The Outfield

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My daughter played centerfield for her team all last year, as an 11U on a 12U team. She absolutely loves it! And, when asked where she wanted to play for tryouts this year, centerfield was her first choice! After seeing the hard hitting teams we faced last year, outfield makes as much difference as infield in winning a game.

 

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At 10U and 12U my daughter also played infield and had no desire to go in the outfield. She was fast and we had convinced her to turn around and bat from the left so ahe could bunt and slap at 11. While playing up our last year at 12U she went to center field. She got lots of balls hit her way and has stayed ever since. She now see's how important a good outfielder is.
Give it some time but at some point she will see what you mean.

 

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My daughter likes to play anywhere she is needed. She has never grumbled over any position she has played. She understands the concept that infield has a backup and the outfield sometimes doesn't even have a fence to back them up. A mistake in the infield could hurt your team but a mistake in the outfield can kill your team. Many games if that long outfield shot is missed the game is lost because mulitple runs are going to score. Every position on the team is as important as the next.

 

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Two of my three were OF and loved it. Nothin sweeter than a diving catch or seeing a CF and RF throw runners out at first....... The good teams have players who can play almost anywhere and getting that in theirs and parents heads early cure the stigma of "OF SKX.".

 

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There is nothing better to watch than a speedy outfielder who dives and goes all out for the ball. I love both my DD's in the OF. If you are playing quality teams, even 10u outfielders are getting action. We need to get rid of the stigma.

 

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I know the feeling. We had a few girls at 14U that didn't want anything to do with outfield. - It took several tournaments for them to change their idea about outfield. It happened when our outfielders not pitchers, catchers or shortstops started winning the MVP ribbons that some of the tournaments hand out for pool games. In one tournament 3 of our outfielders won the ribbons and we only played 4 pool games in that tournament. It was great they were finally figuring out that a good outfielder who can track a ball, know's how to do a drop step and catch a ball over the shoulder is gold. My daughter is a middle infielder who want to play varsity as a freshman and knew that there was a junior who played her postion on the varsity team so she knew she would most likely have to play outfield to get there so she show the coaches that she could play outfield really well and second. Now don't get me wrong she tried to win the second base positon and actually did, sharing time with 2 other girls in scrimmages and doing fine there but when the girl who was to play right field just couldn't do it the coach made a change and put her in the outfield for the first game of the season and she never looked back - she played every game. The other girls who played second kind of shared the postion, so because she could play that other postion she got more playing time. She loved playing outfield robbing players of homeruns, those shallow dropping singles, and throwing players out at first. She even had coaches telling her how great she was out there. She loved it. - So now she has two position which makes her more wanted. I love watcing her play both second and out field but I actually love seeing her in the outfield and listening to the parents in the stands saying thank god she's out there or that would have been a homerun, or wow that girl really knows how to play that position she is so fun to watch. I can say I'm not a parent that thinks outfield is a punishment. I love watching a good outfield move.

 

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In practice; one coach will take half the girls to the OF and the other to the IF. In 10 minutes we would switch. All players got work at both IF and OF type balls. We also worked them with game intensity. More hits, harder hits, more difficult balls, more running, more throwing.. you get the picture.

During tournaments we would work each girl at a primary position and also at a secondary position; usually in the infield and then the outfield. We never had trouble with girls going to the OF because they knew that we thought is was important and trained them to succeed.

All players need to learn to field ground balls, fly balls, line drives, pop-ups, etc..... Putting a girl into left field for every game is just plain silly. The growth of a ball player demands that they learn multiple positions and multiple skills, if not for your team at least for her next team.

 

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My DD loves being in the outfield. She is also a pitcher in the starting rotation and a middle infielder. She does well at all but loves making those great diving catches in the outfield and robbing others of homeruns!

 

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My DD loves being in the outfield. She is also a pitcher in the starting rotation and a middle infielder. She does well at all but loves making those great diving catches in the outfield and robbing others of homeruns!

I agree, she is a beast in the outfield....she sure saved our butts on many occasions this summer. She is awesome wherever you put her, she loves the game and it shows. She's a great teammate and a great player and I'm very lucky to have her on my team.

 

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The bottom line is that if the outfield wasn't important, we would play with 6 not 9. Every position is as important as the next and if you are playing at the elite level then you can't hide any player. If she don't like playing the outfield then the rec ss might be best for her. JMO!

 

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....or I should say....best for her parents!

 

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Good 12u teams have good OFers. As much skill and knowledge is required to play those positions. That is what should be taught to lessen the stigma early.

yeah, without them... they'd be bad teams when facing good to great competition. The OF will break you for sure.

