pick up player

[bronc47]

Do you start a pick up player every game and inning at a tournament like Western Nationals if the player has only practiced with your team for a week?

[jamiej]

I would say you play whoever is better, if you want to win.Isnt that why its called a team no I in team.

[Sam]

This question is for coaches............ Do you start a pick up player every game and inning at a tournament like Western Nationals if the player has only practiced with your team for a week?

Not if you want to coach next year.

[Gaphitter14]

The best you can do is be straight up with your intentions on how she will be needed on the team an let her teammates know the plan as well. Be Honest is the best thing you can do.

[jmira]

did the coach tell the team that he was going to use this player as a starter? i think this really sucks for the girls who have worked there butts off all season to only to be benched cause of a pick up player. hey bronc47 what age group? if the coach didnt sack up and give explanations then hes a jack a$$ or a coward.

[anonlooker]

It's perfectly fine, provided the pick-up player is replacing the coach's DD. LOL

[SnocatzDad]

Before you lump all pick up players into the same bunch remember there is a legitamate need for pickup players. Many of us roster few players during the season (our team got by with 11) and this maximizes playing time and at bats for those kids, but the risk is that you can get pretty thin by the time you get to nationals. If we had no injuries I doubt we would have picked up any kids, but we lost our #2 catcher for the season due to knee problems she developed playing HS ball and our #1 catcher was in and out due to a sprained thumb sustained late June on her catching hand. We had a few other kids that could catch, but none that really were a catcher. We posted an add on a clearinghouse for a catcher to take to nationals and ended up picking up three kids (one was a catcher on another team in our org ) to bring with with the understanding that they were there to help when needed.

The morning we're driving to nationals in KC one of our OF's broke a finger on her throwing hand and was now reduced to a CR at best, our lead off hitter also ended up spraining her ankle sliding into third in our first bracket game at nationals and our #1 catcher only caught about 7 of the 49 innings at nationals before the pain in her thumb got to be too much. Without the 3 pickup players the 8 healthy kids wouldn't have been able to field a team. We ended up splitting the catching time between 2 of the pickup catchers and had all three pickup players bat during pool and bracket games at different times. The pickups were happy to be there the team was happy to have them there to help.

Looking back I'm not sure I'd change anything. We had a successful season the 11 kids got lots of playing time and at bats, I wouldn't want to carry 14 kids all year just in case and have to figure out rotating 5 kids into a game every time throughout the year.

BTW since the #1 catcher was my DD technically the pickup players were replacing one of the coaches daughters.

[jmira]

the player isnt the issue. its about whether or not the coach was upfront. has nothing to do with the kid. honesty and communication is what its about.

[Donnie]

It is a coaches job to keep the girls happy and focused. Parents will be parents, we all know that. If a coach picks up a player it is for a reason and he should be able to play her as needed. However you cant forget the ones who got you there. It is a tough job but someone has to do it. If a coach is smart there is always a way to keep the girls eye on the prize.. Good luck to all in the 2010 season...

[GIMNEPIWO]

It is a coaches job to keep the girls happy and focused. Parents will be parents, we all know that. If a coach picks up a player it is for a reason and he should be able to play her as needed. However you cant forget the ones who got you there. It is a tough job but someone has to do it. If a coach is smart there is always a way to keep the girls eye on the prize. It is a half of one or six dozen of another arguement. Good luck to all in the 2010 season...

Donnie not the boar ... WHAT ? ...