My DD is an 03 and a right fielder. She is limited because she is left handed, doesn't pitch, and is a short 1st baseman. She wasn't happy when she first moved but now she loves it. She takes pride in nailing a girl at first or cutting down a girls trying to tag up. Good athletes who know how to play outfield correctly have an advantage down the road. A co worker has a DD committed to a WCWS team. He was told by the HC he would take a great defensive outfielder when he could find them and hit for them if needed.
Stuck in the Outfield!
- Thread starter Bchbum54
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- Sep 3, 2009
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The issue with the OF is that in 10u it's boring. In 12u it sees limited action. By 14u they get to make some plays, and see the necessity of it. By 16u, if you can't dive for a fly ball, you won't cut it. The whole rec ball stigma of "the worst/slowest player goes in the OF" sticks in their heads. It gets better, and an inning ending diving catch is something to behold.
I have to laugh!....Playing in upper level 18u Travel ball for the past 3 years and HS ball for the last 4, it absolutely amazes me how few girls can actually play the outfield. From what i have seen...GOOD outfielders are few and far between. It simply amazes me how you can take a supposed stud all everything infielder and put her in the outfield and she is CLUELESS!! cant judge fly balls! doesnt know where to throw to....and on and on and on.
Team after team my DD has been on struggles to find quality girls who know how to and can excel at playing the outfield. My own DD
after many years of playing P/SS/2B excels in CF after getting put there her freshman year because she could actually track and catch fly balls. After 4 years she has become an excellent outfielder. Coaches and the team are excited for her to play CF and the other outfield positions.
So my point is....its not bad to play the outfield...The team actually needs good outfielders and she is Playing! Not getting splinters. So have
her Get GOOD at if she is going to play it. In the long run...its a great thing!
Team after team my DD has been on struggles to find quality girls who know how to and can excel at playing the outfield. My own DD
after many years of playing P/SS/2B excels in CF after getting put there her freshman year because she could actually track and catch fly balls. After 4 years she has become an excellent outfielder. Coaches and the team are excited for her to play CF and the other outfield positions.
So my point is....its not bad to play the outfield...The team actually needs good outfielders and she is Playing! Not getting splinters. So have
her Get GOOD at if she is going to play it. In the long run...its a great thing!
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My DD is playing a lot of Of this year (12 year old) playing 14U A LH (non slapper, LH throw). She is fairly good at getting a jump on the ball and catches everything she gets to, works hard at backing up,etc. The problem is that while she isn't really slow she is at best average speed. She is a pretty good hitter around 450 ob over 550 with a good eye and starting to hit some XBH, but mostly now just a line drive singles hitter. She is a very good 1B, but not tall and not the ideal slow power hitting 1B many teams seem to have. If I'm a coach I want her bat in the lineup, with with limited speed I'm wondering if she will eventually not have any place to play.
If she's 12, then I wouldn't rule out that she becomes a power hitter down the line. I've seen 12-year-olds hit only an occasional extra-base hit at 12 start hitting the ball over the fence at age 14. But if she maintains her current progression - hitting .450 vs. girls 2 years older - I'd be confident she'll always have a place in the field.
- Jan 22, 2011
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In our 8u tournament last weekend we awarded our team MVP to our left fielder. She made two great running catches and just missed keeping a 3rd in her glove. Even in 8u, games are lost by sloppy outfield play.
I think it's been touched on here and there but never fully explained to completion in any of the posts I have read so far IMO. There is one common denominator when it comes to outfield. You must have speed and a great glove. At 8u/10u, it's about backing up the infielders for the most part. At 12u, they are fielding hard hit ground balls and line drives...maybe the occasional short fly ball and backing up infielders. At 14u, they are now seeing even more line drives and fly balls, some of which can reach or go over the fence and still backing up infielders, covering bases as well as backing each other up. Yes, they should have been doing all of these the entire time but it seems as if they truly "don't get it" until they reach this age except for a special few (at the rec ball level). At 16u, they are doing all of the above plus starting to lay out for the hard to catch balls or doing the "butt slide" to catch it. At 18u, the outfielders are seeing almost as much action as the infielders.
At the older ages, 14u and above, poor outfielding will lose as many games as poor infielding if not more. As the age increases, so does the importance of the outfield position. There is no shame in playing outfield. It is a position that's as important as infield and has it's own skillset which must be practiced just as hard as any other. Although I don't agree with pigeon-holing a girl that young, good, if not great outfielders are extremely hard to come by and should be cherished as much as any other position on the field, especially if they can hit well. If you could impart the importance of this position to her parents, they might ease off a bit and see where this leads her.
At the older ages, 14u and above, poor outfielding will lose as many games as poor infielding if not more. As the age increases, so does the importance of the outfield position. There is no shame in playing outfield. It is a position that's as important as infield and has it's own skillset which must be practiced just as hard as any other. Although I don't agree with pigeon-holing a girl that young, good, if not great outfielders are extremely hard to come by and should be cherished as much as any other position on the field, especially if they can hit well. If you could impart the importance of this position to her parents, they might ease off a bit and see where this leads her.
- Apr 1, 2010
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Catcher? The position doesn't require a lot of speed or height and it's ok to be a lefty.
Its funny how so many people fell like the outfield is a negative. Its a valuable position on the field. One that is needed and requires a strong armed speedy kid to save the game on a well hit ball. How about you just be proud of your kid and quit wishing she was a ss. The last time I checked, ss's are a dime a dozen, but amazing center fielders are the ones getting the scholarships. (Along with p's and c's)
- Nov 15, 2013
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I'm not sure what you're complaining about. DD's 10U team has three very solid outfielders who have often been the difference between winning and losing games. I'm constantly amazed at the plays they make. Not single one of them is ashamed to be an outfielder. That girl shouldn't be either.
This year we've had our right fielder catch a deep fly ball and then gun down a girl at the plate who tagged up at third on the play.
Last tournament, our center fielder started a triple play with a diving catch. Runners on second and third took off after the batter smoked a ball over CF's head. She made the catch, and started the 8-6-5 triple play.
This year we've had our right fielder catch a deep fly ball and then gun down a girl at the plate who tagged up at third on the play.
Last tournament, our center fielder started a triple play with a diving catch. Runners on second and third took off after the batter smoked a ball over CF's head. She made the catch, and started the 8-6-5 triple play.
