupid to you? How do you deal with something like that?

We always talk about "important life lessons" that kids learn from sports--well, this is one of them. How would you deal with the situation if you closed a $1,000,000 deal after the boss told you not to even try? I suspect that you would sit there politely and listen to his criticism, understand where he was coming from, and then go out for a beer with your buddies and laugh it off, because you know you'll be rewarded later.

So, teach her. Don't count on the coaching getting better as she gets older. A lot of softball is learning how to deal with people doing and saying stupid things.

Just trying to understand if there was a reason that I might have been missing.

We have since talked about the fact that coaches make mistakes, but her job is to follow signs and focus on the next at bat no matter the outcome. If the coach puts her in a 2 strike hole, her job is to fight out of it. I don't think she stopped trying, just lacked of confidence at the plate for rest of the day. I think you or Ken mentioned confidence, and agree, that it is a huge factor.

Guess I just expected a little more from a Gold AS coach. Disappointed, but moving on to the next tournament.

I coach 10U travel and have signs for all the following:

bunt
drag bunt
slash bunt (show bunt - pull back and swing)
sneaky bunt (show bunt - pull back pretend to swing then drag bunt)
fake bunt (don't swing)
steal
delayed steal
wipe off
hit and run (requires batter to hit regardless if strike)
suicide squeeze
HIT (regardless if strike)

Every player is trained to be an aggressive offensive weapon. We don't have a take sign, closest thing is the fake bunt and we seldom use it. I use the "hit" sign far more often if my gut tells me the next pitch will be a strke and like to call it on 3-0 or 3-1. Good time for one of my girls to uncork a bomb.

If you think 10u is too young to execute these things think again. Had game the other day where we attempted slash bunt three times by my sixth batter. By seventh batter corners quit coming in when we showed bunt. DD laid down a PERFECT sneaky bunt got on base and scored a run in the second inning against a stud pitcher.

I would have a huge problem with a coach calling for a take sign in your situation.

What is a Gold AS?

Maybe Gold ASA??

IMHO Slugger is right on. I have always told our girls that if they listen and do what we ask of them and it creates an out then it is on us not them and I have always let them know that. If they get thrown out when I have sent them I get right to them and tell them that one is on me! However I have never seen a 1 - 1 count and give the take sign. 3 - 0 sure we all have. No one on really confuses me. I could see it if he was sending a runner but then it would have been more of an intentional miss situation or sneaky bunt to me.

Is there a tactical or strategic reason? Not that I can think of but I did come up with some possible explanations for the 1 - 1 take sign:

1. Your coach wanted to observe the opposing pitchers form to determine if she was illegally leaping or crow hopping and having your DD swing would have been a distraction
2. Your coach is a statistical genius and knows that your DD only hits doubles on 1 - 1 signs and hits triples on 1 - 2 or 2 - 1 so he was setting up your DD for greater success.
3. He forgot the count. Go ahead and buy him a ball/strike counter as a gift so he doesn't make the same mistake again.

Am I the only coach who doesn't even have a "take" sign?

I am blessed/cursed this season. I have no team speed, but last week in 6 games
my top 8 were hitting like they were in the cages. I rarely use the take unless we are behind.
Did not use it last week, in 6 games we scored 37 allowed 4. We were on fire.
With no take, the girls' confidence grows, as a team, they are selective and disciplined at the plate.
(for a bunch of 14Us anyway)

Sluggers is dead on, who calls a take in that situation? time to check the coach for heat stroke

Coach JV, that one made me laugh out loud.

I also agree with Sluggers. Unless there's something missing from the story, it doesn't make much sense to take a pitch at that time -- especially if the pitcher is not struggling.

Generally speaking, kids are resilient. Let her know things happen, coaches make mistakes, sometimes big ones. She needs to put it behind her and keep swinging the bat. Maybe the next time the coach will have a little more faith in her.