Stalling For the Win

[bjenkins24]

I coach 10u rec. You would think it's not super competitive, but these coaches are intense. Everybody's ridiculously competitive. It's one of the better rec leagues around, but yet everyone is super competitive.

This last Saturday my team (ranked second to last out of 8) was playing the top undefeated team. Somehow we were winning 1-0 the whole game and by the 5th inning they scored 2. We were home and there was 8 minutes left with an hour 30 drop dead rule. Two outs bases loaded opposing team is up. The coach purposely gets the girl on third out by making her hesitate to move it along and get them a chance to get us out. If they don't get 3 outs in 6 minutes now, we win because it reverts.

I could have stalled. Actually that last inning I changed pitchers (not to stall, because I needed to) and I told her no warm up pitches because I really didn't want to stall. It just feels scummy? She had pitched earlier. She didn't need them.

Anyways. 6 minutes they get three outs we lose. 1 pitch away from winning. Afterwards blue takes me and AC aside and says we should have stalled. AC wanted to stall, he pointed out the opposing coach was playing that game by intentionally getting a girl out.

Talked to another coach afterwards that said they would have stalled. I'm kinda still glad I didn't stall, but like we have 2 wins out of 13 games. That would have been a nice win for the girls.

Did I do the right thing and keep it moving? What would you have done? Was the opposing coach purposely getting one of his girls out a good play (I mean it was in terms of winning) or is it along the same lines of stalling and should be frowned upon? Just curious where everyone stands on all this.

 

[Sweet Lou]

You did the right thing. Play softball. The other coach intentionally made out trying to beat the clock giving his team a chance to win the game in the circle. If you didn't have a time limit do you think he would have stepped off? Maybe they score 5 more in that case. Who can say.

Sure you could have stalled, stretched it out, let the clock run out and the inning reverts. What would your girls have learned? That you are good at clock management?

Now if its a tournament and the difference between winning and losing and go home or win and play on I probably have a different answer. But for a 10U rec softball league you absolutely did the right thing in that situation, except you probably should have let your pitcher take her warmups.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

I coach 10u rec.

This last Saturday

78 seconds after the game was over, the girls had already forgotten who won. They probably have no idea if they're 2-13 or 13-2.

I wouldn't beat myself up over 10u rec coaching strategies.

 

[Dabears17]

I agree with Sweet Lou. I would of had my pitcher take her warm-up pitches since that is the norm. For rec I generally would play it straight. If it was a "win or go home" game like in a tournament or play-offs, I would of delayed some.

I admire you playing it straight. I hate drop dead and think your league should go to finish the inning.

My DD's last year in 10u I coached for development, but after we started the season 1-3, I changed my philosophy to try to win games because I noticed some of my players were losing confidence. I still didn't play delaying games. Though my philosophy for rec was to play the first half of the season for development, second half of the season more to win, while still developing the players.

 

[Northball]

You can hold your head high, your team played ball. The scummier part is the drop dead/revert structure. Gotta at least finish an inning. So what if the next game starts a few minutes late. Hard to fault an opposing coach whose team gains the lead then takes steps within the rules to preserve that lead.

 

[Lance Steckler]

10u Rec and there's an actual question about learning and teaching versus winning? Kick all the wise-apples that advocated stalling to win, dead square in the buttocks and move along.

It's not like you were playing game 7 of NBA finals. Or the state finals game in football. it's a rec game for kids at 10U. SMH.

 

[Hawk_]

yeah I'm on the fence here.....maybe cause it's hard for me to go back to that mindset. "You play to win the game" - Herm Edwards
I have always thought my role as a coach is "put players in positions to be the best they can be" ........ idk guess it's up to you to decide what is best.
But if i was one of your parents I would have been pissed.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

78 seconds after the game was over, the girls had already forgotten who won. They probably have no idea if they're 2-13 or 13-2.

I wouldn't beat myself up over 10u rec coaching strategies.

I hear this a lot but the 10-year-olds I coach do understand who wins and who loses. We do in fact keep score during the games.

So while winning isn't everything at 10u, it's something.

 

[justAdad2]

in 10u rec only the playoffs matter. its been 6-7 yrs ago for DD but i remember coaches and parents were insane and some of the dirtiest stuff i have seen was 10u rec. good luck

 

[bjenkins24]

I hear this a lot but the 10-year-olds I coach do understand who wins and who loses. We do in fact keep score during the games.

So while winning isn't everything at 10u, it's something.

Yeah the girls definitely know. They get discouraged when we only lose. At the beginning of the season I didn't play the girls quite as hard. Pitched girls maybe I shouldn't have if we wanted to win. Girls started getting discouraged, so I picked it up a bit to get some wins. Not a lot, but the couple we got helped. Would have been nice to get that one.