| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Reggie |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 08:47:27
Trying to say at what age can someone say you shoudl be a outfielder or Ss or fist base catcher? |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| I Love Baseball |
Posted - 05/02/2009 : 00:03:09
quote:
Originally posted by BaseballMomof2
My question to you is, is it right that I am having to go outside the team and pay for help, when I am already paying for the kid to be on a travel team with 4 coaches, in order to solve my kids hitting slump? Am I being unrealistic in thinking that the coaching staff should work with him? After all, they call us and asked for him to be on their team. Your humble opinions would be appreciated.
Are your coaches paid to coach? If so, then I would expect some one-on-one hitting instruction. If they're volunteer dads giving all they have to the boys then you've already found your answer! Until you have managed the budget for a travel team, you may ask "where is all my money going?" Between fields, umpires, uniforms, tournaments, etc most teams spend $6-8K per season. It's very easy to expect the coaches to work wonders when you're "paying to play on a travel team" but you're not paying them to be professional instructors. |
| BaseballMomof2 |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 22:45:10
quote:
Originally posted by thirtyfour
Discuss with coach I agree with you goyard...
Tried that (and in a non-combative way I might add). Coach took offense that we questioned him. Might have made it worse.
The pro instructor saw the problem right away. Now we just have to hope he'll get a chance to try what he learned out on the field.
Thanks for the advice given both online and through email. |
| thirtyfour |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 16:22:35
Discuss with coach I agree with you goyard... |
| biged |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 15:13:52
Most coaches, travel or otherwise simply don't have the training/experience of a professional batting instructor. In my opinion, a problem I see w/ kids who have power is that they often try so hard to hit the ball out that they lose mechanics. You may find this the first thing your batting instructor corrects. |
| BaseballMomof2 |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 14:46:00
I have a question that maybe you all can help me with. My sons team has 2 managers (co-managers) and 2 coaches. Last year my son was a HR hitter on his travel team. This year, he is struggling at the plate. Because if it, he has been benched. Less at bats, less chance to improve. With 4 coaches, we hoped that one of them would take it upon himself to work with the kid and try to fix whatever the problem is. That hasn't happened. We are now paying for a professional instructor to help him.
My question to you is, is it right that I am having to go outside the team and pay for help, when I am already paying for the kid to be on a travel team with 4 coaches, in order to solve my kids hitting slump? Am I being unrealistic in thinking that the coaching staff should work with him? After all, they call us and asked for him to be on their team. Your humble opinions would be appreciated. |
| biged |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 12:34:01
Agree with learning as many positions are possible. However, sometimes players are forced to identify one or two specific positions. Train for ss. If a better kid comes along it is easier to make the move to 2nd or 3rd. If you prefer outfield, then center field, cause it is easier to move to right or left in the event a stud comes along. For example if you piegon hole your self to lets say 3rd base. Then what you are essentially saying is that you don't have the quicks to play ss. Or if you say I'm a second baseman, then you are saying I don't have the arm to be ss or 3rd. See where I am getting at? |
| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 09:45:28
Amen Bandit |
| gabandit |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 09:01:30
I was fortunate enough last summer to be asked to coach with Team USA in Jupiter, FL during their final tryouts. Each team had a roster of roughly 20 kids that we had to get into each game. When we asked the kids what their position was we told them the right answer was "wherever you need me coach!"
Every player on every one of my teams, 2 seasons a year for the last 6 years is required to learn how to play the outfield... |
| Shut Out |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 08:23:05
Always and I say always train for as many positions as possible. You want to give your current coach and the next coach you will play for as many options for you as possible. If you train for only 1 position plan on your 1 position being the bench until you are the oldest and most senior player on team. |
| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 21:30:20
Mstimp, who is your friend the scout hmmmmmmmmmm?????? Now all the hawks are going to try to be your best friend. |
| mstimpson |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 22:26:17
Hey Reggie and all,
I played D-1 college baseball, played with several guys in the show, and have a best friend that is a scout for the Red Sox. Everyone with whom I have been associated overwhelmingly states that versatility goes a long way in increasing one's chances in making it to the next level. As someone noted earlier, a lot of people do not play their "1st position" in the show or in college. As with anything in life, the more you have to offer, the more valuable you are. Take note of the second coming of Rick Ankiel for the Cardinals, originally a pitcher and now an above average outfielder. I did everything in college from middle relief, middle infield, 1st base and centerfield. All do to the fact that I had coaches throughout my career that sought to develop well rounded players and introduce us to the game of baseball.
|
| a1prog |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 22:10:04
at younger ages a good coach should have kids prepped to play an infield and an outfield position in addition to possibly pitching. this is not so much to see what their natural position is as much as it is about learning the game from a variety of vantage points.
