What do I do with my returning player?

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Feb 5, 2009
27
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The time is coming that I will have to re-introduce a player that made the high school team, back into the line-up. She was my starting SS at the time she made the high school team and only played in 2 tournaments with my team.

In the last month we have moved a few of the girls around, picked up a new player, and the girls are getting comfortable in their new positions. The player we moved to the SS position is really starting to shine. Great hands, average speed, and is a very "heads up" type of player.

My high schooler will have missed 4 tournaments by the time she returns. I do not want to ruin any team chemistry I have going into our remaining 5-6 tournaments when she does return. She is a delightful young lady, very athletic, and is one of my speedsters.

How would you go about introducing her back into the line-up, without destroying any chemistry you may have now? All of the girls on the team like her very much.

I am not sure where to put her when she does return. What I don`t want to do is, take anything away from another player that has been working hard at her postion and has been with me all along.

What would you do, or what have you done?
 
Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
The expectations should be you earn your position. If the HS girl comes back and is the better SS then play her. You shouldn't penalize a player because she wanted to play HS, not to mention she HAS played for you in the past.

Have you even talked to the HS coach? He/She may be willing to let the player work out with you.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
The expectations should be you earn your position. If the HS girl comes back and is the better SS then play her. You shouldn't penalize a player because she wanted to play HS, not to mention she HAS played for you in the past.

True, but why penalize the player who has stepped up and covered the position during the HS player's absence? Is she disposible? Maybe she choose not to play HS to dedicate herself to this team.

While a girl should not be penalized for opting to play HS ball, neither should the girl who did not and seems to be a fine player who helped the team.

Tough decision. I know you don't need this, but how often will this happen? Are you in a situation where a precedent may be set and possibly cause problems in the future?
 
Feb 8, 2009
272
18
You're over thinking this. Let the HS girl come back and play at ss and other positions also. I don't see a chemistry issue. If both are good at short, let them share time there.
 
I agree with alexander58. You need to let the girl that played high school play but also let the other girl play. They can both either switch off at SS or if they can play different positions then let one play SS while the other girl plays a different position and vise versa. If all the girls get along then the chemistry shouldn't be ruined. But be careful of not playing the girl that was there from the beggining because she also has earned that position and is obviously good at it. Hopefully I helped you out a bit. Good Luck!!! :)
 
Jan 15, 2009
585
0
I feel for you guys. There is no club travel ball activity in our area during the HS season. We're lucky enough that TB respects HS boundaries and doesn't put kids in the position of having to wonder if they will lose their spot on the TB team in they decide to play HS ball. Even the few teams that compete 18U ASA Gold let their players play HS ball without making demands on them during the HS season. They might provide work out times in addition to the HS practice but they aren't mandatory just supplemental.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
I think a lot of the state high school governing bodies have strict rules about practicing with non-school teams in that sport when the school season is in session. Illinois does for sure.
 
Jan 15, 2009
585
0
I think a lot of the state high school governing bodies have strict rules about practicing with non-school teams in that sport when the school season is in session. Illinois does for sure.

I think that's great but the reality is that unless their is some cooperation from the TB side there would be coaches forcing kids to choose between TB and HS ball. High School rules don't mean anything if your willing to forgo HS ball to keep your spot on an elite TB team.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
I think that's great but the reality is that unless their is some cooperation from the TB side there would be coaches forcing kids to choose between TB and HS ball. High School rules don't mean anything if your willing to forgo HS ball to keep your spot on an elite TB team.

That's true. But travel players foregoing playing HS ball may be inevitable. It's already happening in other sports. Not so much because the clubs require it, but because the players are choosing it.
 
May 5, 2008
358
16
In Hawaii we're finally in a situation where kids may start having to make that choice between high school and ASA. I hope not, but with our high school season changing over to spring like the rest of the softball world, it's moving in that direction. So far, it's not too bad. I hope it can stay that way because our high school competition is awesome. I coach players who "feel more pressure" playing for their high school team than they do their "A" ASA team.

The situation you're in is tough because no matter what decision you make, you will have people who question it.

We've had situations where players were out due to grades. Some were at the point where we told them to forget practice and take care of school work. There's no sense in them being at the field every afternoon if their classwork is suffering that badly. They can't play anyway.

One year, a player came back on the final grade check of the year. She was a senior. She started her Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year. She had had some family issues end of junior year - senior year that really affected her in the classroom.

Anyway - she got her act together and made grades. She started coming back out to practice. Very quickly she got back in the lineup. Yes, there were players who thought it was unfair. Yes, there were parents who thought it was unfair.

Why was she playing when others had been out there the whole season and she had only been out there a couple of weeks? The answer was simple - when she came back to practice, she came back hard. She never missed a day and she worked her butt off. On top of that she was getting the job done when given opportunities.

So....for those that had been out practicing for MONTHS - it was a reality check. If they were out there that long and were not outperforming this player who had only been out for 2 weeks, it wasn't going to do them any good to grumble about the other player. It was time to take a good, long, hard look at themselves and their own performance and effort and use that player as motivation to push a little harder.

Everyone has to climb up that ladder to earn that starting position. Some choose to climb a heck of a lot faster than others.

So, I lean toward the answer Coach Kevin gave - IF this player comes back and putting her in the lineup makes the TEAM STRONGER, then you put her in the lineup.

The team chemistry thing is not something you'll really know the effect of until you put her in. Any chance you can start off with just having her hit?

Also, sounds like you are playing in tournaments? If so, consider what alexander58 said - can they share time? After a few games, you'll probably easily be able to tell what works best.

BTW - not a terrible problem to have, that...having too many good SS. :D
 

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