Playing Time and Player Growth

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Oct 4, 2018
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Based on team selection in August last year, and currently, our team disparity gap has widened. This could be attributed to many factors including growth, talent, hard work, injury, etc. Our top 7 are clear, our next 3 are a level down, but get in based on positional needs against certain teams, and the bottom 2 are clearly not developing as quickly (they are the youngest and are playing up).

Does your team have try-outs in the upcoming weeks for next year's team?

Might be time to talk to a few parents. My experience is a bit limited, but girls playing up in travel sometimes just... uh... shouldn't be playing up. I know the desire to play up and play against tougher competition, but sometimes it's not the right decision.
 
Jun 8, 2016
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As a coach you absolutely do not need to hammer that point home any more than what naturally happens. The lesson is intrinsic in the game.
Not sure playing your better players in what sounds like 1/4 of the total games played (e.g. the other kids get equal playing time in league and pool it sounds like) is "hammering" anything but whatever. When I was playing LL there was one league in our town with a fixed amount of teams. You tried out and if you didn't make it you didn't play...at all. If you wanted to make a team next year you made sure you went out with your friends, parents etc and tried to get better. Sally not playing as much or at all in 1/4 of the games isn't going to harm her for life...nor would playing her more in those games really improve her all that much.
 
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Jun 29, 2013
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Your way is generally good and the way I see most teams go about the PT issue. The very best teams that I see (not record wise necessarily, but the ones who never seem to be looking for multiple players every season and you never hear complaints about) manage to get everyone into every game and still win most games. They are extremely selective on who they take, and everybody doesn't get a minimum number of innings, but they find a role for all.
The danger to saying all positions on Sunday are earned is that the corollary to that rule isn't always enforced- that is, every position on Sunday can be lost. This probably doesn't apply to you, but I do see a lot of teams trot out the same 9 every Sunday, regardless of whether one of the 9 played poorly on Saturday or the previous Sunday, while the kids who did well on Saturday continue to sit.
 
Sep 23, 2018
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Your way is generally good and the way I see most teams go about the PT issue. The very best teams that I see (not record wise necessarily, but the ones who never seem to be looking for multiple players every season and you never hear complaints about) manage to get everyone into every game and still win most games. They are extremely selective on who they take, and everybody doesn't get a minimum number of innings, but they find a role for all.
The danger to saying all positions on Sunday are earned is that the corollary to that rule isn't always enforced- that is, every position on Sunday can be lost. This probably doesn't apply to you, but I do see a lot of teams trot out the same 9 every Sunday, regardless of whether one of the 9 played poorly on Saturday or the previous Sunday, while the kids who did well on Saturday continue to sit.

With our team makeup, 7 of the girls are typical no brainers. All of our pitchers but one and our catchers fall into this group. The next 3 girls are toss ups in terms of overall talent, but one is a good pitcher and gets Sunday mound time (terrible hitting slump), and one fills a positional need, and one swings a decent stick. I often DP Flex the last 2, so we get all 10 girls in. As previously stated, the last 2 are young a definitely a few steps below players 8-10.

It is the team I picked, and I do work everyone a lot in practice and get them as much playing as possible, in League and pool.
 
Apr 28, 2019
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My AC and I disagree about one part of our team philosophy.

First, some Background:

12u B level team that plays in a competitive League, and tournaments. League play we treat like a practice and we rotate girls around a little, we bat the lineup, and everyone plays fairly equal innings. In pool games (tournaments), we bat the lineup and everyone plays. Not all innings are equal, but every girl gets plenty of opportunity. However, come Sunday I put the top 9 girls in that will help the Team compete hard. Of course, if we are winning or losing by enough, we rotate other girls in, but in tight bracket games we play with the girls that have earned the position.

I emphasize that each girl on the team can earn a starting spot on Sunday, but it must be earned and it must help the team. I believe that teaching them this skill now before high school is just as important as teaching them fielding fundamentals.

The disagreement.

My AC agrees mostly with league play and pool play (although he would probably like us to tilt the playing time more in favor of the lower 3-4 girls), but he disagrees with bracket play. He thinks that all girls should play even if it hurts the teams chances of competing. His philosophy is more about personal growth and learning to play under pressure. He said that a few girls are discouraged and know they will not play on Sunday.

What are other coaches doing?
Your doing it the right way. Everything is earned nothing given.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
The danger to saying all positions on Sunday are earned is that the corollary to that rule isn't always enforced- that is, every position on Sunday can be lost. This probably doesn't apply to you, but I do see a lot of teams trot out the same 9 every Sunday, regardless of whether one of the 9 played poorly on Saturday or the previous Sunday, while the kids who did well on Saturday continue to sit.
Everybody has a bad tournament. Nobody should lose their position for something like imo.
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
When coaches die, they are surrounded by people, not trophies. Trying to "win" versus developing players at the 12u level will seem quite silly when you look back on things later in your life. Little Sally that sat the bench all Sunday so her coach could try to win a trophy isn't going to have her life changed one bit by trying to be taught a life lesson that includes not being allowed to play and enjoy the game while her friends do. Nor will little Joan who won the trophy because little Sally wasn't allowed to play. That trophy will likely be thrown away once little Joan discovers boys.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
When coaches die, they are surrounded by people, not trophies. Trying to "win" versus developing players at the 12u level will seem quite silly when you look back on things later in your life. Little Sally that sat the bench all Sunday so her coach could try to win a trophy isn't going to have her life changed one bit by trying to be taught a life lesson that includes not being allowed to play and enjoy the game while her friends do. Nor will little Joan who won the trophy because little Sally wasn't allowed to play. That trophy will likely be thrown away once little Joan discovers boys.
I don't give a sh*& about a trophy, you are missing the point. The point is if you are better at something you should be rewarded for it and in this case the reward is more playing time. If you want to play more in bracket practice more so you will play better in league and pool and earn your PT in bracket. If you work your a&* off and still are not good enough then that is life, some people are better at you at some things. You at least know you did all you could.

If the kids who were sitting bracket were not playing at all that would be a different story but it sounds to me like they are getting sufficient playing time in league and pool games.

Also instead of being passive aggressive next time actually quote the post you are mocking.
 
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