Stuck in the Outfield!

[Bchbum54]

We have a girl on DD's 10U All-Star team this season, she is age wise second year 10U player (03) but this is only her second season playing softball, late start for her and she just started this past Fall (2013) and this Spring (2014). She is a awesome player who has developed tremendously over the past couple seasons but has spent the entire time in the outfield. At first it was a safety issue since she was just starting out and she occasionally made a second base apearnece. She absorbed everything while in the outfield, she covers all the infielders, covers bases and moves where she needs to be without hesitation or direction from coaches. She is just always on it. Right now she is by far our best outfielder and maybe our least experinced infielder. Coach says he is trying to win games which is what All-Stars is about, so he is playinig girls to their strengths. Hers is the outfield. Her parents ask me for help and advice since i help assist during practices and coach a little during games. I try to get HC to play her in the infield during practices as much as i can but in the end its not my decision. She struggles during practice, mostly on covering bases and making decisions when she gets the ball. I realize this is just nerves and lack of experience in the infield. She has accepted her role for now but her parents tell me she is afraid that she will be moving up to 12U during the Fall and well not be given the oppertunity to really play in the infield especially when competing against second year 12's who have been playing a lot longer (TBall) then she has. I understand where their coming from but i really don't have any real good advice to give them other then keep practicing. What do you guys think? They do have a choice to play down during the Fall season and maybe she will get more PT in the infield but parents are afraid if she ends up with a coach who doesn't want to give her that oppertunity then she might as well move up and prepare for 12Us.

 

[smddad]

Every team I have ever seen play, has 3 outfielders playing who are not riding the pine.

 

[justanotherguy]

While I know it's not quite the same situation, my DD has kind of been loopholed as well. She's a pitcher, catcher, and first. Never anything else... ever. The problem is that she excelled at those positions so well, that's all anyone ever sees out of her. However, when we practice together, it's always everything else. 3rd, SS and OF. One day she's going to be needed in those other positions and she'll be ready. If this young lady wants those other positions, she's got to practice her butt off, outside of regular practice. It may be a long time. As well, another kid on our team is an AMAZING center fielder. The kid flat out flies and catches EVERYTHING that can possibly be caught. This kid is ALWAYS the center fielder. It's going to take a lot to break that role. Sometimes when you're good at something you get loopholed. The only way out is to practice your guts out at something different, and eventually let the coach see what you can do in practice.

As smddad said though, she's playing and in the game. She's valuable and she has to know that. Also, as she moves up, that center fielder is going to become gold to ANY team. At 12u balls start making it to the outfield more and more, so she'll see action and it'll be so important she continues to grow. When she shows up to tryouts for TB, MS and HS teams, she'll be a very valued asset. Not too many kids take pride in being the star outfielder, but boy are they important. In rec you hide kids in the OF, in TB no one is hidden anywhere, especially in CF!!!

 

[SCDad]

Unfortunately, whether it is fair or not, players get slotted in certain positions. Probably much too early.

This is one reason coaches, coach. To make sure their DD gets slotted where they want.

As a non coach, my player was also slotted in the outfield. Turns out in the end, that position fits her best, both her personality, speed, and power. Plus she stays on the field and has offers. Never downplay the outfield positions.

It used to be in the old days, an infield would just move to the outfield to not sit the pine. Not anymore. The outfielders are there for a reason and after developing there for a while, are better at it than a discarded infielder.

 

[JAD]

I always get a kick out of parents who "think" their DD should be playing a different position, but when asked if they have been practicing with their DD at home to learn the position, I always get a blank stare......teams have a limited amount of practice time and most coaches try to make the most of it. If every player on a 12 man roster takes a 30 minute batting lesson that equates to 6 hours of practice time! The same holds true for learning and mastering defensive skills.

 

[Stand an]

Take your position and own it. Every position is vital. While you are considering where you would rather play there is a kid on the bench begging just to play.

My dd was put in right field years ago. She used to make the same complaints. I told her the same thing as i wrote above. She would still like to try different positions but understands her role and accepts/owns it. That's her spot and until the coach says otherwise she will throw down with anyone trying to take it, but also enjoys helping out other girls learning that position. This year she made 1st team all conference for outfield and she is pretty darn happy about it.

If your dd wants to play another position then she probably needs to do so on another team or another season.

 

[chinamigarden]

Those people need to work on fielding during the off season 11 years old is certainly not too old to learn new positions. All Star season is not the time to convert your best outfielder into your worst short stop. The parent should be working with her. When she moves up to 12 u the ball gets bigger. So for the most part for that first year it isn't moving all that much faster then the balls hit in 10u.

BTW outfield is not a punishment. Mistakes in the outfield cost runs. Mistakes in the infield cost bases.

 

[coachjwb]

As smddad says, there are 3 outfielders on every team ... every elite travel team, every high school team and every college team. These coaches LOVE players who can truly play the OF, because they're often trying to fill OF positions with players who played infield all their lives. My DD was a pitcher and not really an infielder-type, but we worked all of the time when she was young on the OF. After every time she practiced pitching to me, I would throw or hit her line drives and pop ups after, and when she played on travel teams, her coaches would have her play OF when she wasn't pitching. When she got to college, even though she had just average speed, she played in every single game her last 3 years because the coach trusted her in the outfield when she wasn't pitching.

With that being said, if you believe your DD has the ability and desire to play infield, as others have said, keep working with her on that. If she truly has the ability to be a good infielder, some coach is going to figure that out and give her an opportunity. But in the meantime, she should relish the opportunity to learn and play a position that is always sorely needed at the upper levels. And if she eventually gets an opportunity to play infield for a team, keep working with her on her outfield play when you get a chance. The more positions she is comfortable with and good at, the more valuable she is going to be to her teams down the road.

Oh, by the way, keep working on the hitting too, because coaches will always find a place in the field to put good hitters.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

I wonder what all these parents that think outfield is punishment would say if they were given the choice of "outfield or bench"?

 

[InsidePitch]

At 10U the OF might seem like a punishment but by 14U there are kids that wish they could get time out there. Everyone likes the idea of their kid being a P or SS but the truely memorable plays are made by great athletes in the OF. Think of all the web gems you've seen and most are an OF robbing someone of a hit. Pulling the P's arse out of the fire by ending the inning and leaving runners stranded.

Do I think it's fair that a kid has been pigeon holed at 10? Nope, but then unless you are doing something to change it, life won't be fair.