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crzdirector
48 Posts |
 Posted - 09/18/2012 : 22:16:06
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| A friend and I were discussing managing rosters. Our kids are playing 11u and 10u respectively. I've been on teams with 10 the last few years and it has worked well and been easy to manage. His team has had 11 on their roster (batted 10 and used one kid as the courtesy runner and rotated that spot). So at the 12u and under levels, how many have you carried and how have you managed Pool play and then the Bracket? |
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Jack-of-Diamonds
152 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2012 : 18:54:19
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Personally, I favor a bigger roster, but you have to have a coach who knows how to manage the numbers and use everybody effectively over the course of a tournament, if not over the course of an individual game. Even at 10u & 11U I wouldn't hesitate to run with 13 or 14 players.
I suppose in those age groups you're relatively okay with 11 players, but there are advantages to more players:
1) Enough players to take up slack for injuries and missing players
2) Enough pitchers to go deep in a tourney
3) Fresh legs for multi-game days in 95+ degree summer heat
4) Incentive to play hard knowing that spot can go to someone else
5) Platooning players in positions they are actually suited to, instead of putting a player in a position they're not familiar with just because someone has to!
Frankly, parents can be the biggest obstacle to fielding a team with a larger roster. They go into a panic when their son doesn't make the line-up for one game. Gotta' relax and take it as it comes.
What I don't approve of is having families make the drive and then sitting the player the entire day. Not good management that. There are reasons to have plenty of players on the roster, but like I said, the coach has to know how to use them all. |
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rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2012 : 20:09:37
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| Jack: 2 thumbs up to you. |
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offspeed4
169 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2012 : 18:27:06
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IMHO I can't think of anyone I know that would want to play on any 9U-12U team that had more than 12 players. Have twelve or less and never bat more than 10 while rotating the kids who sit as even as possible, making sure your top hitters only sub out during pool play. It will do ALL the players some good to experience sitting some on the bench.
When the kids get to 13-14 and up, then I would suggest having 13+ players. |
Edited by - offspeed4 on 09/26/2012 20:14:04 |
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Managing Rosters
