Defense, can anybody play anywhere?

[Cannonball]

I'm not smart enough to answer all of your questions in this topic but my recommendation is to play all positions. In fact, this was a conversation at Christmas with my great niece who is going to be a player. She is in 7th grade but starts on the 8th grade basketball team, softball team, is a cheeeerrrr lea or whatever that is called, ... In short, an athlete. On her TB and MS softball teams, she is a SS and Pitcher. I asked if she was playing OF at all to which my brother said that she was too good to play OF. With her speed, and she is the fastest on her TB and MS teams, that type of thinking should be changed. I reminded them that my dd, who is not fast, was recruited as an OF. Well, she was recruited as a hitter and just happened to play OF at that time. However, she was a pitcher, ss at one point when I asked for her to be allowed to play all over the field. The only position she did not play was catcher. IMO, catching is such a specialized position that catching requires specialization as does pitching.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Pretty much. Maybe not catcher or pitcher unless they want to - but otherwise yes. For most players you have ZERO idea who they will be or who they will need to be as they go through the age groups. There is the odd elite athlete - but they are even rarer than people think. At some point, maturity evens the field for the majority of players. I am not excluding a 9 year old from learning a position because she is going to get more game time at a different position - who knows what happens in the season or next season or what some other coach may need from her.



That is a LONG discussion. But frankly, I just love competitive players who play hard. If they give 100% where they are placed to the best of their abilities I am 100% fine. Take my best 9 bats + 1 fielder (to flex) and I will figure out where they go.



They shouldn't. The outfield in college is often full of ex-shortstops and infielders and even big-bats with average speed you need a spot for because the really slow big-bat is at 1B and you can only flex one player.

There was a D1 team a couple of years ago who had a first-time catcher because of injuries. It happens. Recruiting-wise your coach should know how to showcase you to the best of your abilities when coaches are there to see you.

The reality is that many players end up with a primary position and then secondary positions where you can play them. The drop off on good teams when the #2 or #3 choice at a position is normally fairly minimal or even zero - you can't do that if only 1 player can play that position at the level of play.



At older ages every player should have a strong grasp on how each position is played - even if they don't play there. It isn't rocket science for the most part - field the ball, make an out. Ball, base, backup will get you through 90% of any situation. Corners charge on bunts... etc, etc... A catch is a catch. A ground ball, a ground ball. Sure there are those better suited to a position over others - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have the basics down if coach asks you to play there.

My DD pitches... but when she isn't, she fills in all over the place. In HS she played 1B, 2B, 3B and SS at various times when she wasn't pitching because her team needed her to. In travel she did the same - and played some RF for good measure. And this is for high level 18U national-level teams. Never blinks an eye - just heads on out. Some days I think we should start a pool guessing where she is heading to when she steps out of the dugout. In college, DD expects to pitch, bat and field and has a good chance of doing that.

Think your DD is an exceptional player. Coaches dream. If she is not pitching she is still on the field. There are many pitchers that can not field a gb or fb and have weird overhand throwing motions.

My DD catches and plays ss. She played 3rd last year. (Coaches DD played SS. Lol)

 

[So Cal Seth]

When I was talking about this in the other thread I was referring to playing a position well at the college level. While there are some clues at the younger ages (kids who are ultra athletic as young kids, e.g. can run, move laterally exceptionally well,etc don't lose this as they age unless they put on a lot of bad weight) until everybody hits puberty it is difficult to predict where their athletic ceiling lies. Through 12U every kid should learn how to field a GB correctly, track fly balls correctly, etc. As they age, how well they learn these skills along with their athletic skillset will slot them in their positions. Catchers and pitchers have it a bit more difficult since along with the abovementioned skills, they have other position specific skills they need to work on.

Totally agree. This conversation is age dependent. And I agree all youth-aged players should learn how to play infield and outfield, at the minimum.

 

[So Cal Seth]

Think your DD is an exceptional player. Coaches dream. If she is not pitching she is still on the field. There are many pitchers that can not field a gb or fb and have weird overhand throwing motions.

My DD catches and plays ss. She played 3rd last year. (Coaches DD played SS. Lol)

How'd coach's DD do there? ; )

 

[Eric F]

I asked if she was playing OF at all to which my brother said that she was too good to play OF.

This is a common mentality for parents of younger players (and some coaches) who have not yet seen what the game looks like with a higher percentage of balls being hit hard to the OF, and weak OF'ers costing runs. At 14U and up, no good team has a mediocre OF.

 

[chinamigarden]

With DD as a lefty, I've heard the "conventional wisdom" from various coaches over the years. Lefties should play outfield, 1st base, or pitch. Nothing else. DD is a lefty catcher and has been very successful with it, but has run into quite a few coaches who don't believe she should be playing that position. She's not going to pitch and she is (in my opinion) not fast enough to be an A-level outfielder. That leaves 1B (which is her secondary position), but C is her love.

Any coach who knows anything about this game will not limit a lefty from catching. There have been many successful left handed catchers including on Team USA. For some plays being a lefty is an advantage to a catcher.

 

[chinamigarden]

When I was coaching 10u I wanted every kid to try every position. I moved them from infield to outfield. I wanted everyone to consider pitching and would give anyone who wanted a chance to play catcher.

Where kids wind up playing when they are older is most times not where they started at 9.

 

[chinamigarden]

My DD pitches and plays RF and 2nd. For some reason she says she sees the ball better from that side of the field. Hitting is a chore right now but she’s working hard on that

I am a believer that if you move a player from infield to outfield and/or back it’s easier to keep them on the same side of the field.

They are used to a batted ball spinning/curving a certain way.

 

[chinamigarden]

I feel pretty strongly that a softball player doesn't have to have elite, or even good, speed to be a decent corner outfielder. The field just isn't that big.

An outfielder who gets good reads, good jumps, and perhaps most importantly positions herself well before the pitch is thrown, can play the corners.

And she has the opportunity to create more runs then she lets in. If you can rake with power, a college coach will take the trade off.

 

[chinamigarden]

Think your DD is an exceptional player. Coaches dream. If she is not pitching she is still on the field. There are many pitchers that can not field a gb or fb and have weird overhand throwing motions.

My DD catches and plays ss. She played 3rd last year. (Coaches DD played SS. Lol)

These are the pitching divas who were never asked to play a position. They are allowed to do one thing and forgo everything else.

I call these girls Michael Jackson players. Because like him they wear a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.