by age 14 when you play 60/90 most kids will settle in to one spot. what i found is that there are some kids who (in addition to pitching) can play both i/f and o/f. but most kids have a skill set suited to one spots. the athlete who can play ss/2b/of at a high level is not the norm. i found this to be especially true of kids who play 3b. that is a tough position. my shortstops hated 3b, did not want to play it and did not perform well there. but my 3b guys were solid- they just werent the athletes that my ss guys were. and quite frankly- some kids dont do so good on fly balls while other excel at it. different skill sets will emerge based on what the kids have been taught and what they have a natural knack for.
its up to the coach to nurture and develop. |
| Titan1 |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 18:27:42
I don't let lefties play second,shortstop,or third, I do however allow them to catch. I just never thought it was fair to the kid to put him in a position where one day he will have to go to another position anyway. Also, never thought it was fair to the kid who would be playing behind them to lose rep's to a kid who would have to move position in a couple of years anyway. My youth coach did this to our team when I was young. |
| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 15:54:37
Hey Reg, great topic. I played with Mike Piazza and Mike Mussina growing up, Mussina was a SS and Piazza a 1st baseman. You never know how its going to turn out. The more positions you can play the better in my opinion. Look at your team, how many kids on that team can play all 9 positions well. and one thing I try to tell my kid, if you can hit, it doesnt matter where you play. The coach will find you a spot. |
| bballman |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 14:56:48
I don't know if a player or parent should ever decide that they are going to specialize in a position. As others have stated, most times, you need to be able to fill a need that a team has. You cannot always dictate which team you play on and what their needs are. Especially when you get to organized baseball, ie HS and beyond. Problem is that most of the time at younger ages, the best athlete is the shortstop. When you get to HS, you potentially wind up with a lot of shortstops. The benefit is that as a good athlete, you can most likely transition into another position that the team may have a need for.
I really think that before HS, a player should try to play as many positions as he can. I understand that as they get older, they will fill into the position that best suits them and the team at that time, but they should be prepared to change at any given time. Even in college, minor leagues and in the pros, you see guys changing positions based on the needs of the team. Look at Chipper Jones. He grew up a shortstop, played 3rd for many years, got moved to the outfield because the team needed him there before moving back to 3rd.
Try not to pigeon hole yourself into a one position player, it may wind up earning you some bench time as you move along depending on who is ahead of you in the pecking order. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 12:10:25
I am not sure that you "have" to decide at any point. I think there may always be situations where you are required to change to a different position. (i.e. making the HS team as a freshman and even though you are a SS, you have to play LF to get in the lineup, etc).
My advice to anyone is to work on as much versatility as you can. Now that does not mean you should not work on detailed stuff for the position you are currently playing. It just means if you are a C, you may spend 90% of your time working on that position, but the additional 10% on taking fly balls out in the outfield, or grounders at 1b/3b.
There probably comes a point where catchers have to decide how much they really want to pitch, because catching is really tiring on the body.
Kids get bored of working on the same position all the time anyway. Regardless if they are not going to get a lot of playing time at a position, it is still interesting for a player to do some work in other areas. |
| op-o |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 10:53:40
Reggie,
In my opinion the game begins to change @13U when the field gets bigger. You'll see that you can no longer "hide" a player in the OF. Some players will become pitchers only & you'll see players begin to emerge as better in one position or another. I do not beliieve however that any player should specialize in a specific position. If your HS team has a stud SS and that's your position you need to be prepared to play somewhere else OF, 2b or 3b or anywhere to get in the lineup. Our HS team has three players on varsity that can play SS. One is a Sr--SS another is Jr--2b and the third is Soph--3b. If you want to play @ the next level versitility is the key. |
| goyard |
Posted - 04/28/2009 : 09:38:43
Man that's a tough one in my eye's Reggie as different coaches may interpret skill sets of the athlete in different ways and place the athlete where they see him contributing the most. My son was most always utilized as a 3rd baseman and pitcher but now has gravitated to catcher which helped fill a need for his last years team. This is a great question though as both he and I now see him progressing as a catcher and by doing so, does he need to continue to fill a role as pitcher? I am a proponent of diversity but at some point, skills need to be focused and honed toward that position. We are 13U at present and have seen the roles start to become more defined at this age so I am guessing 12-13U may be a start to the funnel. But then there may be that HS coach or summer travel coach who needs to fill a particular spot and see's something different than you do in your athlete.
Discussing this with the coach ahead of time and knowing where you both stand is a great idea. If the two of you are harmonious in your interviewing stage then you are less at risk of your son playing a position he is not truly cut out for and one that he is confident and comfortable with. IMHO only |
