The importance of roles on your team

[CoogansBluff]

Got a girl on my team who asked me this week where she's going to play in the field and bat in the lineup this season. Her father had told me that she'd lost sleep over it. This is a hard-working girl who is a team player, and I'm proud that she was assertive enough to ask me. This is not a case of a selfish player who will complain if she doesn't get what she wants. However, she might be down about it, as she's very hard on herself.

Compounding this is the fact that our team is stronger than a year ago, when she played SS and batted leadoff. Also played a little catcher and wants to do more of that because our top catcher aged up. But this season, the team is better, especially in the areas where she excells. So she might play 2B or CF, and bat maybe 7th or 8th in the order. Thing is, she's our 2nd-best overall defensive player in terms of versatility. She can play anywhere. In fact, that might be her role - the utility player. But she might not be #1 at any the positions she most wants.

Questions - How important are roles in the first place? Some players seem very motivated when they have a specific role or position on the team that they take pride in, whether it's their position in the field, their spot in the order, something that they do really well (ie, run bases). I've always believed roles are huge. I think it's very hard for a player to thrive when she hits last and plays the position she least wants.

How do you manage that on a team? How do you sell a role that might not be the one the player wants?

 

[starsnuffer]

There are pros and cons with putting a player into a "utility" role at young ages. I'm not sure what age group your team is this year, so it's hard to say.

You have to keep in mind what these kids practice on their own time, in their private lessons, or if they practice at all. If she's out working on ground balls and taking fielding instruction, then she's going to get pissy if you put her in the outfield, and her parents will get pissy because they're spending all the money on helping her become a better infielder. If she's spending all the time working on hitting, utility might be a good role for her as hitting becomes her point of focus.

Kids need a goal, and that is as important as a role. I suggest asking her what positions she would like to play and where in the order she would like to hit, and then put together a plan for her to accomplish those goals. She may not ever achieve them, but if you have a plan in place it gives her something to put her energy into, and a clear view of why she is or is not succeeding in meeting that goal.

-W

 

[Momo'sDad]

I don't favor excessive specialization at 12u, but as I always say, I don't expect every youth coach to share my philosophy. I want 10u/12u players to get the opportunity to learn multiple positions and I have seen that this is possible, even on the most competitive teams in these age divisions.

Ultimately, it is the job of a player to be prepared to help her team wherever necessary when she is called upon to do so and as her coach, it's your job to help get her ready. As coaches of a team sport, I think it's important that we always stress the value of the seemingly little things that players do during the course of a game to help the team's chances of enjoying success, e.g. forcing a rundown instead of just giving oneself up, and allowing the run to cross the plate before the 3rd out.

As to her other question, I wouldn't make any promises about the lineup in March.

 

[02Crush]

Make utility a position to be coveted. It is a compliment that a player at her age could fill in 2 innings at a time to rest everyone else b/c she knows and is talented enough to do so at her age. I have just added one and she is making our entire team better by merely watching her work ethic. She is not the most talented when only viewed through then lens of one position at a time...but she darn sure is near the top when you consider how much she knows and can do.

As far as the batting order...I would tell her this could change as the team needs change.

 

[Bucketrider]

Remind her also how this will help in the long run if she wants to play HS or college. She may love playing SS, but if her favorite college is in need of a CF, she will be better prepared and stand a better chance. As far as the hitting order, I personally love to have someone in the lower order who can make contact and get on base. Helps is so many ways during a rally inning.

 

[quincy]

She might not like it when you initial explain it to her but being a utility player is a great thing. Not for everyone but some players embrace it, maybe she will once she sees what it entails and how important it is. Emphasis how being in this role will help her in the long run and that she is being put in this role not because she isn’t good enough to have a specific position but because she is good at a lot of positions.

Batting order needs to sort itself out, I would assume players can move up and down in the lineup based on their performance. If you have already made the decision that she will bat in the bottom of the lineup, tell her. It’s just a starting point. If she starts mopping about this I am not sure I want her on the Team.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Thanks for all the good feedback! ... Keep 'em coming.

We are a 12U team, btw. ... The player in question is actually pretty talented in that I really could put her anywhere and be fine. We just haven't figured out the best role yet. Also, we practice outfield quite a bit. They love practicing it. They don't necessarily love playing it in the game

The good news is that I've got a lot of fielders who can play both infield and outfield well, and our team is much more balanced from top fielder to the worst now. So that's what is causing some of the indecision. It's not very clear cut yet, and we haven't played a tournament this year, so these next 2-3 Saturdays (tournaments) will help clear the picture.

 

[CoogansBluff]

If she starts moping about this I am not sure I want her on the Team.

She won't mope from a sense of entitlement. She's a team player. But she might be too hard on herself. But that's why they play this great game, to learn how to handle that sort of thing.

The thing about our lineup is that there's a fine line between batting leadoff and batting 7th. We're pretty solid 2-5 in the lineup, but we've got 3-4 good contact/good baserunner types that bat lower and I am hoping one can raise her hitting (specifically on-base percentage) to become the leadoff hitter.

 

[Dovetonsils]

It is a compliment that a player at her age could fill in 2 innings at a time to rest everyone else b/c she knows and is talented enough to do so at her age. I have just added one and she is making our entire team better by merely watching her work ethic.

 

[doublesteal]

I think if the role is properly explained than the player will understand. Also give her the skills and tools she needs to work harder on and give her the opportunity to show these skills off later in the season.

We are a 2nd year 14u team. One of my players had been the leadoff her entire softball career. She is byfar the fastest on the team and at the younger age an dinky infield hit can be beat by her speed. This year she was having trouble beating out the infield plays. We have another girl who was not as fast but has a nack for hitting balls in the holes, so we put her as our leadoff. Our old leadoff came to me after our first fall tournament upset becuase she didn't understand why she wasn't the leadoff anymore when she was the fastest on the team. I had a lengthy discussion about on base percentage, and how sometimes speed at the bottom of a line up is an important thing to have. The following weekend we played in another tournament and this girl did phenomial at the plate. After the games she approached me and asked about her batting stats, I told her and expected the question of if she could be leadoff instead she told how much she liked batting last and turing over the line up, she gets to see the pitcher throw before she gets up there. I have to put her at the leadoff spot our next tourney due to a conflict with the other player and she is now a little upset to be in the leadoff position.