12u and positions

[fastpitch5]

12u travel coaches - do your players have set positions, or are you still rotating them around quite a bit? i generally fall into the "you earn your position" camp, but don't want to unnecessarily pigeon hole a player into a position she might not like b/c i have better options for their preferred position.

at 10u i rotated them around quite a bit, keeping each player's skills in mind. not sure i like that for 12u, tho.

randy

 

[Wookie]

For my team, we will keep each player to 2 or 3 positions, and move them around in pool play, but in elimination round we try to win with the best players at the position. We also have a young and inexperienced team, so I really don't think that there are set positions just yet. I know which players are capable of playing certain positions and which players are not capable there just yet. I think they are still developing and to put a kid at a position and say to them that they are only going to play that position will probably turn them off to softball in the long run.

Now, dealing with their parents on this issue .........

 

[fastpitch]

Our team has for the most part set positions. We do get them time at secondary positions during practice and saturday games. It really depends on the makeup of your team and the team/player goals.

 

[jay]

i have my 'A' lineup and my 'B' lineup. i would never call it that to the girls or anyone else. every girl has an 'A' position and a 'B' position ('A' position is where they play to give our team the best chance to win, 'B' position is the position they like best).

i'll usually start my 'A' lineup at their 'A' positions, except for pitchers. as games get out of hand, or it's pool play, we'll move girls from their 'B' position to their 'A' position, etc.

one key thing i've learned about moving girls around, specifying only two spots for them has worked well. people think you can just throw someone in the outfield, yet there are specific requirements for LF, CF, and RF, so my 'A' first baseman will only ever play her 'B' position in right field. this gets them more comfortable with the requirements of their specific outfield positon.

lastly, i've sold my girls that 'this ain't 10U anymore and outfielders are critical. they are the last line of defense'. my starting outfielders each know what it is they do especially better than other girls such that they are needed to be at their respective outfield position. i've had private conversations with each of them telling them, 'the team needs you in right field because you have a really good arm and we could pick up a few extra outs by having you throw runners out at first'. i think they feel empowered by this and have a sense of ownership over their position...and i've had zero playing time/position complaints.

 

[PAcoach]

The more a player knows ( how to play various positions) will make her more vaubale down the road. Don't allow her to limit her softball knowledge. It will be important when she starts looking for a college.

My dd was a bat girl for her cousins TB team for a couple years. I think she knew how to play most positions just from studying the those girls and the game. I always tell her, she is gonna be a good coach someday. At 14 i think she has awesome softball sense.

 

[Screwball]

Can't the position a girl likes be her best position,too? It does happen. If she doesn't like it, she will never be elite at the position. Unless you are Andre Agassi (read his book), you need to like what you are doing to push yourself through all the hard work for the years it takes.

 

[CPSBDad]

I'm glad you tell your girls that. I see too often girls put out in the outfield and they think it's a less glamorous position. I tell my DD and my LLer that as they get older the OF is, as you say, "last line of defense".

lastly, i've sold my girls that 'this ain't 10U anymore and outfielders are critical. they are the last line of defense'. my starting outfielders each know what it is they do especially better than other girls such that they are needed to be at their respective outfield position. i've had private conversations with each of them telling them, 'the team needs you in right field because you have a really good arm and we could pick up a few extra outs by having you throw runners out at first'. i think they feel empowered by this and have a sense of ownership over their position...and i've had zero playing time/position complaints.

 

[coachtucc]

all girls should have 2-3 spots they can play no matter what the age. My former 12U team some girls had two some three...I had one girl who could catch play SS and OF!! Sunday sure you play the best at each spot but pool play and practices should have girls in different spots!

 

[TheRogue]

Ours have 2 set positions for each player, with the expectation that they won't be "lost" if they get stuck in another one! We talk a lot to our girls about being flexible.....they're first year 14's. To have a chance to make a Varsity HS team as a frosh, a girl needs to be able to fill whatever hole is available, so if they lock in playing 2B, and the team needs a RF, there's a chance squandered.