 

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if they learn the position well, they wont sit the bench much. its awesome being able to throw a girl out at the plate trying to steal home on a fly ball.

 

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What is the deal with 12U girls not wanting to play the outfield? I loved playing Left field when I was a kid, now I ask my girls to take some fly balls balls and you would think I just asked them to write me a ten page essay. Part of it might be that when they played rec ball that is where coached stuck the not so great players, but at this age playing travel ball that is where the big arms and speed come in. I just can't seem to get them excited about it. What is a coach to do?

Not to sound too hardcore, but parents are the culprits here! They don't what their dd "stuck" in the outfield. I got news for ya folks- games are won and lost in the outfield. "infield errors hurt, outfield errors KILL".

 

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if they learn the position well, they wont sit the bench much. its awesome being able to throw a girl out at the plate trying to steal home on a fly ball.

DD is a pitcher. She's thrown no-hitters, one hitters and won against teams she never should have and never will again. What is her best memory? The game last spring when she was playing CF and she made a diving catch, popped up and threw the girl out at home.

Every kid should know how to play the OF, period. Can't tell you how many times I've seen players get to HS and they tell the coach what position they play and the coach looks at them and says, "Not anymore.". From 14U onwards games are won and lost in the outfield. It's the parents, not the kids who put the stigma out there. As a pitcher my DD knows well that unless her outfield is strong, her goose is cooked.

 

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At 11u last year, it was my DD's first year playing travel. She had never played OF a day in her "life" (4 years in rec ball at that time). She was picked up by Thunder to be an outfielder and she learned SO much there and really likes it. Towards the end of last season and now this season at 12u she catches - which is her first/greatest love in the game...but when she is not catching she is usually playing OF. She loves it there now as a secondary spot.... and has made some awesome plays in the past year. I have seen her make some truly game-changing/saving catches that I didn't think she would/could make...I've watched her throw girls out at first from RF.... her favorite is when she caught a fly ball in fairly deep RF and made a perfect throw to third (without a cut) to get an out on a girl that was running (and tagged up) from second...these were just a few examples of the very exciting plays and the smile on her face after them is priceless.

I definitely think the attitudes of girls not wanting to play outfield comes from parents not wanting them to...especially at the rec level. It is true that at the rec level that is where you put your weakest players and a lot of players at the travel 10u and even 12u ages are just coming out of rec. To be honest, until the spring before 11u, my family didn't even know the travel world existed! I think what played a big part in my daughter learning so much, as well as enjoying the OF is how the outfielders would often be taken seperately and work on drills, techniques, and have discussions about situations while the infield worked on their stuff. There were also times that all girls did OF drills, but the girls that played it primarily were taught (very well) as a small group. I think this makes quite a difference. It shows them that they have an important role and there are important things to learn. In rec - often for defensive practice the whole team would be put in place and the coach would hit balls to everyone. Well, most rec coaches don't even hit the balls to the outfielders very often and really try to work on the infield defense. So not only do those girls (in rec and lower travel) not see much action in games, but they aren't seeing much in practices either. It does create a stigma for the girls, as well as the parents...then they bring that stigma with them when/if they transition to travel.

 

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I've heard coaches tell their dd "if you miss one more ball, I'll put you in the outfield" and of course this leaves a bad impression on the teams outfielders and their parents that have heard this. Outfielders that play well are the real deal. Just wish they could take care of the holes and dips in the grass as well as they take care of home plate. Daughter twisted her back at 1st try out this year while outfielding and have another girl on 16 u team that is allready setting out of fall ball from ankle injury from hole in grass very 1st game.

 

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I have a player (SS) that went to a college camp. She played her position while she was there. The coaches asked her to play some outfield and she willingly complied. Their comment to her was that 'all of their outfielders were former SS for their high school and travel teams'. Lesson to players: The more tools you have in your belt, the more marketable you are. Lesson to coaches (including myself): We need to do a better job of selling the outfield positions.

 

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Outfield is awesome. I started emphasising it to my DD at 10u and she embraced it. Her primary position is catcher but when she's not behind the plate she loves to play OF. She is better in left or in center...still has issues in right judging the slice off of a right handed hitter's bat....but since 10u she probably has almost as many OF assists as she does thrown out base stealers behind the plate. Heck, from August to early June last year she only threw out 7 base runners and had 8 OF assists. LOL

 

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Forgot to mention...We were at a college camp yesterday. The girls getting the most looks were the outfielders.