New catcher starting now for upcoming season, but not her favorite position.

[CoogansBluff]

It would weaken the team, but make my dd a much happier player.

As a coach, I would not give her more time at 1B to make her a much happier player unless I was willing to make this announcement to all the players and parents:

"I am not necessarily putting players at the positions that give us the best chance to win. Sometimes I will put players at positions that will make them much happier players, even if it weakens the team. Please tell me what positions will make you happy so that I can apply this philosophy across the board and not just to those who have made their requests known.''

Further, I do not think that a player who is willing to work to learn the hardest position on the field deserves special favors that other players don't get. They are all expected to work hard to get better. Should pitchers get to pick their positions when not pitching because they put in more hours? Should the ones taking hitting lessons bat higher? How do you decide who has worked the hardest and deserves more because of it?

I do believe the player is entitled to her feelings. I'm not judging that. If she comes to the coach and expresses how she feels, that's a good thing. If a player says she really doesn't like a certain position, that's good information to know as well.

But I don't think a player should ask a head coach to play a certain position unless the player believes it will help the team. To ask a travel team coach to play a position because it makes the player a happier person while knowing that it hurts the team overall is not appropriate, IMO.

 

[guero_gordo]

Further, I do not think that a player who is willing to work to learn the hardest position on the field deserves special favors that other players don't get. They are all expected to work hard to get better. Should pitchers get to pick their positions when not pitching because they put in more hours? Should the ones taking hitting lessons bat higher? How do you decide who has worked the hardest and deserves more because of it?

Player was asked to take on the extra work for the good of her team, she did not seek it out. If she does not enjoy that position, it will become a job. She's probably a little young to appreciate just how much fun doing a job all Summer can be. ;-)

 

[CoogansBluff]

If she does not enjoy that position, it will become a job.

OP says DD likes to catch. I didn't interpret that to be an issue. I don't sense that she will dread the extra work. Could be wrong.

Also (late edit), if she deserves a reward for her hard work, how about a reward that doesn't weaken the team on the field?

 

[guero_gordo]

OP says DD likes to catch. I didn't interpret that to be an issue. I don't sense that she will dread the extra work. Could be wrong.

Also (late edit), if she deserves a reward for her hard work, how about a reward that doesn't weaken the team on the field?

I made that more black and white than needed, true. By the same token, I didn't get the perception that she was a liability at first.

 

[Lothar241]

Sadly, the only other option I see is to find her a team who needs a 1b. If you're not willing to change teams, you may be stuck in the role you're playing now. Something to think about...most 1b are chosen not only due to skill but height. If shes not very tall, it may be in her best interest to consider choosing a new favorite position. We had to do this with our youngest DD. Shes never going to be tall enough to be a longterm 1b no matter how good she was there.

She is 13 and 5'9".

 

[Lothar241]

She had her 1st official lesson at catcher tonight. Her instructor is not sure her head is in it. She was worried that she would never play 1B or OF the entire season. I emphasized to her that she is the back-up catcher, so at a minimum she would be playing a lot in the OF (which she likes).

I emphasize, she is doing this for the good of the team. The options are very limited at this point due to our short roster. She is the second tallest player on the team at 5'9" (the other is 5'11"), so 1B is probably her natural position and she plays it well.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Who is she doing the catching lessons for? Her, you, the team? I think that you know that she doesn't want to do it. And she will get hurt, back there, if she is reluctant at all.

I am 5'9". I was generally the tallest player, but that has been some time ago. She should be very successful at 1st base, but of course, she needs penciled in. She can't get better at it in the OF.

 

[Cannonball]

I'm going to give some different advice so take it for what it is worth. I've posted all the positions that my dd played growing up. She never played 1st. She was recruited in college to be an OF. She now plays 1st. If your child is set on one position, she will be severly limited. IMO, at the college level and I understand I'm talking way down the road for you, 1st base tends to be one of those positions where players end up from other positions.

 

[Pdiddy]

They will usually only excel at the position they love. She needs to understand that she should play where the TEAM needs her. Besides most good infielders are a dime a dozen but a really good catcher with the kind of cannon your describing is HARD TO FIND!!! Tell her to go with it and be great. If she wants to pursue a college career, pitchers and catchers are usually the most sought after players.

This situation doesn't have to be a bad thing at all and should be viewed as an opportunity....Coach James is right that infielders are abundantly available....so getting some good experience at catcher because of necessity could be a blessing. But I will say my 2015 DD was an exception to Coach James quote "They will usually only excel at the position they love"....my DD was a catcher, almost exclusively for 3 years and loved it....and during that time I was always trying to get in in the outfield because she had really good speed, a great arm and had a natural ability to track a flyball....also because her legs would be shot by the end of a tournament.... but mostly because i knew her build was not prototypical of a college catcher....

Now move to last year with a new team where she caught only about 25% of the games...but the other 75% of the games she really blossemed as an outfielder (mostly center) as her confort level kept growing with experience out there....now she has quite a few colleges interested in her and two of them were looking for an outfielder who can catch in 2016. The way the coach explained it to me was that they carry only two catchers but always have a postion player, or two, that could catch if necessary....it saves him a roster spot by not carring 3 "catcher-only" type of players....

Now Lathar241's DD has an opportunity to get some experience at catcher because of necessaity rather than an experiment....that could make her a more attractive player in both HS and who know....maybe someday in college....

 

[Lothar241]

She caught our #1 pitcher on Wednesday after practice and giggled and bowed when she made great stops on balls in the "dirt" (turf, since it was indoors). I'm no expert, but it appears that she has some talent behind the plate. I can't read my own daughter!!!

I explained to her that she would only be the back-up catcher and that she would probably spend a majority of the time as an OF and I would try to get her some time at 1B. She likes the OF, so that seemed to shift her attitude towards working on catching more.

Pdiddy. I agree about the versatility and that is what I have been emphasizing to her and that catcher is one of the most sought after positions when it comes to HS and College. At this point I don't believe that she is looking at the future that much. She spends more time just enjoying the moment. The high school she will be attending does not have a competitive program and I am pretty sure she will be playing varsity as a Freshman (once again an assumption).

It does appear that 1B is a very sought after position by girls this age. She has been told by her private instructor for 3 years that she should be playing 1B because "you can't teach height" (5'9" and 13 y/o going on 14 y/o), so she has it her head that she should be playing 1B. Unfortunately, the last 3 years (on different teams) she has not had the opportunity to play there very much because she excels in the OF even though she is not fleet of foot.

Thanks everybody for allowing me to reflect on this situation. A local team just folded, so I am hoping we can get a few more players on the team very soon to help alleviate the situation a bit.