Coaching Question?

[hit4power]

For you 14U/16U coaches out there - how much playing time do you try to give the players that you would rank in your bottom 3-4 players? And what drives your thinking?

[GIMNEPIWO]

For you 14U/16U coaches out there - how much playing time do you try to give the players that you would rank in your bottom 3-4 players? And what drives your thinking?

I'm up at 18's & 23's now ... but you may need to supply more info ... such as how hot the Mom is and does she bring good sponsors to the team ...

[Iluvblue]

I have 13 players (14u) 2 kids are pitchers only. I pitch them in about equal amounts. 3 games on a Saturday and they each split those innings.

The other 11 kids take all remaining positions and innings. NO PLAYER sits more than 1 game of the 3 games on Saturday. I do not do substitutions. A kid starts the game, they play the entire game. A different player sits 1 whole game.

On Sunday I do the same. I look at our opponents and can do line-ups accordingly.

We played 7 games this weekend and I think the LEAST amount of game time for any of the NON PITCHERS was 3 games sitting out of 7. If you are afraid to play a kid, you shouldnt have them on your team.

[Phantom]

I have 13 players (14u) 2 kids are pitchers only. I pitch them in about equal amounts. 3 games on a Saturday and they each split those innings.

The other 11 kids take all remaining positions and innings. NO PLAYER sits more than 1 game of the 3 games on Saturday. I do not do substitutions. A kid starts the game, they play the entire game. A different player sits 1 whole game.

On Sunday I do the same. I look at our opponents and can do line-ups accordingly.

We played 7 games this weekend and I think the LEAST amount of game time for any of the NON PITCHERS was 3 games sitting out of 7. If you are afraid to play a kid, you shouldnt have them on your team.

you mean that you dont have any princesses on your team? you know, the one kid whos parents think they shouldnt sit out at all, for whatever reason

BTW, good job

[Iluvblue]

I have one girl who I feel has some of the best potential of any 14u player I have seen in this area. We have had 4 tournaments since HS season ended and she joined our team. We have been playing on fields with 220ft fences up to this point. Had we been on standard 190 fences, she would have 6 over the fence HRs already, and she did hit one over the 220ft fence that went about 240.

She has the stropngest arm on my team and is our fastest runner.

This weekend on our first game on Sunday I sat her. I asked her if this was a first for her and she had a dumnfounded look on her face and said, "First what?" I said first time you have ever sat, and she said yes.

Neither her or her parents said 1 word to me, because I have made it clear from day 1 that EVERY player on this team will be sitting at some point. It is not equal sitting, but I do try to keep it as close as possible. As long as everybody knows this up front, I have NEVER had a problem doing it this way. If you can not afford to sit 1 superstar player 1 game, then your team is not very good.

Trust me, it makes for better team chemistry and gives you less headaches because no parent can come to you and say you arent trying to keep PT close.

[xyzdude]

Coached 14U team last year. I am a believer that when you invite a player on the team you are making a committment to them. Playing time is a part of that committment. At 14U I would rather sit a girl a whole game than do a lot of substitutions and rotations. On our team, if you sat a game it was a sure thing that you started the next one. The interesting thing about spreading the playing time around (certainly not evenly but everyone did play a substantial amount of the time) was that I couldn't really identify the bottom 3-4 players by the end of the season. I'm beginning to think that while there may always be a small group of players on every team who stand out from the rest, with playing opportunities and instruction, the rest become pretty interchangable.

[PDad]

Well done Iluvblu and xyzdude! Great posts with lots of good points.

I'll bet your teams are also well prepared to withstand the loss of a player to injury or illness.

[Phantom]

Well done Iluvblu and xyzdude! Great posts with lots of good points.

I'll bet your teams are also well prepared to withstand the loss of a player to injury or illness.

TAKE NOTE COACHES AND MANAGERS

[Coach11]

For you 14U/16U coaches out there - how much playing time do you try to give the players that you would rank in your bottom 3-4 players? And what drives your thinking?

14U.....14 on the roster. Our organization guarentees a game and a half on Saturdays, but absolutely no guraentees for Sundays.

I try and make sure everyone sees at least two games on Saturday.....but come Sunday, you'd better have earned a spot during those two games.

That said, I typically use a Flex.......and an abundance of speed allows me to courtesy run for both pitcher and catcher. Usually, everyone plays a part on Sunday.

[Iluvblue]

I try and make sure everyone sees at least two games on Saturday.....but come Sunday, you'd better have earned a spot during those two games.


I used to have that approach as well. Then I figured out that if i am doing my job, they will have earned their time on Sundays. In my 12 years in travel, I have NEVER had a player that did not bust their a.. for me at all times. So if they are doing that (if they arent it is the coaches fault) and you have a decent tryout, every kid on your roster should be good enough to play on Sunday. Does every team have their top 6? Sure, but 8-13 should be close to each other.


You can NOT sit the same kid 3 games in a row on a Sunday and then say she didnt earn any time in those games. If you are doing that, go look in the mirror and ask what YOU have done wrong. You either selected a player that had no business making your team to begin with (your fault) or you have not taught that kid enough since you have had her to make you comfortable to play her when it matters.(your fault)

In any event, could you honestly blame ANY parent that was not happy after an entire Sunday at the park and their kid got to courtesy run 2-4 times for a catcher or pitcher and that was it in 3 games?