Overworking the kids?

[absdad]

If you use running as a weed out in softball, you might lose a home run hitter!

EXACTLY... I don't buy the "don't want it bad enough". The slowest runner in a two mile run, could have the fastest home to 1st. A mile doesn't mean squat, in 60'. I think a coach running kids until they quit, to see how bad they want it is just stroking their own ego. Training those kids to pace themselves to finish two miles, that will come in real handy when they're pacing themselves to round third.

 

[chinamigarden]

Conditioning is important. During the 7th or 8th game of the weekend in 90 degree heat, which girls do you want. The ones who are wilting or the ones who can keep going? If your right fielder has to run down 3 balls in one inning, do you want the girl who can do it, and you feel confident she can run the bases when she leads off the next inning, or the girl who is going to barely make it to the batters box?

I don't know if I would use conditioning as a primary factor, but if it came down to 2 girls who were equal in skills, I am taking the one who can run all day. Which isn't always the skinny one either.

 

[absdad]

Conditioning is important. During the 7th or 8th game of the weekend in 90 degree heat, which girls do you want. The ones who are wilting or the ones who can keep going? If your right fielder has to run down 3 balls in one inning, do you want the girl who can do it, and you feel confident she can run the bases when she leads off the next inning, or the girl who is going to barely make it to the batters box?

I don't know if I would use conditioning as a primary factor, but if it came down to 2 girls who were equal in skills, I am taking the one who can run all day. Which isn't always the skinny one either.

If every hit went to RF, and and your fielder was going for every ball, that might be true. The reality of softball, is that it's always short bursts of output. They're not exerting energy non-stop all day. They're sitting on the bench when hitting, lounging in the shade between games, etc.
If that was the biggest factor, I'd think at these college combines, they'd be more concerned with the athletes who could run two miles, rather than worry about what their 40 time was...

 

[chinamigarden]

Like I said, if it came down to 2 girls who were equal in skills. Which one is the coach picking? The one who can run all day, or the one who has the same 40 time but can't last due to poor conditioning?

 

[absdad]

Like I said, if it came down to 2 girls who were equal in skills. Which one is the coach picking? The one who can run all day, or the one who has the same 40 time but can't last due to poor conditioning?

Depends what you think is important. I'd always go with the girl who can beat the catcher to 2nd, over the girl who can jog to BFE and back. I've always thought of softball as a game of speed, not endurance and pacing yourself.

 

[Immortal1]

Interesting topic (sorry, joining late). Personally I would rather have the player with a good knowledge of the game, great hitting ability, decent throwing ability, and a willingness to learn. Have had a few girls that can run all day but know nothing of the game.

As for running the girls till they puke - definitely not something I would do as a coach. And as stated earlier, running with the girls would not last very long either, although I'm pretty sure I could at least make it to 1 foul pole LOL.

The one mistake I have made that I refuse to make again was leaving our #1 catcher in for 2 games in a row when it was in the 90's.
She said she was fine but at the start of the 3rd game she almost passed out from the heat. Not a big fan of having to figure out how to keep a 13yo from going into heat stroke. A game is just not that important to me.

As for running them till they puke, still have not found a good reason for it yet. In the park home run rarely happens. And can't remember when an outfielder EVER had to run more than 240'.

 

[jinjet95]

I don't think stamina to play 6 or 7 games in one day in 90 degreee heat comes from running long distances. It comes from becoming acclimated to the heat. When I was young - a long time ago - kids played outside all summer. Now, kids are indoors more often than not and are not used to the heat. I saw the difference in my own daughter. She went to an outdoor summer camp for a couple of years and could play ball all day on the weekends. When she was 11-12, she went to camps that were mostly indoors, but just as active. She really struggled in the heat, even though she was in great physical shape. For the past 2 years at 13-14, she's worked as a counselor-in-training for an outdoor camp. We can see the difference in how well she endures tournaments on hot days. Nothing had changed in her conditioning.

 

[Immortal1]

Good point! So in conclusion it would be better for us coaches to do normal practices in the hot sun more often (with plenty of water breaks) then running 2-3 miles indoors all winter long.

I have to agree with you on your "when I was young". I can definitely remember spending all day outside in the summer sun. Mostly riding my bicycle where ever I needed to go. Today, parents run there kids around in air conditioned cars to air conditioned shopping malls and air conditioned movie theaters.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Immortal - and we didn't even drink water. Or if we did we grabbed a swig out of the hose.

I can't remember how we drank water, when I played ball. I think we dipped a cup into a bucket.

Even my own team of 55+ women, cancel practice because of the heat and then, they drop like pansies during the games.

 

[starsnuffer]

I just wonder how many parents of kids that also play soccer are just rolling their eyes and chuckling at the though of us wavering at the thought of our kids working up a bit of a sweat with a good old fashioned run.

-W