You be the coach

[rowdy]

Take your best infielder, usually the SS and convert her to catcher. You are learning softball 101 from the stands and that rule is no matter how good your pitcher is they can't win on their own. In the same situation in 8U we had a great pitcher and my daughter was the SS, we had the same problem, strike out nine and all nine ended up on first base on a dropped third strike. We moved my daughter behind the plate and started to win.

I did coach an all star team to nationals one year also and I am sure I looked like an idiot at times to the parents. The all star rules are different than travel ball rules for playing time and usually you have too many players to boot. We played several tune up tournaments like you are describing and struggled until we found the right rotation. In the end we lost two games all summer (once we started playing teams at out talent level) until we reached the national finals where we got beat five out of six games. Be patient it will all work out if the coach is as talented as you say he or she is.

 

[Momo'sDad]

The RF I referenced earlier has 2nd-best arm on the team. She played some C during rec season, but her primary position was 3B. I can't say anything about her blocking skills or speed in retrieving passed balls, though, because those things are never emphasized during the rec reason. We don't have dropped 3rd strike, a player can only steal one base per pitch, and stealing home is not allowed. I'd love to see home plate opened up as well as allowing runners to go on dropped 3rd.

We've got enough girls who want to be pitchers and more than enough parents who want their DD's to be pitchers, but we need to start encouraging people to give catching a try.

I know we're just getting into the summer tournaments, but the jockeying for fall and spring has already begun. The sad part for DD's mom and me is that so many of these players and coaches will be moving up to 12u after summer. I don't know what kind of time he has available to do so, but I'd love for HC to run a couple of coaches' clinics during the next off-season. Having observed this league for several years now, he's the best there is around here. If I can ever become half as smart as he is about this game, we'll be in good shape.

 

[shockcoach]

This has nothing to do with the right fielder. When the ball is not being put in play at 10U, and runners are getting on base due to walks and dropped third strikes, kids in the OF (and infield!) lose focus. Even happens at 12U.

If you want to set an example regarding hustle, take out the catcher mid-inning, and let the entire team know that dropping the third strike or making a bad throw to first are not an option either. Catcher is the hardest position on the field, and requires the most focus. Dropping third strikes are a real morale killer for every team I've ever coached. Paying this much attention to why the right fielder was not taken out of the game immediately is silliness and places the "blame" on the wrong players. A RF in 10U A-S is almost never going to win or lose a game for you.

CHA CHING! Why weren't the parents calling for the catcher to come out? She made two errors on one play! Let's start at the source of the problem, it wasn't the right fielder.

 

[Momo'sDad]

CHA CHING! Why weren't the parents calling for the catcher to come out? She made two errors on one play! Let's start at the source of the problem, it wasn't the right fielder.

I already addressed this, but there's a big difference between committing an error and not giving a full effort.

Also, since there are no 10u catchers in our league,there are none on the All-Star team. I'm not entirely sold on the 2 they're trying to develop, but 1 has a great arm and the other has terrific speed on the bases. There's still time to try another couple of players before the main tournament next month and I just got the Coach Weaver DVD to loan out to whomever would like it.

 

[FPMark]

I already addressed this, but there's a big difference between committing an error and not giving a full effort.

I agree with this and would have taken her (the RF) out of the game. I don't agree with taking her out in the middle of an inning however, unless you want her to be useless the rest of the season. Errors can be expected when girls are playing positions they're not use to playing. But not giving 100% effort should not be tollerated anywhere on the field, unless you want it to spread like cancer.

 

[shockcoach]

You want to pull one 10U kid over another. One made two errors, the other made a mental error. Either way, 10U is developmental. 10U rec is developmental and FUN! They need to be coached. If you really want to place blame, it's on the coaching.

Neither kid did anything here to be pulled, in my opinion. If this were 14U ball or above, then there is a problem. You don't make superstars overnight.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Players and parents hate losing to teams that play a more competitive brand of ball at 10u and then question why we aren't as competitive or aggressive.

Rec All-Star season may be 'just rec' in many places, but it's a different animal here.

 

[BB875]

Sorry, but to me 10U is a learning first age. Especially rec league. You said there are no 10U catchers? How can that be? Pick a kid with a good arm and teach them to catch. The fundamentals are not difficult to teach. Plus, check that kids glove. If she's dropping everything, maybe she is not using a glove designed for catching. We started with a 1st baseman's glove which is common.

One difference between a 10U TB team and a 10U rec all star is practice and commitment.

 

[FPMark]

Sorry, but to me 10U is a learning first age. Especially rec league. You said there are no 10U catchers? How can that be? Pick a kid with a good arm and teach them to catch. The fundamentals are not difficult to teach. Plus, check that kids glove. If she's dropping everything, maybe she is not using a glove designed for catching. We started with a 1st baseman's glove which is common.

One difference between a 10U TB team and a 10U rec all star is practice and commitment.

First step to learning is paying attention. Just because they're 10 is no excuse for them to lose focus. If you want to teach them that the position they are playing is not important, then let them pick daisies and chase butterflies in RF, otherwise, pulling them from the game is teaching them to pay attention.

He said this was all stars. This is a chance to take the best rec ball players and teach them how to play at a higher level. If they are not serious about playing, give another player a chance.

Making errors while doing your best is one thing, having a ball roll past you while you are looking for a four leaf clover is another.

 

[softballphreak]

We used to run a clinic that ran from the first weekend in Nov. thru the first weekend in Feb. Every kid enrolled in the clinic had to go through the pitching station and the catching station for the first three weekends. After that they didn't have to go through those stations if they didn't want to. Several kids ended up being catchers and a couple ended up wanting to be pitchers.

Some kids won't try those two particular positions because of doubt or whatever reason. Requiring them to try those positions at least gives them the opportunity without fear of not making the cut. Same could be said for other positions I'm sure.