This is KILLING ME!!!

[stephanie]

We have a short summer season here, for three weeks. I have 8 girls from my Spring team, and 6 girls that have never played with us before...
My philosophy is to use this time to let the girls play every position on the field (except pitcher, unless they show me they know how) and catcher IF they tell me they want to try it.

So we had two games tonight, 8 innings total (10U)...The girls all got to play 6 different positions and all sat out 2 innings.

We lost both games.
NOW....I LOVE that they are getting to experience all areas of softball. And I LOVE that they seem to really like the opportunity. But we lost both games. And it's killing me....
This is gonna be a really long three weeks if we can't manage to win one or two of the games, because I REALLY like to coach to win...
There is this part of me that wants to yell..."No, I lied....I only want you, you, you, and you in the the infield!"
It's just hard to not play the best girls at their best positions, even though I know I'm doing whats best for ALL of them in the end...
just needed to vent...

 

[SoCalDad]

I don't know if you have two games every night but when I have two games in one day during rec season I play one game with the girls in positions that give my team the best opportunity to win. The other game I move girls around to get them playing time in other positions. Give it a try on the next double header and you will feel better when the girls walk off the field as the winning team.

 

[sluggers]

Good idea...

 

[Coach Al]

I like putting players in positions where they will succeed, if possible. I want them to know 3 positions. Everyone wants to pitch, some want to catch, but not everyone can. If a player is a lefthander, they are either going to pitch, play first, outfield and possibly catch; that's the way of the world. If a girl can't catch, I am not having her play first.

 

[stephanie]

the problem here, in that it's a unique season, is that it is just designed to keep the girls playing during the summer, between Fall and Spring. We aren't even being asked to have practices...just run the games....And come Fall, those girls on other teams will all go back to their teams...We had twenty 10U teams in the Spring, and we have 6 summer teams...
I don't have the time to coach them all the way I have coached MY team....so if I was to put the ones that I know should play the position, well...I would be playing ALL my players, because I KNOW what they play and how well they play it....
But that's not what the league was started for....
But I HATE not going for the jugular....it's not really me.....

 

[SoftSocDad]

I like the 50-50 idea as well, but what I really like is not taking the summer rec season so seriously, especially when the league's intent is simply to keep the rust off.

As to your comment about doing what is 'best for all', I absolutely do not agree with that philosophy, as there are just too many variables involved. Some girls want everyone to play all/several of the positions, while other girls want you to put them in the best position to win NOW. Out of both groups, some girls will like your decision and some girls won't, and from there, your choice could be a factor in some potential stars' decision to stick with the game or to quit.

I think it's a bit of a trap...the 'feeling' is that rotating the girls all the time is the only fair way to manage 6u, 8u, and 10u teams, but there's rarely an acknowledgment of the downsides to handling things that way.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I would think, if the intent is to just keep the rust off, then, no score would be kept.

 

[amanda_cake]

Agree with Amy. Do they order uniforms for this? If it is nothing more than a group of girls getting together and playing a couple of "games" a week, then why need uniforms?

The league does need to reconsider the message that it is sending to the participants who are playing softball for the first time ever this summer. If they have girls that aren't really committed and some teams don't even practice, then what sort of message are those girls getting about softball and how things will be run if they chose to come and play in the fall?

 

[CoachKevin]

Ours is a little different. We end at the end of July, then get ready for Fall Ball. We get girls during the Fall that have never played before. Our Organization considers Fall a development season. While some teams are out to win at all costs, we attempt to develop players and sometimes you find that diamond in the rough that tops it all off.

Stephanie, just try to consider it a development time. A time to see if you can teach these girls the basics of the game. If you approach it in this manner, then loosing games isn't that big of a deal.

 

[stephanie]

to answer your question, no...the organization doesn't order uniforms.

I tend to question why they are posting scores. Especially since we were directed to keep it as fun as possible for the girls, rather than focusing on winning...