I'm coaching 12u travel. We don't have a specific team captain so the girls take turns coming out for the coin toss and things like that. But I'm wondering if it's time to have an official team captain to take a leadership role on the field. At what point do you have an official team captain? Do you as the coach pick a captain or do you let the girls pick a captain?
Question on Team Captain
- Thread starter BigDad
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- Jul 28, 2008
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The team captain can seek a reversal of calls with the umpire or ask him/her to ask for help. They can also protest calls/games.
I had to look it up to find out, but now that I read this I think it would be fun to send a 12 YO girl out to discuss calls with the umpire. The umpire would probably rather deal with a 12 YO girl rather than a coach acting like a 12 YO.
I had to look it up to find out, but now that I read this I think it would be fun to send a 12 YO girl out to discuss calls with the umpire. The umpire would probably rather deal with a 12 YO girl rather than a coach acting like a 12 YO.
- Jan 15, 2009
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IMO Leaders in the dugout emerge and demonstrate leadership whether you name them captains or not. Also in 6 years I've seen many kids named captain with the hope that they would become leaders and it never happens and usually isn't fair to the kid. Recognizing a kid showing leadership as a captain can help solidify their role as a leader on a team, but don't arbitrarily hang in on a kid who isn't ready for it.
In my experience especially in the 12/14 age range is all the katty stuff. So no captains for us, it just got to be too much (BTW some girls can be really mean with their comments).
redhotcoach
Out on good behavior
- May 8, 2009
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Not to mention the crazy jealous parents!
I am not a fan of havign a captin either. I think the girls need to stay focused on the game ahead it is easy enough to make the game hard by overthinking, then to add the resposability of talking to the ump on top of that I think is too much. Our coach has started this new thing with the girls to remind them to play the game he tells them "Don't be an ump" meaning play the game and dont think out this is gonna be a ball and have the ump turn around and call you out on a stike you just stared at. works for the fielding as well on foul balls and such.
