I read this thread with interest - partially because my DD is a pitcher, and partially because i'm currently coaching 10U.
From my perspective, we started this past season with the pitchers covering home on pass balls. But, it was a deliberate move. With a mostly first year team, we were moving the kids around the positions a lot & we frequently found kids at first who just didnt get the concept of getting in there to cover - depsite running a couple drills for the whole team. The pitchers on the other hand - a much smaller group of kids, very dedicated (two of the three of them were going to provate pitching coaches) & they all routinely attended extra pitching sessions - and generally speaking, these kids had a better "game sense" about them - it was easy to get "some" coverage there more consistently.
About half way through the season, we tightened up on the kids that were playing first, had spent much more time working with them & we made the switch to having first covering home. The kids who were part of our reduced 1B pool and didnt consistently get in there to cover, found themselves playing first less. The lesson learned, we didnt spend any time explaining the strategy shift to the parents - some of whom tried to coach / reprimand their kids from the bench, then told the coaches we were being inconsistent (no, we've made a PLANNED change, now go back to the bleachers and WATCH!)
I did see at districts in June a 14U game where a house team had their stud pitcher covering pass balls - and evidently either had never been taught how to position herself - or forgot. In either case, the kid sliding into home caught her in the shin just above the ankle, tib-fb compound fracture. The team lost their only decent pitcher, their coach (was the coaches daughter) and then suffered some poor sportsmanship at the hands of the other team that then proceeded to run the score up unmercilessly (and unnecessarily). Which brings up another topic for another day - how the teams react to injuries to players (what im wondering about and will one day pose in another thread, is how it varies - if at all, by age).
From my perspective, we started this past season with the pitchers covering home on pass balls. But, it was a deliberate move. With a mostly first year team, we were moving the kids around the positions a lot & we frequently found kids at first who just didnt get the concept of getting in there to cover - depsite running a couple drills for the whole team. The pitchers on the other hand - a much smaller group of kids, very dedicated (two of the three of them were going to provate pitching coaches) & they all routinely attended extra pitching sessions - and generally speaking, these kids had a better "game sense" about them - it was easy to get "some" coverage there more consistently.
About half way through the season, we tightened up on the kids that were playing first, had spent much more time working with them & we made the switch to having first covering home. The kids who were part of our reduced 1B pool and didnt consistently get in there to cover, found themselves playing first less. The lesson learned, we didnt spend any time explaining the strategy shift to the parents - some of whom tried to coach / reprimand their kids from the bench, then told the coaches we were being inconsistent (no, we've made a PLANNED change, now go back to the bleachers and WATCH!)
I did see at districts in June a 14U game where a house team had their stud pitcher covering pass balls - and evidently either had never been taught how to position herself - or forgot. In either case, the kid sliding into home caught her in the shin just above the ankle, tib-fb compound fracture. The team lost their only decent pitcher, their coach (was the coaches daughter) and then suffered some poor sportsmanship at the hands of the other team that then proceeded to run the score up unmercilessly (and unnecessarily). Which brings up another topic for another day - how the teams react to injuries to players (what im wondering about and will one day pose in another thread, is how it varies - if at all, by age).
