A first for me

[Ken Krause]

Those who know me (or follow me via the Internet) know I've been coaching fastpitch softball for a long time -- more than 15 years. (Although some days it feel like 1500 years.) Today, though, I had a first.

I had a parent come up to me with a suggestion as to where he thought his daughter was best-suited to play. That's not unusual, of course. It was the suggestion itself.

His daughter is my starting shortstop, but he thought she'd make a great center fielder. This is the first time I've ever had a parent suggest taking his/her daughter out of the infield and putting her in the outfield. I've had plenty of suggestions going the other way, as I'm sure all you coaches have. But from infield to outfield? Never.

Now, understand she would make a great center fielder. She's also make a great right or left fielder, second baseman, third baseman, catcher, etc. She's a very athletic girl with a great attitude who will do anything she can to help the team win. She self-analyzes in the batter's box to keep from making the same mistake twice. And she always grabs team equipment when it's time to move without ever having to be asked.

So dad is right, in a way. But she's happiest at shortstop and plays it well.

So what about you? Have you ever had a parent suggest moving his/her daughter from the infield to the outfield? Or is this an unusual request?

More...

 

[quincy]

I have made it to the coach about my DD, yes it is an unusual request.

 

[CoogansBluff]

My best all-around player this season asked to play CF instead of infield. She potentially could've been my best player at 3B, SS or 3B, but she just didn't like playing infield. That was odd. ...

Also, I did have a parent tell me last year that he preferred his daughter to play OF. I had her at 2B. He didn't say she'd help thee team more in the OF. He just felt like OF was her future and that he'd like to see her master it.

 

[Lozza]

We had an amazing player who was the same. She was a brilliant shortstop, but as she pointed out she could do better work at centre field and would prefer to play there. We had three brilliant short stops (she was the best) but only decent centre fielders. So at 11 she decided she would go to CF.