Is "star utility player" even a thing?

[Eric F]

I love kids who don't complain. Mine learned the hard way this year that coaches don't like whining. Coach told her to head out to right field, and she said she didn't like outfield. So she got to sit that inning instead. Whoops. A good lesson. Coming from a low level 8U team she's used to just sticking the kids who can't play in the outfield. But I think it was also that because she has hardly played any outfield at all, she was afraid she wouldn't know what to do. I told her next time she better just smile and say yes sir and run on out there, and do her best. I think it was a lesson well learned. Nobody likes a whiner.

This is a VERY important lesson to learn, and one that will continue to be important throughout her playing career.

 

[quincy]

OF sucks in 8U and 10U, it gets to be a lot of fun in 12+.

 

[BobInMadison]

Interesting how this works. We all seem to love different things. Just about all the pitchers I've known tried catching, but liked pitching better. Just about all the catchers I've known tried pitching, but liked catching better. At the local HS, the starting pitcher is the relief catcher.

DD 3 could be a really good catcher if she wanted to be, but prefers to pitch.

 

[djcarter1966]

From my observations there are only three defensive positions that recruiters actually recruit 1)catcher 2)pitcher3)center field. In that order. after that they will fill every other defensive positions with HITTERS. My DD is a above average pitcher and can hold her own at 18 gold nats ASA and 18 u PGF nats, also plays the corners quite well. she was 15 last year.She loves the circle, lives and breathes pitching. Her problem is she is also a 2.7 lefty with a 650 season average and a slugging % above 1.00 that can also slap. We have already had the talk that nobody is going to give a rip about how well she pitches, they will be recruiting a hitter.

I am not sure no one will give a rip how she pitches? IF she can REALLY pitch they won't give a rip how she hits (because she probably won't hit at the next level).
As others have stated if you listen during NCAA CWS games you can't count the number of times the CF is described as an ex-SS, so while they might be recruiting CF that does not mean they are not looking at a SS and saying she could play CF. Once you are past Pitcher and Cather I think they are not worried about defense anymore then are just recruiting hitters.

 

[canyonjoe]

I think my dd is an awesome short stop. But she plays 10u so that means I'm delusional and crazy by definition, right? Seriously though, I probably am.

Keep encouraging her to play SS if she likes it. Maybe she'll be a great one or maybe not, but the skills she'll develop playing there will transfer to almost every other position.