Game plan or winging it?

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Jul 14, 2018
982
93
To answer your original question, it's always best to have a game plan. Whether you stick to it 100% will depend on a few factors.

It seems like there's some confusion about the level of play based on the answers you've gotten so far. You mention that you're playing what might be considered All-Stars, but then you played a mid-week game, shorthanded. It sounds like this is a more casual situation than what people on DFP would call All-Stars.

If this is a team that gets together a couple of times a week to play some softball on a summer evening, that's great! Wish we had that around here. While it's not critical to have a 'game plan,' your instincts are correct -- you should have an idea about where and when girls will rotate through to get max playing time for everyone. But you also need to be very flexible. That girl who you have penciled in at SS and CF? Maybe she wants to try some 3B. If it's a casual summer league, this is the time to do it.

If it is a more competitive All-Star situation, where you're playing district tournaments and trying to advance to the next level, you will also need a plan. That plan might look more like what happened in the game you described: five or six girls play every inning. But even there, you should know going in who will be rotated out.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
^^this 100%

What rec game is so important to win that the same girls should play in the same positions basically the whole game?
actually I like giving girls when possible the entire game or most of it at one position, to let them get a feel and be able to concentrate on one defensive role at a time. but from game to game, rotate them. that is for reg season / pool. elimination games, play bets 9 as much as possible, do pinch runners, etcl to get others involved possible.
 
May 20, 2018
24
3
To answer your original question, it's always best to have a game plan. Whether you stick to it 100% will depend on a few factors.

It seems like there's some confusion about the level of play based on the answers you've gotten so far. You mention that you're playing what might be considered All-Stars, but then you played a mid-week game, shorthanded. It sounds like this is a more casual situation than what people on DFP would call All-Stars.

If this is a team that gets together a couple of times a week to play some softball on a summer evening, that's great! Wish we had that around here. While it's not critical to have a 'game plan,' your instincts are correct -- you should have an idea about where and when girls will rotate through to get max playing time for everyone. But you also need to be very flexible. That girl who you have penciled in at SS and CF? Maybe she wants to try some 3B. If it's a casual summer league, this is the time to do it.

If it is a more competitive All-Star situation, where you're playing district tournaments and trying to advance to the next level, you will also need a plan. That plan might look more like what happened in the game you described: five or six girls play every inning. But even there, you should know going in who will be rotated out.

Thanks for your input!

Yes sounds like my confusion with the terminology. This is best described as a summer inter-city travel league. Each city has a team at each age division (sometimes multiple teams if there is both A and B levels within the age division). There are regional divisions of about 10 teams each. We play 14 games from mid June to early August about 2X week.

The teams are typically sponsored by the local rec league. There are try outs for the team and usually the better players from the spring rec season are all on one team (my confusion with your All Stars terminology). A few of the girls also play on TB teams. The older 18U teams are mostly JV and Varsity HS players who don't have a TB commitment. Girls play for their home town team unless it's an A division team which has no residency requirements. Games are all on weeknights so families can still have their weekends at the shore. It's a nice gig!

As for competition, there are no tournaments or concerns about advancing to the next level. Unfortunately , there are not even play offs - it's a race to finish first and get the division title for your little area . There is an actual All Star game with 2 players from each team.

I totally agree with you about being flexible. I discussed with each of them at the try-outs and first practice where they have played in the past and where they would like to play and also what they wanted to work on over the summer. It's funny how the girls responses are completely different from the info that their parents made sure to share about where they want to play! But that's a whole other thread...
 
Jul 14, 2018
982
93
Yes sounds like my confusion with the terminology. This is best described as a summer inter-city travel league. Each city has a team at each age division (sometimes multiple teams if there is both A and B levels within the age division). There are regional divisions of about 10 teams each. We play 14 games from mid June to early August about 2X week.

This sounds terrific, you've got a thriving softball community there! Especially the part about an actual All-Star game, with 2 players from each team. Fun stuff.

It's funny how the girls responses are completely different from the info that their parents made sure to share about where they want to play! But that's a whole other thread...
Nailed it! (y)
 
May 20, 2018
24
3
Had a discussion with my fellow coach this morning. He said he likes to let them settle in to a position for a few innings before making changes. I told him that would work for me if he had a good plan mapped out for rotating in the later innings. If he wants to have the girls rotate sitting for 2 innings in a row to make it easier for the others to focus in on their positions, I can see that being a plus but only if it's managed so it's not the same girls sitting all the time. He said he would work on something today and we agreed to review it together for next game. I really do want this to be a collaborative effort. In part because I won't have time to do it all myself due to work and summer vacation plans... but also I enjoy discussing the line up and getting insights from others who have more experience coaching softball or who have a different perspective on some of the players.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
I'm confused by the answers. Was it a rec game or an All-Star game? If it's a rec game everyone plays, you move players around,etc. If it's All-Stars then it's more like a travel team. If there are pool games you move around, but if these are elimination games I would play the same positions for the entire game with maybe a few subs. Just because it's not PGF nationals doesn't mean it's not important to these kids.
 
May 20, 2018
24
3
I'm confused by the answers. Was it a rec game or an All-Star game? If it's a rec game everyone plays, you move players around,etc. If it's All-Stars then it's more like a travel team. If there are pool games you move around, but if these are elimination games I would play the same positions for the entire game with maybe a few subs. Just because it's not PGF nationals doesn't mean it's not important to these kids.

Hi. Thought I answered that in my follow up with more details. It's an inter-city rec league. We travel anywhere from next town over to about 30 miles away. There are A and B divisions. Our team plays in B. No elimination games or play offs. It's a pennant race. All games affect standings in the division so to me they all count equally.
 
May 3, 2018
75
18
My answer would be a little different. I don't think that it matters much game to game. In fact, I like the idea of girls getting comfortable in their position for the day. I would look to rotate more by games so that by the end of the season, they've all played a similar number of innings and ABs. Just a different take.
 
May 20, 2018
24
3
My answer would be a little different. I don't think that it matters much game to game. In fact, I like the idea of girls getting comfortable in their position for the day. I would look to rotate more by games so that by the end of the season, they've all played a similar number of innings and ABs. Just a different take.
Yes this is another approach that, while not my style, I can see the value but - only as long as it is made clear at the beginning that this is the plan.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Players might be good but not equal.

Our game plan revolved around pitcher, better p got less of defense. Lesser P got a better defense.

Other thing I did was at a minimum everyone started every other game.
 

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